SWINDON, UK – The week turned a whisker busier with a few more announcements than of late.
The Phantoms, for instance, added two promising youngsters both with GBU18 experience and a place where they are both likely to perform for a couple of years yet with so much age on their side. Forward Jordan Cownie joined from the Dundee Junior Stars and also made ten appearances with the SNL Comets, while Lewis Hook has spent a year with the Junior Phantoms. What a terrific opportunity for these two with Hook at fifteen probably youngest player entering the league, and will squeeze past the age barrier well greased up with just days to spare, while Cownie, a year older, is not exactly a pensioner either.
Also not of pensionable age, although with the sum of the years of the aforementioned pair under his belt, is Greg Randall who left the Phantoms for ENL Milton Keynes Thunder after ten years in the EPL.
And continuing the young theme, the Wildcats re-signed 18-year-old forward Loris Taylor while GBU20 forward Liam Chong was signed by the Phoenix after playing in Bisonland last season.
Also eighteen is D-man Shaun Wild who joined the Steeldogs part-way through last season, and is now in line for his first full campaign in the EPL, while Aaron Connolly, just a year older, re-signed for the Jets for a third season.
Scott Spearing, on the other hand, at 26 seems positively ancient by comparison but it didn’t hinder him climbing back on board with the Bees for a third time in his second spell in Bracknell. Also hoping to overcome the problems of aging after twenty-six years is forward Ross Bowers, who after nine of his ten hockey years in Milton Keynes re-signed for the Lightning. Forward Joe Henry, meanwhile, still a sprightly in his early twenties, after two good seasons in Telford re-signed for a third. The Flames, in celebrating the Glorious Twelfth, bagged a brace of goalies that no one will grouse about as Mark Lee and James Hadfield both re-signed. Lee, who will make this his fourth season in Guildford and while still only in his early twenties and appearing to improve with age, will need all his adroitness about him with Hadfield his understudy. Last season the GBU20 goalie came good at the end when Lee was hit by sickness then, seconds into the Coventry semi-final, injury.
Now talking of netminders, this week we take a look at how these gentlemen are faring as the teams approach the last round of the rebuild.
Last season saw forty-one players don the big pads for EPL teams while twenty-three graced the ice with at least one appearance.
The Phantoms and Wildcats each had three regular goalies over the season with the feat being accomplished by Dean Skinns and Steve Wall moving clubs. The Tigers also had three nominated goalies with the added distinction of having the only import in the league in that position in Canadian Greg Blais.
So far this summer the Bison have lost Matt Colclough to the ENL and Steve Wall to the Lightning, but have replaced them with Stevie Lyle from the EIHL and junior Connor Standing. So the lie of the land fairly clear there, then.
Also clear is the situation in Guildford where the Flames are all square with Hadfield and Lee both having returned.
In Telford this time around Greg Blais and Declan Ryan are back for the Tigers while last year’s third goalie, Josh Nicholls, seems to have been abandoned in favour of Ben Hunt from the ENL Titans. The Tigers had seven goalies dress last time, of which Luke Rowlands and Martin Clarkson iced once and Josh Nicholls three times.
The Lightning saw Barry Hollyhead retire recently, so no recall for him, but Alex Mettam is back and has been paired with Steve Wall, so all present and correct in Milton Keynes too.
The rest have pack gaps.
The Bees, have yet to reveal a netminder although last season’s pair of Tom Annetts and Carl Ambler, with similar save rates, are still available.
The Phoenix have recalled Steve Fone, with last year’s back-up Jorge El-Hage still waiting in the wings. The Phantoms, meanwhile, having lost Steve Wall have re-signed Damien King but not as yet GBU18 Dan Lane who iced twice. So both these sides have a place to fill.
The Steeldogs have lost the top EPL netminder Ben Bowns to the EIHL and backup Dimitri Zimozdra, also to be accounted for, means two places to fill in Sheffield too, although last season also had Bradley Day ice twice. Greg Rockman has returned to the Jets but his backup, Tom Devey, is out in the cold having been released and no new signing so far on the horizon while Ryan Bainborough, who also iced once, has signed for Chelmsford Chieftains in the ENL. So still one empty spot for the Jets.
The Wildcats re-signed Tom Murdy early, but no news yet on Graeme Bird, who played three times, or late arrival Dean Skinns who still managed twenty appearances, so a vacant place in Swindon as well.
So with the goaltending situation wrapped up, it just leaves the announcement of the first all-EPL pre-season game between the Bees and Jets for what is known as the Berkshire Cycles Cup in early September. Which all goes to show the season is creeping nearer.
Can’t wait. For more EPL facts and figures, stats, news and a headline mailing list take a look at www.iceman-epl.com
Contact Bill.Collins@prohockeynews.com
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