LONDON, UK – As the regular season wound down not much was expected of the penultimate round of league fixtures but hockey doesn’t work like that.
Shining Stars.. sedated crowd (Paul Foster)
The Bracknell Hornets marketing editor needed to be on top form as they drafted the weekly material to advertise their double header weekend against league champions Chelmsford Chieftains.
After a behind the scenes drama that saw one of the games postponed and then put back on again, the marketing team not only had to make amendments but also keep a real focus on correctly spelling the match day sponsor Ann Lawrence Therapy aka @Annltherapy on any public facing marketing.
One errant typo could have attracted a whole different crowd to the Hive on Saturday night.
Double check.. triple check
Oxford City Stars announced not one but three new directors in Paul Lynch, James Schall and Russell Shrives.
Not many NIHL clubs have Directors but Oxford are confident that the trio will be good news for the club.
‘Between them they bring a wealth of business knowledge and experience that will enable the Stars to, not only, build on the success that has been achieved to date, but will also contribute greatly to securing the long term future of the Oxford City Stars’ read the press release.
Pro Hockey News did some research and found that none will be eligible for a free parking space at the notorious Oxpens Road rink, so it really must be a labour of love for them all.
Considering the old Streatham rink ended up looking like a surviving building of Chernobyl by the time it closed, some amazing footage emerged on the internet of the rink in the 1963.
Now we know that movies from the 60’s were not the greatest but we would urge anyone to watch this one as it shows a side to British ice rinks, many of us around today never got the chance to see. You can view it HERE
Solid oak headboards north of the border?
How did a rink with a Polynesian style restaurant, swanky cocktail bar and visits from the Queen Mother end up looking a mould infested shell of its former glory and soggy nachos being the best catering offering? Whatever the reason, and in London it usually involves money, it’s an absolute disgrace.
Onto happier topics and away from the NIHL, we noticed an amusing banner that popped up in Dundee during the week. The Edinburgh Capitals of the EIHL managed to snap up Cardiff import Thomas Stuart-Dant without us noticing last month and the Canadian has already scored in the EIHL, but it wasn’t enough to get him the banner youngster Tyler Plews had made for him.
Plews may as well retire now because it really doesn’t get better than this kind of adulation. What kind of lady wants to concuss a hockey player with her headboard and indeed is it made of solid wood or wrought iron? So many questions from one piece of nylon.
Chelmsford Chieftains coach Sean Easton rarely speaks in the press but he spoke to the Essex Chronicle following the league title win the previous weekend.
“Our priority is to win the final and the play-offs but we need to take it game by game.
“After last year and the way we got kicked out of the play-offs, I think we wanted to make a statement and continue our winning ways, but in the right way.
Happy man Easton
“We’ve kept within budget, we haven’t spent more than what we’ve needed to. We’ve actually spent less than what we did last year, while still bringing through the homegrown talent.
“The kids have been able to play and develop into how we play, so we want to win, but in the right way. We’ve got some cracking juniors out there and it was getting to the point where they were pushing so hard that we had to give them an opportunity or we’d lose them.
“So we have given them that chance and they’ve taken it.”
Saturday’s Hockey
The game of the night took place in Oxford as the City Stars came from 4-1 down to beat Invicta Dynamos 7-6.
Ondrej Pekarik top scored for the Stars with two goals to add to efforts from Ben Ealey-Newman, Dax Hedges, Boris Ruzicka, Mike Whillock and youngster Theo Bundock.
Bundock is an Oxford junior who has also made a few appearances for Bristol Pitbulls this season and got to keep the game puck for scoring his first senior goal.
Invicta’s goals came thanks to a brace each for Arran Strawson and Callum Fowler, with Eriks Ozollapa and Harrison Lillis getting a goal each.
Flying pucks in Oxford (Paul Foster)
Lillis also dropped the gloves not once but twice as he tangled with Alan Green and then Ben Ealey-Newman. The Mo’s youngster hailed his ‘GeordieHowe’ hat trick on social media which left Alan Shearer, Jimmy Nail and Mark Knopfler scratching their heads.
The full podcast of the game commentary including some great background chanting from what sounds like the drunkest man in Oxfordshire is available to listen to HERE
With a number of less attentive fans of anal therapy sat disappointed in the stands at the Hive, Chelmsford Chieftains beat an understrength Bracknell Hornets 12-1.
It was point’s night for the champions as Matt Turner scored four, Jake Sylvester and Cameron Bartlett notched a brace each to add to lone goals from Sean Barry, Juraj Huska, Grant Bartlett and Danny Hammond.
Josh Waller scored the consolation for Bracknell who handed starts to a number of under 18 players to boost their bench including debutant Flynn James Sitch-Cunningham.
Lascenko on his way to an early shower (Steve Sutherland)
Chelmsford’s Oleg Lascenko was kicked out of the game after punching JJ Pitchley to the ice, and the only bright spot for the Hornets was the return from injury of Danny Milton who replaced Matt Smital at the end of the game.
If the anal therapy fans in Bracknell were frustrated, then the Chieftains fans who showed up at the Riverside thanks to the confusion during the week must have been equally disappointed.
Chelmsford’s management apologised via the medium of Facebook.
‘Apologies to those fans that turned up at Riverside tonight to watch the Chieftains. The game was switched from the Sunday to the Saturday and reversed back after consultations between the Chieftains, Hornets and the EIHA. As soon as we became aware we did everything within our power to get the word out. Sorry but the situation was completely out of our control.’
Wightlink Raiders made it three wins in a row as they beat MK Thunder 6-2 on the island.
Two goals each from Alex Sampford and Craig Tribe did most of the damage for the Raiders added to efforts from Jaroslav Cesky and Nick Compton.
Thunder scorers were Jamie Line and Ross Bowers.
Raiders Player Coach Jeremy Cornish was ejected for high sticks in the second period, which was later downgraded to a game penalty by referee Andrejs Korsaks.
After coming close on numerous occasions this season, Solent Devils finally finished the job on Streatham Redskins with a 5-4 win on the South Coast.
Get well soon Alex Murray (Rick Webb)
The Devils had lost in heartbreaking fashion in South London the previous weekend but held on despite a late comeback to the delight of their fans.
Mitchell Murray scored twice for the Devils to add to goals from Richard Brown, Richard Facey and George Norcliffe.
David Savage scored a brace for Streatham with Dom Hopkins and Steven Fisher also on the scoresheet. Fisher was later ejected for disputing a disallowed equaliser in the final moments of the game.
The result was even sweeter for Solent as it was played for double points, due to Streatham’s appearance in the Cup final meaning that the postponed league game on the 27 March could not be rescheduled.
Devils Player Coach Alex Murray suffered a broken jaw during the game and had to have an operation in the early hours of Sunday morning. Everyone at Pro Hockey News and across the league hope Alex has a speedy recovery.
Sunday Hockey
The story of the evening took place in South London as Cardiff punished Streatham’s lack of discipline with a sensational 6-5 road win.
Jamie Hayes and Jon Nash were the stars of the show for Cardiff with two goals each, to add to solo efforts for Joe Morris and Giacomo Raffaelli.
Callum Best scored twice for Streatham with Joe Allen, James Warman and David Savage getting the others.
Nash notches late winner (Rick Webb)
The home side lost Chris Wiggins in the second period as he dropped the gloves on Martin Davison after a scrum behind the net followed a boarding of Giovanni Raffaelli.
The result means two wins in their last three for Cardiff who had previously gone 17 games without a win prior to their recent upturn in form.
Solent Devils enjoyed a four point weekend to prove how far they have progressed recently as they beat Oxford City Stars 5-4 in a bad tempered affair.
Andrew Magee scored twice against his old club for Solent with Mitch Murray, Ralfs Circenis and Mason Wild getting the others.
For Oxford it was Ondrej Pekarik with a hat trick and a lone goal for Boris Ruzicka.
The result moved Solent above Milton Keynes and into 6th position.
Bracknell Hornets could only ice just over a line of players for the return fixture in Chelmsford thanks to pressures on the team from the Bees in the EPL and the U18s.
The Chieftains showed no mercy as they romped to a 15-0 win but it was the brave Hornets who made the trip who deservedly got the accolades from the home support.
Fun times in Chelmsford
Billy Phillips and Matt Turner were the main beneficiaries of point night as both got a hat trick to add to a brace each for Grant Bartlett, Cameron Bartlett and Anthony Leone. Solo goals for Darren Brown, Juraj Huska and Danny Hammond rounded off the scoring for the Essex side.
Goalie Euan King bagged a twenty shot shut out and two assists to round off a pleasing evening between the pipes.
MK Thunder haven’t enjoyed the visits of Invicta this season and it didn’t get any better as the Dynamos shut them out with a 9-0 win.
Eriks Ozollapa fired in four goals for the Mo’s with Brad Gutridge, Bailey Wootton, Elliott Dewey, Conor Redmond and Josh Condren with the others.
Damien King enjoyed a 20 shot shut out against his former team.
The final game was on the island as Wightlink continued their superb form with a 10-2 win over London Raiders.
Corey Watkins, Craig Tribe and Aaron Edwards top scored for Wightlink with two goals each to add to efforts from Danny Rose, Ben Paynter, Alex Sampford and Ryan Webb.
Marek Nahlik and Seb Downing scored for London.
4 home wins on the trot for Wightlink
At the mid point in the game, Danny Ingoldsby and Mason Webster dropped the gloves to the delight of the crowd.
The results mean that Chelmsford look certain to face London in the Play-Offs, as do Streatham and Oxford. That leaves the other two games open with only two weeks to go before the season finale begins.
At the bottom Cardiff now have renewed hope of catching Bracknell at the bottom and face Invicta in the new Ice Arena Wales next weekend.
Results
Saturday 12 March 2016
Wightlink Raiders 6-2 MK Thunder
Solent Devils 5-4 Streatham Redskins
Oxford City Stars 7-6 Invicta Dynamos
Bracknell Hornets 1-12 Chelmsford Chieftains
Sunday 13 March 2016
Wightlink Raiders 10-2 London Raiders
Streatham Redskins 5-6 Cardiff NIHL Devils
Chelmsford Chieftains 15-0 Bracknell Hornets
Solent Devils 5-4 Oxford City Stars
MK Thunder 0-9 Invicta Dynamos
Contact the author: david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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