LONDON, UK – With the countdown to Christmas well and truly underway, NIHL hockey fans were left to consider their wish list for the bearded man in Lapland.
Wilko v Buckland (James Assinder)
Fan: “Can you bring Team Canada to the UK to play GB Santa?”
Santa: “Yes no problem. How about on Tuesday 5th May in Nottingham.”
Fan: “Really Santa, can you make that happen?”
Santa: “Of course I can, I’m Santa. It will cost you £40 to get in though.”
Fan: “Can you move it to a Monday night instead so we can take advantage of unlimited wing night at Hooters before the game?”
Santa: “You British hockey fans are never satisfied are you? You’ll do without the wing offer and if anyone moans about the £6 arena admin fee I’m sending the Canucks to play Finland in Rovaniemi instead so the Elves and I can watch.”
In other news the Bracknell Bees announced the signing of Bracknell Hornets forward Josh Ealey-Newman at their midweek race night. To be clear, for those unfamiliar with the format of a race night, cultural diversity is not the main focus as the name might suggest, nor do the players run laps around the rink (although the Hive has seen this in the past).
A race night is where people gamble on archived or cartoon horse or dog racing footage to raise funds for the club. It is indeed more fun than it sounds.
Where’s the Mini Cooper?
Josh, along with his brother Ben has been in good form for the Hornets this season, so his loss will be felt by Coach Mark Saunders in the games he misses.
At the iconic MINI plant on Oxford, the annual Oxfordshire Sports Awards took place with a certain Oxford City Stars player nominated for 2019 Sportsman of the Year.
Did he win? Of course he did. Well done ‘Mr Oxford’ Darren Elliott on a fantastic achievement and the icing on the cake of a great hockey career with the Stars.
In Romford, Junior Raiders Coach Ben Pitchley spoke to the Romford Recorder ahead of the game against rivals Chelmsford Chieftains.
“Derby games are the best to play or coach in, and with the team now in the same league as Chelmsford it gives our development team a real chance to experience what a proper Essex derby game is like” said Pitchley.
“You can throw form out of the window in these games, trust me.”
Pitchley also announced that he would be shaving his head and beard for charity, in support of Sports Therapist Kirsty Hopgood.
Kirsty was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in her left leg in August 2019, and started her chemo on the 29th of August. With a Whatsapp support group of over 30 close friends and hockey people, Kirsty is fighting this as hard as she has ever fought anything.
Ben’s hair and beard cutting will take place at Ice Sheffield on the 20th of December in the middle of the Christmas England camp.
Pro Hockey News has seen the state of his silver mop top first hand and take it from us, by December he is going to look a right mess. If you want to find out more and donate, please click here.
Saturday review
The big game of the evening took place at the Hive as Bracknell hosted the high flying Solent Devils. The Hornets were without the suspended Carl Graham for the clash but Josh Ealey-Newman iced ahead of his move to the Bees.
Three goals in the space of one devastating minute in the first period for the Devils set them on the way to an impressive 7-3 road win and propelled them to the top of the league.
Circenis and the Devils fly high (James Assinder)
A Richard Facey hat trick and brace each for Alex Trendall and Ralfs Circenis kept the Solent show rolling, with Ben Ealey-Newman, David Millner and Matt Foord replying for the Hornets.
With no game on Sunday, Solent remain unbeaten so far this year which is an incredible achievement by Coach Alex Murray and his team.
In Cardiff, the Invicta Dynamos overcame a feisty Fire side to pick up two points in an 11-5 win.
Ross “The Boss” Wilkinson continued his return to the Fire’s NIHL 1 side and was soon throwing the bombs as he squared off with the Mo’s Dale Buckland mid ice, after Fire Captain Elis Sheppard had earlier gone toe to toe with Henry Aiken. Wilkinson had a second bout later in the game against Mo’s defenseman Harrison Lillis, himself fresh back from suspension.
When fists weren’t flying, the goal lights were flashing more red than an Amsterdam canal, with the puck hitting the net 17 times over sixty minutes.
For the Mo’s Player Coach Anthony Leone scored four times, Juraj Huska got a hat trick, Owen Dell got two and both Luke Thirkettle and Arran Strawson got one each.
Jack Whiting, Kristians Kasjanovs, Lewis Stevens, Morgan Evans and Captain Sheppard all got a goal each for the Fire.
The final game of the weekend saw the Chelmsford Chieftains continue their strong start to the season with a 7-4 win in the Essex derby-lite.
Ross Brears, James Ayling and Darren Brown scored a brace each for the Chieftains to add to a lone goal from Elliot Dervish. The Raiders scorers were Tommy Huggett with two and one each for Vilius Krakauskas and Joe Allen.
Sunday review
The Chieftains followed up their win and leapfrogged Solent at the top of the table with a convincing 8-2 win over the Invicta Dynamos at a packed out Riverside.
Grant Bartlett continued his good form this season with a hat trick while his brother Cameron scored two. Efforts from Tom Wilson, Ross Brears and Elliot Dervish completed the scoring for the hosts in a game where neither side had more than 25 shots on goal.
Tom Davis and Anthony Leone were on target for the Mo’s.
Dynamos fans pack out their block
The crowd got their usual fix of scraps as Wilson dropped the gloves with Harrison Lillis and then Henry Aiken and Dale Buckland made it consecutive fight nights taking on Grant and Cameron Bartlett respectively.
The much needed four point weekend puts the Essex side in pole position ahead of their clash with Streatham in South London next Saturday. The Mo’s get a much needed weekend off to get some injured bodies patched up.
Oxford City Stars picked up a 7-3 road win at MK Thunder. A Joey Edwards hat trick against his old club set the Stars on for two points, with Ryan Widmar, Mike Whillock, Olly Shone and David Manning also on target.
Thunder Captain Alex Whyte and man of the match Sam Chandler had given their team a 2-1 first period advantage before they slumped to their twelfth straight loss. Chandler getting a late consolation before picking up the beers.
The Thunder have a big weekend ahead of them as they look to get their first win, with a road trip to Bracknell followed by a crunch clash with fellow strugglers Cardiff Fire the following day.
Results
Saturday 16 November 2019
Raiders Junior 4-7 Chelmsford Chieftains
Cardiff Fire 5-11 Invicta Dynamos
Bracknell Hornets 3-7 Solent Devils
Sunday 17 November 2019
MK Thunder 3-7 Oxford City Stars
Chelmsford Chieftains 8-2 Invicta Dynamos
_____________________________________________________
The Perfect Christmas Present for Hockey FansContact the author: davidcarr_2@hotmail.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.