ENL South All-Star team announced

LONDON, UK – After much anticipation the Pro Hockey News ENL South All-Star team is finally announced along with the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. All votes were cast from players and officials within the game, giving the awards a unique and balanced perspective.
 
The English National League South Division 1 has had another strong season, with its mix of local players and imported stars, entertaining fans across the country from Gillingham to Cardiff, from Milton Keynes to the Isle of Wight and from London to leafy Essex.
 
The second annual Pro Hockey News All-Star Awards are chosen by those within the league, meaning that the recipients have been valued by their peers as worthy of the honour.
 
Pro Hockey News has collected votes from players, coaches and officials across the league with the only caveat being that no one could vote for a player or coach from within their own club.
 
 
Player of the Year
 
Joe Rand – Wightlink Raiders

 
It took less than two months into the season for Wightlink Coach Jeremy Cornish to publicly proclaim Joe Rand as ‘the best import in the league’. This early season boast could have come back to haunt the big Canadian but his assessment of his fellow countryman proved to be accurate.
 
After spending last season in Germany with Deggendorfer SC , Rand arrived on the Isle of Wight with relatively little fanfare as fans and critics tried to judge him on a mixed hockey CV.
 
However once he hit the ice, the loyal fan base at the Ryde Arena knew the team had secured something a bit special in the number 86 jersey.
 
The 25 year old has been prolific in front of goal but has also adapted to island life and is a firm favourite with the supporters.
 
“Joe plays at both ends of the rink and is really good in the locker room” explained Cornish in an interview with Pro Hockey News.
“I have found that imports at this level are very one dimensional, but that’s not the case with Joe. Joe is used in all of our important situations defensively and offensively”
Rand was a unanimous choice to receive the Pro Hockey News ENL South Player of the year 2011/12.
 
Coach of the Year
 
Richie Hargreaves – Bristol Pitbulls
 
After successfully cementing his team in English National League 1 by avoiding the drop at the expense of Swindon last season, Hargreaves has transformed his outfit into a team of genuine quality.
 
The former Slough, London and Basingstoke player has adapted to life as a Player-Coach since setting up the Pitbulls in his home town of Bristol.
 
Bristol signed up some excellent players during the summer; however it was the capture of Lithuanian international Eggy Bauba that turned out to be Hargreaves trump card. The demise of Oxford City Stars, a team who Hargreaves had played for back in 2009, allowed him to persuade star goalie Chris Douglas to join therefore completing the jigsaw on his Pitbulls project.
 
A sixth place finish in the league may not make Hargreaves selection as Coach of the Year an obvious one, however taking all factors into account it is a deserved choice.
 
 
ENL South All-Star Team 2011/12
 
 
Goalie
 
Chris Douglas – Oxford City Stars/Bristol Pitbulls
 
There were a number of eyebrows raised when City Stars Coach Ken Forshee managed to persuade the highly rated former Swindon stopper Douglas to play in the ENL at Oxpens Road.
 
The 32 year old goalie, who started as a junior player in Romford enjoyed a good start in his Stars career but found himself without a team in December as Oxford folded. After agreeing terms with Bristol, Douglas quickly cemented himself as number one and the team enjoyed a good run of results across the latter half of the season.
 
Despite suffering with a series of niggling injuries, Douglas has lived up to the hype that surrounded his initial drop to the ENL and was a standout choice amongst voters for this category.
 
Defence
 
Dominic Hopkins – Wightlink Raiders
 
The 31 year old former GB Junior international is selected in the All-Star select for the second season running. A massive part of the Wightlink Raiders blue line corps, Hopkins is also the top goal scoring defenseman in the league thanks to a slap shot that has been described by some as ‘NHL standard’.
 
Hopkins started his senior career with the Guildford Flames and went on to enjoy a long spell with some of the UK’s top clubs. Following spells with Dundee, London and Basingstoke, Hopkins first iced on the island when the Raiders competed in the English Premier League.
 
He dropped to the ENL with his local side the Bracknell Hornets and helped them to Play Off success before joining Wightlink again last season. Although Hopkins has been unable to help his side to another league title this season as he did last, he has had another fantastic year in Ryde with the Raiders.
 
Dwayne Newman – Chelmsford Chieftains
 
Highly respected in the game by players and fans across the leagues, Newman or ‘Dog’ as he is known, is everything a defenseman should be. Lacking in speed and now certainly classed in the veteran section at the age of 40, Newman belies his advancing years with excellent positioning sense and an intense will to win that makes him a superb competitor.
 
A face covered in scars picked up since he made his senior hockey debut in his native Canada for Brandon Wheat Kings, clearly shows that Newman is a player who does not shy away from the corners or in front of net.
 
Long spells with Milton Keynes and Peterborough ensure that Newman is remembered fondly in both of those towns, but the fans of Chelmsford are now aware of what this grizzly blue liner brings to the team and the club.
 
 
Forwards
 
Joe Rand – Wightlink Raiders
 
The ENL South Player of the season was always going to feature as a forward on the All-Star team. Despite missing out on the league scoring crown to Invicta’s Ryan Ellis, the popular Wightlink winger hit an impressive 47 goals and 46 assists in his 36 league games for the Raiders.
 
A native of Hamilton Ontario, Rand impressed throughout the season with his work rate and ability to step up in the big games to help secure points for his side, especially on home ice. A total of 77 penalty minutes showed that Rand was more than capable of sticking up for himself and his smooth skating style allowed him to play a surprisingly physical game for such a flair player.
 
By the end of the season a number of clubs from higher leagues were rumoured to be chasing his signature for next season, but Wightlink will be delighted with his contribution to their club in 2011/12 regardless.
 
 
Jamie Hayes – Cardiff ENL Devils
 
Runner-up to Rand for the Player of the Year award, Hayes dropped down to the ENL to ice for his hometown club after a disappointing season in Swindon the previous season.
 
It soon became clear that Coach Mark Cuddihy had a gem on his hands as Hayes hit the goal trail from pretty much the first whistle and by the end of the league campaign he had bagged 43 goals and 41 assists in 35 games.
 
Hayes commitment to the cause shone through as he played more games than the majority of his team mates, and his ability to play on defense during the power play showed versatility to his game.
 
Still only 21 years old, Hayes has speed, good hands, great awareness and a good shot and can count 2011/12 as a year he became a genuine stand out in an ever improving league.
 
 
Danny Hammond – Chelmsford Chieftains
* 
The 22 year old local boy had another fantastic season at the Riverside as he continued to impress in black and yellow. Despite being beaten to the team top scorer spot by Czech team mate Jakub Klima, Hammond’s 42 goals and 44 assists in 36 games proved a key factor in Chelmsford ultimately unsuccessful title charge.
 
Despite making his debut with Chelmsford in the English Premier League in 2004, it was not until his return from a spell with bitter rivals Romford in 2008 that he hit the prolific goal scoring form that has made him such a fans favourite in Essex.
 
Blistering speed and good stickhandling make Hammond a tough opponent for any defenseman in the English National League, the local boy even upstaged his Coach Gary Clarke, a man with a reputation that Hammond may one day possess himself.
 
 
Second line:
 
Goalie
 
Ryan Bainborough – Slough ENL Jets
 
Defence
 
Andrius Kaminskas – Romford Raiders
 
Damon Larter – Wightlink Raiders
 
Forwards
 
Juraj Huska – Romford Raiders
 
Gary Clarke – Chelmsford Chieftains
 
Andy Smith – Invicta Dynamos
 
Bench Coach
 
Mark Cuddihy – Cardiff Devils
 
 
Pro Hockey News would like to thank all parties who voted. All votes were counted and verified by an independent source and made in confidence. Neither the author of this article nor any member of the Pro Hockey News team voted.
 
The second line consisted of the players who just missed out on the required number of votes to make the All-Star team. The bench coach selection was based on the runner-up for Coach of the Year votes.
 
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com