SWINDON , UK – Thinking back just seen days it is hard to believe the season hadn’t actually kicked off because there was still a lot going on. The Phoenix, for example, played the Steeldogs in a ‘friendly’; oh I do hate that word for pre-season games because it makes it sound like the game is going to be played in the pub. Anyway, this friendly was probably best remembered for veteran Tony Hand scuffling with Steeldogs Edgar Bebris. “When I saw the size of him” said the 43-year-old Phoenix player-coach “I thought ‘We’d better finish this quick’ – he was far too big for me”. Almost as daunting was the size of the debt the Manchester side had to overcome to get their show on the road. Owner Neil Morris disclosed the club had faced debts of £75,000 just six weeks previously, explaining: “I think it says a lot for this club in that in the current financial climate we managed to turn things around”.
Without doubt, after the weekend’s impressive results against two of the reputed big boys, particularly the Jets, the Phoenix with their northern grit are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Sporting a fat lip from an earlier skirmish Phoenix forward Dean Holland added “We want that top spot and a good run in the play-offs”.
Coach Matt Darlow of the Steeldogs said he thought the Phoenix was “probably the fastest skating team in the league, and one that is built all on offence”. Fortunately, despite his team’s pre-season mauling, Darlow was also able to say “There were lots of positive for our new team to take forward”. Let’s hope so because the Sheffield team may be steely underdogs but the EPL needs them as much as the likes of the mighty, or as my old grand-pappy used to say ‘A sheep in wolves clothing is still a sheep, while a wolf in sheep’s clothing is still a wolf”. What I think the old duffer was on about was maybe we need a NHL-type draft system whereby weaker teams get first pick of the available players.
And then Saturday arrived, and they’re off!
The first day produced some memorable moments but perhaps the biggest surprise of that evening was the Telford Tigers visiting Swindon, scoring in the third minute, and then giving the Wildcats a bit of a ravaging for two periods. Then, all of a sudden the cornered Wildcats tore into the Tigers with five unanswered goals coming out 5-3 winners, and all with backup netminder James Hadfield replacing the acrobatic Chris Douglas.
Bison hosted the Phoenix and went nose-to-nose in a close fought thing with the visitor’s going into the lead but 1 all thanks to Ollie Bronnimann at the first break. The Phoenix went ahead again with a short-handed goal from Curtis Huppe, but the Bison equalised again although power plays and new imports did the damage before Bronnimann scored his second which was not quite enough against a strong looking Manchester team.
The Steeldogs went to Slough without Craig Elliot, Scott Morris, Arron Strawson, Chris Wilcox, Matej Kangyar, Dimitri Zimozdra and Simon Offord. No great surprise then that the Jets dominated the first period with three goals, but then Tom Squires pulled one back for the Steeldogs early in the second. The third was again dominated by the Jets who even managed to kill a 5-3 penalty while defender Adam Greener was assisted by forward and brother Joe Greener for the fourth, and Doug Shepherd seemed to be everywhere.
Flames and Bees, minus captain Terry Miles, started off on the wrong foot with Michal Pinc in the box after just six seconds, but there was a lot of promise offered especially with a 1-1 scoreline at the first break. The Flames pulled ahead early in the second but a terrific goal from Ben Duggan from what appeared an impossible angle kept the game open even when Rempel gave the lead back to the Flames going into the second break. Prior to the weekend Bees coach Gareth Cox said “Pre-season training has all gone well and everyone is fit and raring to go. We are still getting used to the pace, and the guys are tired quickly”. So maybe that is why the third belonged to the Flames with two quick goals although more superb play by the Bees meant you couldn’t help admiring their grit and determination, which the Bison had discovered to their cost a couple of nights’ previously. Surprisingly, perhaps, shots on goal were 28-43 in favour of the Flames who had 0 from 8 power plays while the Bees had 0 from 7.
However, the following night the Flames went to Sheffield and did it all again with a 7-3 win over the Steeldogs. Flames player-coach Paul Dixon had said “On paper we have a team fully capable of some real accomplishments and I hope we can step up and deliver”. Well, it is beginning to look like that with four points from two games.
The Phantoms and Lightning were not playing in the league Saturday, but in a 2-game series known as The Ashes, starting in Milton Keynes. And what a cracking game it turned out to be with the Phantoms looking very strong early on with a goal by Steve Duncombe on the quarter hour and always threatening as they went into the break in the lead. But then came the equaliser early in the second and ten minutes later three goals from the Lightning to dominate the second and pull away 4-1, making it look like it was all over. But the Phantoms were having none of it and added three of their own in the third as they matched the pace. A further goal from the Lightning giving them a one-goal advantage set up the possibility of another cracker on Sunday.
And another cracker it turned out to be with the Lightning scoring and going ahead by two on aggregate near the end of the first, and still a goal up at the end of the second. Shaun Yardley then tapped in a rebound to equal the aggregate score and Phantoms were 4 on 3 for the last ninety seconds but more importantly 3 -1 on the night giving them the Ashes for the third consecutive year.
Earlier Lightning player-coach Nick Poole had told fans that retaining the title would be tough this season and he was aiming for a top four place in the league. With the Phantoms playing like this, that sounds like wise words. Meanwhile, Coach Cruickshank had said of the Lightning game “I definitely want to win. Any time you’re in a game and you don’t want to win you’re either lying to yourself or someone else”.
Bees against Wildcats on Sunday saw the Bracknell team without Miles again, or Grant Rounding and Alan Lack. The Wildcats started with backup netminder James Hadfield, who was immediately impressive, and opened the scoring and creating chances as the game got scrappy and Nicky Watt walked for high sticks. First minute of second period and the Wildcats added to their score and were leading 3-1 with half the game to go. Then Tribe-Cesky pulled one back and repeated the trick minutes later with Cesky going on to clock up five assists. In a physical game the Bees eventually went ahead for a minute near the end and when a 5 on 3 was presented to them when Jason Stone walked for roughing and Joe Baird got boxed for 2+10 for checking the head, they scored the game winning goal.
Tigers faced the Bison on Sunday and were down by 2 by end of first period with Bronnimann having a fruitful weekend, eventually going on to claim a hat-trick in the 6-0 defeat and with a shut-out for Tom Annetts.
League hopefuls Slough Jets went down to the Phoenix on Sunday with a Marcus Kristoffersson goal starting the scoring in the first period, and that’s the way it stayed for the second period and into the third when Tony Hand from Kristoffersson made it 2-0 and an empty net goal wrapped it up.
So the first week-end is over and the Phoenix and Flames, which has a certain mythological ring to it, have maximum points and Jets Coach Russell summed the week up when he said, “The whole of the league has upped its game during the summer and added a lot of strength”.
So onto week 2. Can’t wait!
For EPL news, stats, articles and a headlines mailing service try my website – www.iceman-epl.com
Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com
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