Sheffield Varsity hockey – A roaring success

SHEFFIELD, U.K.- The Sheffield Arena played host to this year’s 2010 Winter Varsity game. Sheffield Hallam University took on the University of Sheffield in a bitter grudge match on Saturday the 20^th of February. A day that will be fondly remembered as the biggest game in some of the players’ lives, watched by over 4,000 fans.

The Winter Varsity is an annual contest between the two universities, with four points awarded for skiing and snowboarding, and a final point being awarded for ice hockey. The snow sports ended in a 2-2 draw 24 hours earlier, placing more emphasis on the game, and added pressure to the players. The five points are carried forward to the Varsity finals in April – which will play host to over 60 fixtures around the city.
 
For 364 days of the year these two teams play together on a single Sheffield Universities team, known as the Sheffield Bears. The club has teams in three divisions of the BUIHA league, making them one of the biggest university teams in the country. They are also one of the most successful, winning silverware each year since their formation. The Sheffield Bears will divide and fight it out for their own universities, putting friendships and camaraderie aside in the name of honour and university representation. Sheffield Hallam University own bragging rights on the ice, claiming victory over Sheffield University for the last 5 years despite Sheffield University taking home the Winter Varsity Trophy as winners in the overall standings each time.
 
The game started off at a fast and frantic pace and Hallam soon found the back of the net thanks to a Simon Offord wristshot from the hash marks. The ex-Sheffield Scimitar proved to be a valuable addition to the Hallam blueline for the game. Offord soon turned from hero to villain as he picked up an interference call a minute after. University of Sheffield soon took advantage of this by tying the game up on the powerplay four seconds into the man advantage. Michael Szollosy claimed the goal, but in somewhat fortunate circumstances as a shot from the blueline deflected off his arm into the goal, past netminder Jonathan Tindall. Next it was the turn of Sheffield Spartans Nick Manning to add to the Hallam tally with a neat solo effort 11 minutes in. Some hard work by the only female player in the game, Great Britain women’s international Kat Wiggins paving the way for Manning’s goal.
 
Hallam pressed further on University of Sheffield netminder James Zeller, and they got their reward after an Ian Clark slapshot from the blueline beat the Montreal born shot stopper. Hallam could have piled on further misery after Ben Duffy was hauled down on a breakaway resulting in a penalty shot. It was Duffy to take the penalty shot but the Surrey-born 19-year-old couldn’t find a way past James Zeller. Both team pressed and had chances but the first period drew to a close with no further scoring. Hallam had the better of the chances in the first period and the shot count reflected this, as Hallam managed sixteen shots to University of Sheffield’s ten.
Hallam started where they left off and they were soon on the scoreboard once again three minutes into the second stanza, after a great end-to-end goal from captain Matt Jeffcock, going 5-hole on Zeller. With a 4-1 lead Hallam began to get complacent, and ran into penalty trouble during the second period. They were assessed a total of 22 penalty minutes in the middle session, putting them on the back foot for the majority of the period. University of Sheffield pressed, desperately looking for a way back into the game. They found a much needed breakthrough on the powerplay after a Jack Ware slapshot found its way past ex-Sheffield Steeler netminder Jonathan Tindall. Netminders Zeller (Uni of Sheffield) and Tindall (Hallam) pulled off some great saves in between the pipes, seeing the second period out in style.
 
It was University of Sheffield who scored first in the final period thanks to another Michael Szollosy effort. Andrew Terentjev had the initial shot with Toronto-born lecturer Szollosy slotting home the rebound to reduce the deficit to two. University of Sheffield’s celebrations were short lived as Ben Duffy made up for his earlier penalty shot miss with a great top shelf finish past the helpless Zeller. University of Sheffield weren’t giving up without a fight, and they soon grabbed another goal after a scramble in the crease allowed Tom Ray to net University’s fourth and make it 5-4 to Hallam and ensure a nail biting final 10 minutes.
 
Hallam piled on the pressure once again and they were duly rewarded after a goalmouth scramble, in which Kat Wiggins slotted the puck home to make it 6-4. Hallam sealed the deal with 40 seconds remaining after Chris Bryniarski tucked home a backhand effort, partly thanks to a defensive blunder from the University of Sheffield. The seconds ticked down with Hallam University players and fans alike cheering euphorically at the final buzzer. The result extended Sheffield Hallam’s tradition of winning the Varsity ice hockey game and also gave them the overall honours for the Winter Varsity Challenge, their first in the six-year history of the competition.
Man of the match honours went to veteran Michael Szollosy for University of Sheffield, and Matthew Jeffcock for his 1+3 captains performance.
 
Jeffcock, Hallam captain and Sheffield Bears President, spoke of his delight after the game “The game was great for both teams and both sets of fans. The game also lived up to the initial expectations of playing at the Sheffield Arena”, Jeffcock said.
“It was a close game but obviously I’m happy with the result and pleased for Hallam as it’s the first time we have managed to win the Winter Varsity. We managed to beat a very hard working University team who will be more determined than ever to get their first victory in the Varsity ice hockey fixture next season.”
 
Huge thanks go to Sheffield Steelers official photographer Rik Rayner, Chris Murray of epiGenesys who filmed the game, Sam Gill and Kate Rickard (the Sports Officers from Sheffield Hallam, and University of Sheffield respectively).
Extended thanks to Mike O’Connor General Manager of the Sheffield Steelers for helping allow a great event to happen in the first place. Proceeds from the event went to the Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
That’s it for another year, until the next Varsity game in which both Universities will battle it out again.
Contact the author Scott.Antcliffe@Prohockeynews.com
Thanks to www.friendsandfamilyphotography.co.uk for providing the pictures