EPL Weekly Roundup Week 28

LONDON, UK – Well, who’da thought it, the last week of the regular season is upon us at last and plenty of news and rumour to complete the season. First up, recognition for some in the form of the Ice Hockey Journalists UK awards which as far as the EPL were concerned were dominated by the Phoenix. Tony Hand took Player and Coach of the Year, and Steve Fone, Ladislav Harabin, Marcus Kristoffersson, Pavel Gomeniuk and Curtis Huppe made it into the All-Star teams. Lightning’s Leigh Jamieson and Bison’s Viktor Kubenko were also placed, and from the Flames Nathan Rempel, Lukas Smital and Paul Dixon. But for me, it was most pleasing to see Steeldogs netminder Ben Bowns, who has improved tremendously all through the season, and even this week risen up the EPL Top Ten Netminders Chart to a current forth place. Now, without wishing to take away any kudos from anyone because after all picking names from so many worthy choices is a bit of a challenge but I wonder if it might be nice to have an award for say an ‘old’ workhorse player who has never and no hope of playing at a higher level but is a long-serving backbone for a club. Just a thought. And what a dumb thought it turned out to be because when my new self-appointed ‘editor’, Rapid Roger, got wind of the idea he proposed we compile our own awards. I couldn’t see much reason for the likes of ‘Player that Shed the Most Blood During the Season’, and I am trying to resist the idea but Roger isn’t the sort of person who responds favourable to resist or reason. The IHJUK awards mean also, of course, the Elite League, so while on the subject chairman Eamon Convery was almost ecstatic in announcing the league was to revert to ten imports next season. ‘…it is a great opportunity to produce more top-class GB players for the future,’ he enthused. Now call me an old sceptic, and it wouldn’t be for the first time, but how? With the EPL becoming more competitive and skill levels improving, as many in the game are saying, and already players being named for the GB squad, I wonder how this will work to the euphoric level conveyed by Mister Convey. On to some more reassuring news from the Steeldogs who announced they will definitely be around next season. Not only that but they have already re-signed some players. Most notably, and controversially, is Andre Payette who will take the reigns for his first full season and in doing so confounded those who have expressed a whole catalogue of reasons why he wouldn’t be back. But, like him or loath him, he is actually a decent player otherwise the Phoenix wouldn’t have iced him and without doubt a character, and all sports need characters. Something of a coup for the Sheffield club, though, must be Janis Ozolins who was racing up the scoring charts but who is another player it will be interesting to follow next season. Also back are Chris Sykes, Lloyd Gibson, Scott Morris, Lewis Bell, Craig Elliott, Edgars Bebris and last but not least Ben Bowns. Equally as exciting came the news the Tigers would be around for another season too, and what a magnificent effort for all at the supporters trust to have made that possible. Chairman Alan Gould said it had been a ‘memorable’ first season adding, ‘We set out to put together a sustainable package – mission completed.’ Coach Watkins has taken up his second-year option and in a nice touch will re-sign on the dotted line in front of the fans Sunday. Watkins said he had already been talking to players about also returning, and even a few he would like to see join the Telford squad. While we are on the subject of player moves, rumours coming out of the Bees camp suggested the Dangerous Brothers Jaroslav Cesky and Michal Pinc may be on the move. Apparently several clubs are sniffing around, and who could blame them if they did move on? Both have been excellent servants of the club for the last couple of years, and could well achieve more elsewhere. On the other hand, Lukas Smital, who having spent three years with the Bees prior to his four with the Flames was mentioned as a Bracknell returnee. Mid-week and so came the second leg of the EPL Cup. A cautious Jets’ Coach Russell said of his one goal aggregate lead, ‘It’s the first trophy of the year and we want to win. But we aren’t getting carried away, there is still a lot to play for. But win it they did. On the night the Bison managed to hold on to a 2-2 draw for the first period and keep things tied for the second, but the third belonged to the Jets, and at 4-2 so did the trophy. Bison coach Steve Moria had pointed out his team had gone to Manchester and beat the ‘in-form’ team and added, ‘I feel we can do the same in Slough.’ But it wasn’t to be and the Jets took the cup 7-4 on aggregate. On the same night, the league clash between the Steeldogs and Lightning took place in Sheffield. Coach Nick Poole had already apologised to the fans for a less than memorable weekend, and had come in for criticism for his policy of rotating imports. It will be remembered the Lightning snapped up Blaz Emersic when the Jets’ owner rather shabbily threw him out, and Poole has since created a game of Spot the Import on game nights. Against the Steeldogs Poole was no doubt hoping to add some muscle to the policy but as it turned out it was Payette who got the upper hand. Well, and the upper head, actually, with the one belonging to Leigh Jamieson, and for which he was thrown out of the game after five minutes. And that was the high point because it really then all went downhill for the Lightning. The Steeldogs were in control and although the Lightning kept them in check for half an hour, McPhearson then got ten minutes and the remainder of the game was punctuated with ten minutes here and ten minutes there and after all sorts of bonhomie, the Steeldogs went home 4-3 winners. Coach Poole insisted the rotating import policy was right. ‘I still believe that was the right call,’ he said. ‘We don’t rely on one player to win games, and one player will never be responsible for losing a game.’ Well, er, yes, but who would have thought in the little ol’ EPL too many imports would be a problem? Or as my old grand-pappy said about his old sheep dog: ‘Why do I need another when the one I have one knows the routine and can do the job adequately, and doesn’t have to keep chasing his tail because a younger dog is about to run him out of town?’ With the Play-off Quarter-final schedule announced all eyes turned to the final league weekend and although no positions would change, there was the matter of producing convincing finishes to take into the first play-off exchange. Most definite with the sabre rattling was Phoenix coach Curtis Cruickshank whose team would face the Phoenix on Saturday. ‘I would absolutely hate it if they won the league at our place, really hate it’ he said. ‘Let them win it in their barn Sunday night, not in our barn. And Saturday? With hundreds of Manchester supporters arriving in Peterborough expecting to see the final point in the bag along with the league title, their confidence must have soared when the first period ended with the Phoenix one-up despite it being an even encounter. The second, however, was different and although still end-to-end stuff, Lelenas equalised and Jeff Glowa wounded the Phoenix with two quick goals and completed a hat-trick in the third followed by a fifth from new-face Tom Soar. The Phoenix didn’t have an answer, and were comfortably outshot as Lelenas wrapped up the package 6-2. The Flames, meanwhile, crept two vital points closer to their rivals with a home win against the Tigers, although it wasn’t a walk-over by any means. Although having taken the lead after fifteen minutes, the second period started on an equal footing. Around the half-way mark the Flames grabbed two quick goals which were enough to hold the fort and the Tigers were not quite strong enough to get back in contention as the Flames completed a record eleven consecutive league wins. In Basingstoke the Lightning must have been hoping for something better than last weekend and revenge against the Bison and taking an early lead must have boosted their confidence especially being heavily outshot in the first. In what became an angry game which saw Chris Wiggins collect twelve minutes for a head check and Grant McPhearson walk home for interrupting a private discussion amongst others, but some terrific saves at both ends, things were still equal at two-apiece starting the third. But, Kubenko then clocked up his hat-trick and the Bison edged away enough to claim the win. The Wildcats, who according to Coach Aldridge needed to preserve their fitness because at least three players were carrying injuries, leapt to a four-nil lead in the first period against the Steeldogs minus Payette. Then, in a five minute period in the second the Steeldogs fought back to just a goal behind and were looking as though more could come. Even when Jonas Hoog restored a 2-goal difference, it didn’t look over and that was almost the case because the final score was 5-4. Sunday, and onto the final night of the regular season and the big one, of course, was in Manchester where the Phoenix hosted the Wildcats. For two periods it was looking like it could still all end in tears because although the Phoenix were two up after twelve minutes Kristoffersson retired for a while with a knee injury and Tony Hand was called for a very strange high-stick penalty receiving five minutes plus game and match yet there didn’t appear to be any injury in sight. It wasn’t really until minutes into the third period the Phoenix looked like champions-elect with goals from Steve Wallace and James Archer and even then with James Knight raising some hope, that was pretty much all it was, and the Phoenix came away with the win and the league championship. That made the result in Telford a bit academic where the Flames also made hard work of the Tigers. In fact it was the home side that took the lead through Joe Henry but then ended the period two goals down. Henry again opened the scoring in the second and just before he snapped up his hat-trick to draw the scores level at three each, Joe Graham was picked up for a strange ten minutes illegal equipment penalty. At the half way mark the Flames began to take over and the final period was theirs with them eventually coming out winners 7-5. And the hard work continued with the Jets visiting Milton Keynes and going three down before the half way point. But as a measure of their strength of ‘comebackabilitiness’ early in the third they were back on equal footing which at three each took the game into overtime with the Jets finally coming out winners in the shoot out and continuing the Lightning’s anguish. In Sheffield the Steeldogs, again minus Payette, didn’t really get their foot in the door with the Bison three up after just five minutes, and adding a forth right before the end of the second period. Half way through the final stretch Ciaran Long made a late hit on Bowns and Kriss Grundmanis weighed in which resulted in some pretty heavy slogging before they sojourned to the box. Although the Steeldogs got one back late in the game it was too little, too late. In Bracknell, the Phantoms carried on where they left off last night apart from an early hiccough which allowed the Bees into the game at one each. The visitors then steadily pulled away throughout the remainder of the encounter with Maris Ziedins claiming a hat-trick and the Bees ending on a flourish in the last minute. The Phantoms ended the weekend with four points and thirteen goals as another of the new coaches, Curtis Cruickshank, certainly finished the season on a high note having done an excellent job his first year. So, that’s it for another season and while we still have the play-offs to look forward to the week has belonged to the Jets with the Cup and the Phoenix, who picked up the second piece of silverware. The play-offs, of course, can be an entirely different animal so with the Jets in form and the Flames having now set a twelve-game winning streak in the league there is still a lot to look forward to. For more EPL facts and figures, results and news why not try our mailing list by clicking the link on www.iceman-epl.com Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com