DURHAM, UK – James Flavell of the Billingham Stars who operate in NIHL North Division 1 has long been considered one of the top netminders at ENL/NIHL level however the young goalie recently got the chance to ice in the Elite League when the Edinburgh Capitals top two goaltenders were unavailable.
James tells us how his Edinburgh appearance came about. “I got a call late on the Thursday night. I believe the Caps owner (Scott Neil) contacted Simon Leach (Stars coach) to ask if I would be allowed to play. They had their starter out through suspension and their regular back up was injured which opened the door for another goalie to step in and play.”
James went to speak of how he felt going into the game against the Braehead Clan and his take on the whole experience. “I don’t tend to get very nervous but I knew it was a big opportunity so I was keen to make a good account of myself. “The old-style rink at Edinburgh feels pretty nostalgic and as soon as warm-ups got under way I was just enjoying the opportunity to step straight in and play a game. I felt comfortable playing at that level and would have liked to of kept it down to 1 or 2 goals (Caps lost 4-2). That’s just the way the game panned out though, I was glad to have taken the opportunity and grateful for the Edinburgh Capitals for having me.
“The last game I had played in Edinburgh was as an under-12’s where we won 4-2, it was good to go back and play another game after so long.”
Flavell went on to outline the differences between NIHL and Elite league hockey and if he thought he’d get the opportunity to ice for the Caps again this campaign “Obviously the pace of the game is a lot faster, besides that the main difference was probably how effectively teams utilised powerplay opportunities; we came under a lot of pressure when penalty killing. Other things like the on-ice warm up were also much different to what I’d normally do with the Stars but that didn’t bother me at all. “Well, they will obviously be trying to keep their number one goaltender in the net as much as possible. Hopefully if they run into troubles again they will come knocking now that I have been up there. I also have to consider the Stars games and whether I can be released for the game, but it’s definitely something I hope to do again.”
Pro Hockey News then asked James whether the possibility of him playing for the Caps on the Sunday when the Stars also had a game had been discussed.
“Yes it was and I was keen to play but I am a Billingham Stars player first. After discussing it with Simon Leach it was decided that I would play in Sutton (for the Stars) on the Sunday.”
James in action during his Whitley days
“It definitely has, but it’s such a difficult step to make without playing on the bench for a good few seasons. That’s never something I’ve wanted to do and would have only hurt my enjoyment for the sport and my ability to develop as a goalie. I just need to make sure I make a good account of myself whenever I get the opportunity to go in and play a game. Hopefully teams will be confident in giving players like myself more opportunities in the future.”
James spoke of his first game back for Billingham against the Sutton Sting and how it was to be back in NIHL hockey. “We were in Sutton for an early game (2:00 PM) on the Sunday. It was just back to the normal routine for me but we found ourselves in a tough game coming away with a 3-3 tie. I was fairly tired but that’s just the nature of playing a double-header weekend.
“I have been facing less shots than I did during my game for Edinburgh. Obviously that’s good for the Stars but not as fun for me. It’s reassuring to be back playing with the defenders you are used to playing alongside though, over the course of the season you understand how they play which is important for the team defensively.”
Stars are currently unbeaten in their division after winning the league last season, James spoke of how his side were shaping up and of the other sides Billingham had faced in the first month or so of the campaign. “We have retained virtually all of last year’s squad and made some great additions in Michael Bowman and Stephen Wallace. With Simon Leach now coaching too, we are capable of putting in some good performances and hopefully we will be battling for the title come the end of the season. “Sutton Sting have been impressive for a team that have been just recently promoted. They play well on their home-ice and have some very capable players both in forward and defensive positions. I can see them giving a lot of teams trouble over the season. Solway Sharks are also a great team, they have the likes of Reynolds and Salem that will put up good numbers but a lot of their local players are equally as impressive and that’s the reason why they are such a strong team. “The atmosphere was great last weekend (Stars faced local rivals the Whitley Warriors at the Forum in Billingham) with the stands pretty much sold out. A great crowd of both Billingham and Whitley fans turned out which makes playing more fun. The game wasn’t the most competitive derby in recent times but it’s always good to play those games and I’m sure the Warriors will be coming back stronger next time round.”
Thanks to James for taking the time out to speak about his recent experience of Elite League hockey and we wish him all the best for the remainder of the current campaign.
Image courtesy of Colin Edwards – www.cjephotos.co.uk
Contact the author – chris.mackenzie@prohockeynews.com
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