LONDON, UK – Is it that time of year already? You bet it is! The regular season is over, the players are wearing beards and the fans are looking forward to games with fresh impetus. The play offs are here and this year in the English National League South, hundreds of fans are looking forward to potentially the most competitive, highly skilled games this league has ever seen. Not one team has gone through the year undefeated and there is a potential for upset in every match. Prohockeynews.com will be covering every game and bringing you all the news and views from all six teams throughout the competition. Here we start by looking at the contenders and rate their chances of success:
Group 1
Invicta Dynamos
The league champions showed a few nerves towards the end of their campaign and the other sides will be buoyed by the chinks shown in the Mo’s armour. Despite the perceived wobble, it is worth remembering that this Dynamos’ side have lost only six games this season and they have strength across the roster.
Photo Tim Bowers
Peter Vaisanen is key to the team’s success and the big Canadian will have to battle without his fellow import Nolan Boike who has flown back home injured. The defence should be able to cope without the injured Ryan Giles as Kevin Parrish has assembled a big squad this year at the Gillingham Ice Bowl. The Dynamos have the only roster where both keepers are rated of similar ability so unlike with the other teams, an injury to either Shane Kemp or Joe White will not have such a significant negative effect.
Can the Dynamos do the double? There is no reason to think otherwise unless their form away from home deserts them as it has done in past play off campaigns. On home ice they look invincible and ultimately a rival team needs to enter the partisan atmosphere and take points away. They start as favourites and must bear the pressure that brings.
League position – 1
Head to head – Bracknell: W 5-1, L 4-3, L 5-1, W 4-2. Oxford: W 11-3, W 11-2, W 5-2, L 6-2
Interesting fact – Dynamos foxy physiotherapist Jess Osborn was once a cheerleader for one of her present employers rivals. The question is, what colour were her pompoms!
Oxford City Stars
Ken Forshee’s Green Army enter the play offs as outsiders. This makes them dangerous to the more fancied teams who will all be nervous of making the trip to Oxpens Road. Another team who can be fantastic on their day or downright poor depending on what frame of mind they turn up with. They fired a warning shot to Invicta in the last weekend of the regular season, but the Dynamos are a different animal in the play offs.
Photo Ken Bradshaw
Oxford are another team who will be relying heavily on their starting goalie to stay fit and in form. James Skaife started the season slowly and lost his starting place to Glen Jackson, however with Jackson’s transfer to Swindon, Skaife has found his form again. Up front, a recent foot injury to influential skipper Darren ‘Mr Oxford’ Elliott will be a worry for Stars fans however Alan Green is in good form in front of goal. The likes of Richard Wojciak and Andrew Shurmer have the skill and nous to repel most opposition forward lines but it will be how the other squad members cope that will decide the Stars fate.
Highly rated prospects like Shannon Taylor and Joe Edwards have had plenty ice time this year and need to step up to the plate and show their undoubted ability when it matters most. If Forshee can get his team firing then Oxford may just turn out to be party poopers.
League position – 5
Head to head – Invicta: L 11-3, L 11-2, L 5-2, W 6-2. Bracknell: W 4-3, W 4-1, L 5-3, L 9-3
Interesting fact – Defence man Andrew Shurmer built his own pub in his back garden complete with dart board, TV and optics. Coach Forshee will need to lock the doors come play off time.
Bracknell Hornets
The Hornets enter the play offs brimming with confidence after a strong second half of their season. Ben Duggan and Alex Barker have provided the bulk of the goals with mid season signing Mark Galazzi also making a big impact with sixteen goals in twenty four appearances.
Photo Tim Bowers
They have conceded more goals than most other teams in the play offs but despite this their defence has performed solidly. Goalie David Wride’s fitness will be a key component in their potential success as will the form of Ben Johnson, who has had an excellent year on the blue line so far. Old heads of Blair Dubyk and Dominic Hopkins will need to help focus the team when times get tough but the Hornets have proved that they can beat any team on their day.
Big and strong with a good mix of youth and experience the Gareth Cox’s side can go all the way if they hit form and steer clear of injuries. They have a balanced set of results against both Oxford and Invicta so they will need to be on good form if they want to progress.
League position – 3
Head to head – Invicta: L 5-1, W 4-3, W 5-1, L 4-2. Oxford: L 4-3, L 4-1, W 5-3, W 9-3
Interesting fact – Dom Hopkins is the tallest man in the ENL at a towering 6 ft 5 inches without skates on.
Group 2
Chelmsford Chieftains
Chelmsford have a young fast skating side that have the ability to upset any team but at the same time they have shown a fragility in the regular season. Whether this is down to a lack of experience on the ice is debatable, but off the ice they have a bench coach in Dean Birrell who knows his stuff. Results against both Cardiff and Wightlink in the regular season have been non conclusive so they must go into each game fully focussed.
Photo Tim Bowers
Birrell will need his imports Rudi Dzurko and Jerry Pavlus to come up big for the team, along with top scorer Danny Hammond. The likes of Blaho Novak and BT Williams can get under the opposition teams skin, but they will have to do this and more to make a difference in the play offs.
With Andy Moffatt released, starting goalie Ben Clements will need to stay injury free and on form, especially as no game will be easy. Chelmsford have always stated that they are not title contenders throughout the season and whilst no one would be surprised if they made the final, if they managed to win the play offs it would be Birrell’s greatest achievement in his coaching career.
League position – 4
Head to head – Wightlink: W 8-1, L 5-1, L 4-3, W 4-1. Cardiff: D 4-4, D 2-2, L 5-3, W 6-3
Interesting fact – Nathanael ‘BT’ Williams is one of the few players in the ENL who has an Elite League Play Off winner’s medal, won in 2004/05 with the Coventry Blaze.
Wightlink Raiders
The Isle of Wight outfit have had their problems this season but now is their chance to stick two fingers up at the critics as the slate is wiped clean for play off hockey. Player Coach Jeremy Cornish has made no secret of his excitement of the end of season showdown and his team will have to defy the odds to make the final. To do this they will need to turn the form guide on its head and repay their coach’s faith in them this season by fulfilling their potential.
Photo Tim Bowers
Dan Hughes has been scoring for fun this year but aside from his goals there has been little variety on the score sheet. Cornish has surprised a few people with his decent goal scoring record this year but if the Raiders want to make an impact they are going to need to see more goals from the likes of Stewart Tait, James Udell and Andrew Robinson. Goalies Matt Colclough and Toby Cooley are also vital to any success, and they have the experience of Steve Gannaway and Damon Larter in front of them on the blue line which will help no end.
Alex Murray has stepped up well to fill the void of the departed import John Sarno but whether the defence man turned forward can keep this up remains to be seen. No side will want to travel to the island and if the Raiders can turn the Cube into a fortress for play off hockey they can confine their disappointing league position to irrelevant history. Much like Oxford, Wightlink could seriously rain on someone’s parade.
League position – 6
Head to head – Cardiff: W 5-0, L 7-0, L 5-4, L 9-4. Chelmsford: L 8-1, W 5-1, W 4-3, L 4-1
Interesting fact – The Raiders reputation may be of a bruising outfit, however their penalty minutes are not the highest in the league. “Dirty” Cardiff hold that honour with a staggering 1364 minutes!
Cardiff Devils
Unbeatable on their own ice and patchy on the road, Cardiff are the ultimate nightmare for any prediction outside of Wales. With this in mind, their impact in the play offs will come down to how much the players want it.
Photo Tim Bowers
They have a perfect balance across the team with experience and youthful enthusiasm in abundance. Steve Fisher has been in red hot form this season in front of goal and a good spell of form from defence man Gareth Dixon added to the excellent James Manson (when he plays) means they are no slouches at the back either. Goalie Mike Brabon has had injury worries as the season has gone on and has also seen moments of red mist that have worked against him. The stopper has a massive role in determining any Cardiff success so he will need to keep a cool head in the campaign.
On paper the Devils full roster is one of the best in the league and coach Mark Cuddihy will have to try and get the best team out on the ice if the Devils want to finish the season with some silverware. They have the ability to win it.
League position – 2
Head to head – Wightlink: L 5-0, W 7-0, W 5-4, W 9-4. Chelmsford: D 4-4, D 2-2, W 5-3, L 6-3
Interesting fact – Evergreen forward Alan Armour has set up a Facebook group dedicated to finding the best Play Off beard in the league.
So there you have it. Two groups of three teams with the winner of each group facing off head to head in a two leg final. Enjoy!
Carrsy
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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