WHITLEY BAY, UK – Whitley Warriors became the first hockey team in the UK to clinch a league title in the 2010/11 season as they retained their English National League North crown courtesy of an astonishing twenty two game unbeaten run.
Bay of Joy (Photo Colin Edwards)
Out of their first twenty two games of the season the Warriors won all but one, to blow their opponents out of the water. The North East based outfit lifted the trophy in front of a large Hillheads crowd following a 4-1 victory over Telford Titans a fortnight ago.
“Of course it was bit strange to wrap up the title so early” said Warriors top scorer Adam Reynolds. “We still have a few games to play, so we still have to turn up and put in a good team performance as teams will still want to beat us”
The Warriors still have five more ENL fixtures to complete following last weekend’s 0-0 tie with Coventry Blaze in the West Midlands (the first 0-0 result in Warriors history), and the challenge is to try and finish the campaign unbeaten.
The Warriors have a good chance of achieving that aim but they will have to do it the hard way, especially with two fixtures remaining against an improving Nottingham Lions side. Whitley have a talented squad and it is the depth of quality that Reynolds believes has proved the difference this season.
“We have three strong lines that can really dominate teams” explained the twenty four year old sniper. “We have a great mix of experienced guys like Karl Culley, Paul Windridge and Richie Thornton along with some great young guys who have stepped up when guys left in the summer”
“We have been playing some solid defensive hockey and have a great netminder in James Flavell who has kept us in, and won us many games this season with his performances”
Lifting a trophy as early as January may cause complacency in some teams but the Warriors still have plenty of hockey to play. The ENL is only one half of Whitley’s campaign as they also compete in the Northern League along with a number of top Scottish outfits like Fife Flyers and Solway Sharks. Whitley currently stand in second place behind Fife, and Reynolds is adamant that the Warriors early ENL success does not mean they have peaked too soon.
“I don’t think that is the case to be honest” explained the Peterborough born player. “We have been winning games without playing to our full potential in my opinion and I am sure Leachy (Player-Coach Simon Leach) and the rest of the lads would agree”
“We are going to try and win the Northern League and also the Play-Offs this season so watch this space”
On a personal level, Reynolds has built on his excellent 2009/10 campaign where he finished as the Warriors top scorer, by continuing to hit the back of the net. The former Peterborough Phantoms player has notched twenty one goals and twenty two assists in twenty one games this season for the Warriors earning him attention from the local Elite League side Newcastle Vipers.
The Vipers now play out of the same Hillheads venue that the Warriors do, following their move from the Newcastle Arena, however the Elite League side’s season is in stark contrast to the success of the Warriors.
Happy Warriors (Photo Colin Edwards)
Struggling both on and off the ice, the Vipers have recently started to hand opportunities to a number of Whitley players on two way contracts and Reynolds has appeared alongside a number of his Warrior team mates in the UK’s top league.
“I am really enjoying my hockey with both clubs this season and really pleased I got the chance to play in the Elite League” admitted Reynolds, who has made twelve appearances for the Vipers this year.
“Its nice wining all the games for Whitley and the morale in the team is sky high and very confident. I am having another great season points wise but it helps playing with some good line mates in Culley and Windridge. Between us we have formed a very dangerous partnership over the last two seasons”
“With the Vipers there is a great bunch of guys who play for each other whether they win or lose so the mood is still upbeat. Even though we haven’t had the best run of results, it’s been a great experience for me and hope I get the chance to play at that level again in the future”
Despite the Northern League now being the Warriors primary concern, their ENL adventures are still not over and they have play-offs to look forward too along with a potential game against the winners of ENL South.
“We have been keeping track of the developments in the south” admitted Reynolds. “We are all looking forward to playing in the championship games against the winners down there”
Whitley now face two road games over the next fortnight as they travel to both Solway and Fife before hosting the Nottingham Lions on the 13th February.
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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