LONDON, UK – As Autumn winds shook the leaves off the trees and pumpkin farmers began digging for their upcoming bonanza, the Britton Conference rumbled on for the fifth week of the 2019/20 campaign.
Chieftains bouncing back (Emily Snoding)
It was only last week that we were speculating in PHN Towers that old anecdotes such as the one about Wightlink Raiders (RIP) sending their equipment van to Crystal Palace instead of Alexandra Palace back in the day, may have to be included this week just to fill copy.
Just as news dries up however, there is always something major happens every year to create a headline.
So when Bracknell Hornets advertised a vacancy for a game day equipment manager during the week, the PHN office popped a bottle of champagne (ok it was a Peroni) to celebrate.
Want to tape Danny Hughes stick blade, clean Mark Saunders tactics board and saw more wood than a carpenter on Easter Island? Contact the Hornets now.
Hello… I’m your new goalie.. you may recognise me
Another snippet of news was the announcement that former Chelsea and Arsenal goalie Petr Cech would be making his debut for Guildford Phoenix at the weekend against Swindon. Yes that’s right, a 37 year old former Premier League and international superstar taking shots in the lowest tier of UK hockey.
The news hit every major media outlet in the country and many abroad with Cech, who has 1.8 million Twitter followers relishing the challenge.
It had many NIHL fans wondering which other former local heroes could put the pads on for their team. Could Ludek Miklosko appear in Romford? Simon Royce stop pucks for Invicta? Alan Knight backstop Solent or even Peter Schmeichel pad stack for Bracknell?
Struggling Cardiff Fire were hit by an early season departure as top prospect Deakin Fielder called time on his spell in South Wales after less than a month, and headed off to the States to play for Fresno Monsters.
The Californian side were scheduled to play in Vegas at the weekend so Fielder got to drive down the strip with the Monsters rather than Streatham High Road with his former Fire team mates. Does Vegas have a Morley’s though? No it does not.
Saturday review
The Invicta Dynamos had spent the week posing for their team photo, with defenseman Arran Strawson perfecting his thousand yard stare in the opposite direction to the rest of his team mates. Strawson claimed to be breathing in to look slimmer, but he is clearly looking towards the well regarded ice rink café in the shot.
The Mo’s followed up their perfect picture with a hard fought 5-2 road win at table topping Slough Jets.
Third liner Luke Thirkettle bagged his first and second goals for the visitors to add to efforts from Conor Redmond, Anthony Leone and the man of the moment Strawson.
Six out of six for Streatham
For the Jets it was Dan Rose and Sam Talbot on the scoresheet.
Streatham took full advantage of the Jets’ slip up as they moved to the top of the table with a 9-1 win over Cardiff.
Vanya Antonov bagged a hat trick for the Londoners to add to a brace from Danny Ingoldsby and lone goals from Brandon Miles, Ben Paynter, Ziggy Beesley and the returning Ryan Watt.
Watt was promptly handed a ten minute misconduct and subsequent early shower for his celebration that involved a rather intense pointing motion at the Fire bench.
Solent Devils continued their 100% winning start to the season with a convincing 10-2 win over MK Thunder in a bad tempered encounter on the South Coast.
Thunder debrief (Lucy McGill)
Ralfs Circenis, Alex Murray and Richard Facey all bagged two goals each, to add to efforts from Mason Wild, Mark Petts, Mitchell Murray and Alex Trendall. Both Petts and Mitchell Murray were ejected from the game for spearing and fighting respectively in the first period.
Thunder Captain Alex Whyte scored both goals for the Thunder who hit plenty of penalty trouble themselves over the game.
At the Hive, Bracknell hosted Chelmsford for the first of back to back games over the weekend. It was the visitors who were victorious however as they edged the game 6-3 on the night thanks to a brace from Grant Bartlett and solo efforts from Terry Fillery, Ross Brears, Cameron Bartlett and Darren Brown.
Scorers for the Hornets were the Ealey-Newman brothers Josh and Ben with one each and a rare goal from blue liner Chris Cooke.
The game was soured by a foot injury to Hornets’ forward Michael Stratford who had to go to hospital after the game and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Best wishes on a speedy recovery from everyone at PHN Michael, and don’t forget, bruise pictures are always welcome.
Sunday review
After a rocky run of form and an injury crisis, Oxford City Stars coach Simon Anderson took steps to make sure his birthday wasn’t ruined by another loss and asked a big favour of the man known as Mr Oxford ahead of the Stars game against Slough.
Recently retired Stars legend Darren Elliott laced up the skates to help give Anderson the perfect gift, namely a 5-4 win on home ice. Elliott didn’t manage to score on his return but his influence was noted as Mike Whillock, Matt Lawday, Josh Oliver, Ryan Widmar and Max Florey all netted to take the points.
The Jets had come back from 4-0 down to tie 4-4 before Oliver bagged the winner, and their goals came from Jacob Soper, Dan Rose, Sam Talbot and Sean Norris.
Who you gonna call???
Mr Oxford
Chelmsford bagged a four point weekend and sent a message to the teams above with a second win in 24 hours over the Hornets at the Riverside.
Courtney Grant, James Dimond, Cameron Bartlett and Tom Wilson scored the goals for the Essex side with Bailey Hind-Pitcher and Tamas Elias replying for the Hornets.
It’s worth noting that Grant’s goal was awarded to Rob Veares on the Chieftains report, but the gamesheet left it as Grant’s goal.
As a blueliner Veares can quite rightly feel a bit miffed if it wasn’t changed officially so to show solidarity with the blueliners we’ve decided to mention it just in case.
Bored of reading yet? There’s still time if not.
With some light pot-stirring by noted podcast 4000 and Counting added to the feisty nature of both rosters, it was perhaps no surprise that gloves were thrown off at regular abandon in the game between MK Thunder and Streatham at the Thunder dome.
The Londoners depth told and they made it another four point weekend with a 6-1 win thanks to a brace from Adam Carr and lone goals for Scott Bailey, Michael Farn, Jordan Gregory and Ryan Watt.
For the Thunder it was Logan Prince with the consolation.
The Junior Raiders enjoyed their trip to Cardiff with a 7-2 win over the Fire.
The Welsh side took the lead with just 30 seconds on the clock thanks to a Morgan Evans goal, but a Vilius Krakauskas hat trick and goals from Jan Marcilis, Sam Roberts, George Gell and Tommy Huggett sent the two points back down the M4 to Essex.
Dr Fox takes home the Amstel in Cardiff
Iwan Davies got the other goal for Cardiff who managed to get 50 shots on Raiders netminder Jacob Stoodley, showing the encounter wasn’t as one sided as the scoreline suggests.
Fire’s Sam Bryant was ejected for spearing just before end of the second and earlier in the game had dropped the gloves with Gell to make it a busy night at the office.
The final game of the evening took place in the Cup as Invicta perhaps showed the difference in levels between the Britton and Wilkinson Conference with a 9-1 win in Gillingham.
The Huskies are 5 and 0 in the lower league but couldn’t contain the Mo’s who romped home thanks to a Juraj Huska hat trick, a brace each from Conor Redmond and Anthony Leone and a lone goal from Elliott Farrell and Jake Stedman.
Wilkinson Conference player of the month for September Stephen Woodford scored the consolation for the Huskies.
For those wondering how Petr Cech did. Firstly well done for reading to the bottom and secondly, he did amazingly well with a Hollywood ending to boot. Cech was the hero of the showdown for Guildford (along with scorer Haydn Wootton) as they triumphed over Swindon in front of an audience packed with major news outlets. Obviously none will cover the NIHL as regularly or with as much style as your very own Pro Hockey News.
Next weekend’s round of fixtures gives Chelmsford, Streatham and Invicta a break while the others do battle.
Results
Saturday 12 October
Bracknell Hornets 3-6 Chelmsford Chieftains
Slough Jets 2-5 Invicta Dynamos
Streatham IHC 9-1 Cardiff Fire
Solent Devils 10-2 MK Thunder
Sunday 13 October
MK Thunder 1-6 Streatham IHC
Oxford City Stars 5-4 Slough Jets
Chelmsford Chieftains 4-2 Bracknell Hornets
Cardiff Fire 2-7 Junior Raiders
Invicta Dynamos 9-1 Haringey Huskies
Contact the author: davidcarr_2@hotmail.com
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