Redskins reflection a positive one

LONDON, UK – Aside from obvious summary at the end of the season, the period of Christmas and New Year must be the most popular for reflection in hockey. The season is half history and big decisions need to be made across the league with regards to player recruitment and retention. Transfer deadline is rapidly approaching and some coaches will have an eye on prizes as far away as the play-offs, conceding defeat in the back of their minds, those pre season dreams of league glory.

And so to South London and our battling Redskins side who by all accounts are feeling the winter chill more than most in recent weeks. A glance at our team photo from the start of the season, in comparison to the few sweat soaked bodies of those training this week tells its own story. To explain this problem is to delve into the complexities of running an ice hockey team without significant funding or resources.
In particular the lack of any third line is hurting the team at the minute. With only fourteen out skaters in recent games, this has lead to a mix and match scenario with no real solution found as yet. Many UK hockey fans often overlook the importance of a strong third line, and not without reason. To the casual observer the first and second lines will grab immediate attention with their goals, high percentage of minutes and increased chance of exposure. The third line is traditionally a checking line for the bigger clubs and for the rest, simply the youngsters or bit part players grabbing those precious minutes wherever possible, before scuttling off the ice at the earliest available opportunity.
Times have changed in the ENL though. This is no longer a league where flogging your first line for thirty minutes a game will win you trophies. Chelmsford, Invicta and Wightlink are good examples of sides with third lines stronger than any witnessed at this level of hockey in the last ten years, maybe ever.
That said, not many players are happy being allocated on the third line. For some, an additional spot on the special teams softens the blow and can even see them clock as many minutes as the players on the top two regular lines, if not more. For the third or even fourth liners without these additional responsibilities it can be a lonely, frustrating and even humiliating existence.
It can also be a thankless task. Any player will tell you that regular ice in a game is important to get the legs moving, the heart pumping and the adrenaline flowing. Players feel their way into games using that first hit, first shot or hard skate to focus and push on from there. The third liners may not get that opportunity early on, or for long periods of time and become cold, frustrated and most importantly more susceptible to leaking goals or under-performing. They then look bad to fans, the coach and also their team mates, thereby creating a vicious circle.

Add in the commitment and financial outlay of a 40 game regular season dissolving most weekends between September and April and therefore any credible social life outside of hockey and it is obvious why riding the pine is rarely an attractive proposition to anyone outside of their teens.
Essentially that is where resources, finance and a large talent pool become invaluable to a team. The teams with a regularly iced talented third line have a big advantage over those without, mainly due to the fatigue relief they offer the top two lines but also because they can be used to disrupt the oppositions more talented players and even trouble the scorer. This has happened to the Redskins quite a bit this season already.
Despite the current feeling and the adage that you are only as good as your last game, the reflection of the first part of the Redskins season is undoubtedly a positive one.
Streatham have beaten all of their similarly resourced rivals in the league this season with Oxford, Cardiff, Bracknell and Milton Keynes all despatched along with the struggling Bristol and Milton Keynes. This is no mean feat and all of those clubs would have approached the games against us, fully expecting to go for the two points.
The ‘big four’ have proved a tough but not impossible nut to crack, aside from a cracking win over the Romford Raiders at Rom Valley Way and also that exhilarating 7-7 opening game tie against Invicta Dynamos at the High Road. Wightlink have posted convincing wins over the Redskins home and away, as have Chelmsford. The two other fixtures against Romford and Invicta on the road bore heavy defeats that are best forgotten.  
The roster is transformed from last season and the skill level and pace of training is notable in its improvement. The new arrivals have now settled and the team spirit amongst the guys is still as strong as it was before. Guys like Michael “   The Mullet” Ranby, Joe ‘Mr Streatham’ Johnston, Dan “Flex” Marashi, Jack “The Yak” Tarczycki and Shane ‘Tiny Kempah’ Kemp all bring a positive influence to last year’s squad and have all made an impact already this season.

Pre-game preparations led by Personal Fitness Instructor and natural body builder Marashi have really benefitted a team, whose previous idea of such a concept used to consist of standing around drinking cups of tea and eating Snickers.
The bemused looks we get from other teams as we follow muscle man Marashi’s instructions outside our locker room are always amusing. Anyone who can get a thirty odd year old cynical Northerner like me to do shuttle runs and dance around in his sweats pre-game must be applauded.
Regardless of all the off-ice preparations it is what happens on the ice that matters, and when the team is on a downturn in form it is very easy to forget the good times. The opening game against Invicta stands out immediately, not only for the end to end action on the ice but also the fantastic atmosphere generated within our old barn by both sets of fans and also what seemed like a decent percentage of the London hockey community.
The close fought win over Oxford when we survived a City Stars onslaught in the final period and had to rely on heroics from Stefan Nubert in between the pipes to grab the two points was a highlight, as was the 5-4 upset of the Cardiff ENL Devils on their own ice back in September.  Beating Romford 5-3 on their own ice after a massive 10-1 loss in the same fixture just seven days prior was also a big plus point. 
January and February will prove a very tough test for us. The fixtures come thick and fast, with games against the ‘big four’ a regular occurrence. We need bodies back from injury and quickly. The addition of Rupert Quiney would be a massive boost however he is awaiting shoulder surgery and the proposed return of last season’s top scorer Louis Lockwood is on hold after he opted to stay in Canada for a few months more. Both of these guys are excellent players and would be a real boost to the squad, especially given the injury to Slovak forward Tomas Valko, however it is up to us to make the best of what remains of our squad.
 
What really helps though is the backing of our fantastic fans. They are rightly receiving the praise they deserve from other clubs courtesy of complimentary opinions posted on various online forums and probably surprise most home fans with their noise and enthusiasm. Their influence cannot be underestimated on the team.
Lose a game or play badly and on some teams in this league, you will only be letting yourself and your team coach down, but with the Redskins you also owe it to the rowdy bunch of travelling supporters who have shouted themselves hoarse, spent their hard earned cash, placed flags around the rink and have often travelled miles to come and support you. It is a nice kind of pressure and one that Streatham players should never take for granted.
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com