ENL South – The season so far 2010/11

LONDON, UK – As dawn breaks for the first time in 2011, the folk of Gillingham, Chelmsford, Streatham, Ryde, Oxford, Cardiff, Bristol, Swindon, Romford, Bracknell and Milton Keynes can reflect on their team’s performance so far.
 
The league seems to have split already with the top four of Invicta, Wightlink, Romford and Chelmsford all pulling away from the chasing pack. This was to be expected but that’s not to say they have been given an easy ride.
 
Streatham and Oxford both have had strong starts to the season and no one doubts the ability of Bracknell and Cardiff to improve in the latter half of the season. At the bottom Milton Keynes have pulled away slightly from Bristol and Swindon meaning that it is the two promoted sides who seem likely to battle it out to avoid relegation.
 
There are still lots of games to go though so it aint over till its over (copyright Lenny Kravitz)
 
Wightlink Raiders
Table topping Island side flying high
 
So far so good for the Isle of Wight based Raiders as they sit on the summit at the mid way point. Player Coach Jeremy Cornish will be looking forward to a prosperous 2011 knowing his recruitment campaign over the summer has reaped rewards in the opening months of the campaign.
 
Raiders’ management and fans are well aware of the difficulty in attracting players to their friendly shores, but Cornish has used his nationwide contacts and resources to persuade some bright young talent to the island, and it is working.

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The new boys have settled and are racking up the goals with Robbie Brown, Richard Facey and Nathan Taylor all finding the net on a regular basis. Canadian Jason Gorrie leads the team scoring with 45 points already this year, and sits behind only Andy Smith (Invicta) and Danny Marshall (Romford) in the league scoring charts.
 
Brown and Taylor have already earned call ups to play for Basingstoke Bison in the English Premier League and the importance of this cannot be understated for Wightlink as a hockey club.
 
With a mean defensive unit consisting of seasoned pros like Steve Gannaway and Dom Hopkins, the Raiders have thus far proved to be one of the stingiest rearguards in the league.
 
Despite all the euphoria, the Raiders will be hoping early season slip ups to Oxford and Milton Keynes do not come back to bite them at a later date. Second placed Invicta have games in hand over the Raiders, and arguably the upper hand, but with so many fixtures left to play it would be silly to worry too much.
 
“I’m happy with the guys so far, think we have started to turn the reputation of the island around and into somewhere people will want to start playing again” said Cornish.
 
“We have let a couple points slip, but over all I’m proud of what we have accomplished so far. It’s only mid way through the fixtures, but we need to keep our focus right to the end”
 
Key man so far: Matt Colclough
With the retirement of fellow stopper Toby Cooley a few weeks into the season, Colclough instantly becomes the Raiders most prized possession. An excellent goalie who has been steadily improving, Colclough has been in good form so far this year, but will need to stay injury free and focused for the Raiders to clinch the league title. No other ice rink puts as much pressure on goalies than the reduced sized ice pad at Ryde so Cornish will be pinning his hopes on his goalie to maintain his superb 93.6% save percentage.
 
Top scorers: Gorrie 20+25=45, Brown 20+15=35, Murray 6+26=32
 
Bad boys: Watchorn 110 PIM’s, Cornish 84 PIM’s, Brown 66 PIM’S
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): On paper the Raiders should be aiming for the title this season. No one will look forward to a trip to the island, but it will be Wightlink’s away form that will ultimately decide whether they bring silverware back to Ryde. Also with so many feisty characters, not least the coach himself in the line up, the conduct of referees in the ENL will have a big say in whether the team do well.
 
Mid season transfers: Toby Cooley (N/M) – OUT, Kev Tanner – OUT, James Francis – OUT, Richard Facey – IN, Richard Bentham – IN
 
New Year’s Resolution: As simple as it sounds, Wightlink just have to maintain their seven game unbeaten run and hope Invicta drop points. January will prove pivotal to their hopes of success with both Chelmsford and Invicta visiting the island. Win these games and avoid slip ups against the lower placed teams and it could be party time in Ryde come March.
 
 
Invicta Dynamos
Games in hand give champions an advantage
 
Never write off the Invicta Dynamos. Despite half the team leaving in the summer, Coach Kevin Parrish has added speed, skill and youth to his side and aside from a couple of hiccups, the Kent side have looked convincing title challengers.
 
Andy Smith has shown that despite the calibre of opposition improving, he can stay a few notches higher with a number of classy displays. For the first time in a while, Smith has competition points wise from a fellow Brit with Callum Fowler causing ENL defensemen all sorts of problems with his speed and hands. The imports have both put up big numbers with the two Dan’s, Calitri and Borges both featuring high in the league scoring charts.
 
Despite 22 goals in 17 games, Calitri got the boot just before Christmas and Welsh forward Nicky Lewis rejoined the team from Sheffield Steeldogs. Lewis is likely to contribute as many points as Calitri if placed on the top line with the afore mentioned Smith and Fowler, so it is quite feasible that the Mo’s will run with only one import for the rest of the season (don’t bet on it though).
 
Pre season concerns about the Dynamos defence have been proven unfounded with Anthony Lennon, Ryan Giles, Adam Copland and Tim Smith providing a solid backbone on the blue line. Youngsters Zach Sullivan and Tom Dennis have looked unfazed when called upon and with forwards as quick as the Dynamos; the defensemen always have assistance anyway if needed.   
 
Key man so far: Andy Smith
Top scorer, record breaker and all round Mo’s hero, Smith has continued in familiar vein this season. The Dynamos shock loss at Milton Keynes certainly could not be solely attributed to the missing Smith but it is undoubtedly true that Kev Parrish will be desperate for Smith not to miss any games in the business end of the season.
 
Top scorers: Smith 21+28=49, Fowler 16+29=45, Borges 16+23=39
 
Bad boys: T.Smith 76 PIM’s, Calitri 55 PIM’s, Giles/Watkins 46 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): This will be an interesting season for Kevin Parrish and his men. Often the biggest, strongest and best team in the league, their fans will have to get used to losing more games than usual which won’t be a bad thing as this will mean the league is more competitive.   
 
Mid season transfers: Dan Calitri – OUT, Fuller – OUT, Bignell – OUT, Lewis – IN, Fudger – IN  
 
New Year’s Resolution: Invicta must avoid slip ups like the Milton Keynes defeat, branded as the worst performance in his eight years at the club by Parrish. The team have the players and the experience to win the title again, and at this early stage it is theirs to lose. The Mo’s have to visit the island and also deadly rivals Romford again in January so the pressure will be on.
 
 
Chelmsford Chieftains
Charging up the league after delayed start
 
Things are looking up in Chelmsford at the minute. First the local council does the unthinkable and ploughs millions of pounds into refurbishing the ice rink, and then the club manage to avoid losing any players despite their season starting late.
 
Just two points behind Invicta at the halfway stage, the Chieftains cannot be written off as title contenders. Their gradual progression of young players over the last three players cannot be ignored, as the link up with Slough Jets of the English Premier League confirmed.
 
So far, only Aaron Connolly has featured for the Chieftains new parent club but there will be others before the end of the season that get a taste of EPL action.
 
Back in the ENL, Chelmsford have only lost twice all year (to Wightlink and Bracknell) and have three strong lines capable of scoring goals. A 1-0 win over bitter rivals Romford Raiders back in October gave the Chelmsford fans some long awaited Essex swagger and a battling 3-3 tie in Gillingham against the Dynamos proved they can take points from Kent.
 
New signings Danny Cox, Matt Turner and Tom Long have all settled in quickly on their return to the club, and both Euan King and Ben Clements have looked solid between the pipes.
 
The biggest plus point for Chelmsford is their strength in depth. Their goals come from all across the team, with the deadly Danny Hammond getting more than adequate support from Blaho Novak, Matt Turner, Tom Long and James Ayling amongst others.
 
Not content with the already formidable firepower at his disposal, Coach Dean Birrell recently added Canadian Kyle Jones to his line up in a rare ‘off the plane’ signing for the Chieftains.
 
“We had a tricky start to the season with no ice and we continue to play catch up with fixtures” said Birrell.
 
“The team are showing signs of playing through the tough games. We are in the mix to challenge but I am sure it will not be plain sailing”
 
Key man so far: Danny Hammond
Not only important for his goals but also his all round play, Hammond has picked up where he left off at the end of last season. The youngster knows where the back of the net is and has scored 19 goals in 17 games for the Essex side. The biggest plus for Coach Birrell is that he doesn’t rely on Hammond quite so much this season, so young Danny can play without so much pressure to deliver.
 
Top scorers: Hammond 19+12=31, Long 13+13=26, Turner 15+9=24  
 
Bad boys: Novak 83 PIM’s, Long 44 PIM’s, Williams 30 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): Chelmsford will challenge again this season but they will have to be consistent throughout the year if they want success. They cannot afford a big dip in form again mid-season.   Well backed and well funded, expectation is high at the Riverside and the time to deliver is now.
 
Mid season transfers: Jones – IN, Foskett – OUT
 
New Year’s Resolution: Keep checking the pipes in the rink to make sure they don’t become homeless again. Seriously though, Chelmsford are unbeaten in their last seven games, however they are the draw specialists of the sides in the top four with four ties already this season. The fact that only one of these games was against a side outside the group (Cardiff) is a plus however. Make no mistake, the Chieftains are contenders and cannot be underestimated.
 
 
Romford Raiders
High expectations not yet delivered
 
To some fans it was unthinkable but to others it was the only option. Dropping down to the ENL from the EPL was always going to split the fan base and after four months it probably still does, despite their owner ‘Ollie’ Oliver managing to secure a fair percentage of last season’s roster. Out of the ‘big four’, the Raiders find themselves ever so slightly behind the front runners with some catching up to do.
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The highly rated Frankie Harvey has not carved the league up as some expected but has had a couple of niggling injuries, which won’t have helped his cause. The youngster has scored 14 goals in 18 games for the Raiders however it is his coach Danny Marshall who is leading from the front with 17 goals so far.
 
Marshall took the Raiders all time scoring crown from Gord Jeffrey last month as he wrote his name in the history books. Aside from the Marshall and Harvey show, new signing Juraj Huska is the next most potent forward with AJ Smith and more surprisingly Anthony Leone not far behind.
 
Leone’s remarkable scoring run has shocked many fans given that his role at Invicta was as part of a checking line. Talking of which, the Raiders third line certainly has some aggression on it, with the ever willing Grant Baxter paired with big bad JJ McGrath ready and willing to ruffle some feathers.
 
On defence, import Pierre Wilhelmsson looks decent alongside the likes of Tyrone Miller and David Oliver. While both Wilhelmsson and Huska have proved to be decent import signings, Lithuanian player and journalist’s nightmare Algimantas Visockas was dropped after seven games (but still remains registered with the club).
 
Key man so far: Danny Marshall
It is no surprise that the Coach is playing a major part on the ice for the Raiders this season. A permanent fixture on the first line and powerplay units, Marshall has scored goals at a higher level than the ENL, and despite his advancing age, he is still a class act. Much like Wightlink Coach Jeremy Cornish, Marshall has to concentrate on playing as well as organising the team so it is a big ask.
 
Top scorers: Marshall 17+32=49, Harvey 14+19=33, AJ Smith 11+17=29  
 
Bad boys: McGrath 70 PIM’s, Baxter 59 PIM’s, Miller/Oliver/Marshall/J.Smith 24 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): Coaching is not new to Marshall but expectations at Rom Valley Way will be high from supporters, some of whom were not too keen for the team to drop a level. The return of derbies with Invicta and Chelmsford will prove welcome to the clubs coffers, but these games will bring extra pressure to the team. Romford should be aiming for the title, but this may rest on what imports they get (as yet unannounced).
 
Mid season transfers: Huska – IN, Visockas – OUT
 
New Year’s Resolution: Romford have lost narrowly to all three teams above them so the latter part of the season will need to address this if they want any hope of honours. Marshall will also have to make sure his side do not drop points to the likes of Streatham, Bracknell and Cardiff as they have done already, if he wants to put pressure on the league leaders. A league title is not beyond the Raiders but they will have to put together a consistent run of form to add to their current winning streak of four in a row. If the Harvey-Marshall-Huska line starts firing, then Raiders fans will soon be smiling.
 
 
Oxford City Stars
Shined brightly early on but possibly fading?
 
Best of the rest or genuine top three material? Oxford fans won’t be the only team whose fans are wondering exactly the same thing. On the face of it the Stars have had a good start to the year and briefly topped the table in September much to the delight of the Green Army fan club.
 
Major high points came as the Stars took three points from their two games with Wightlink and won a famous road game in Cardiff with a 5-3 victory.
 
Coach Ken Forshee has done well to put together a competitive side at Oxpens Road and despite critics scoffing at his decision to run with an import goalie in Swede Robin Lindva, no one can deny that it has proved a shrewd move.
 
Lindva has been excellent so far despite a worrying injury list decimating the City Stars blue line on occasions. Big defensemen Andrew Shurmer and Wayne Fiddes have both spent times on the sideline much to Forshee’s frustration. Add in injury problems for influential forward Gareth Endicott and it is no wonder the Stars have slowly slipped down the table in recent weeks.
 
The main plus point for Oxford has been the influx of youth into their team. Teenagers Josh Oliver and Dax Hedges have both impressed, as has the still youthful Joe Edwards.
 
Sadly scoring goals has been a problem for Oxford and the lack of a real goal threat outside the consistent Alan Green and Darren Elliott, is a major issue for Forshee.
 
“I believe the first half of our season has been ok, but not up to expectations” admitted the Oxford Coach, who has had to ice on rare occasions himself.
 
“I think we can play a lot better and hopefully can put it all together in the second half. I believe our team has a lot more to offer and a more consistent effort is needed. We have had some injury trouble but we will not use this as an excuse. We simply need to be better in the second half of the season”
 
Key man so far: Robin Lindva
The influence the Swede has over the Stars fortunes can be shown in the one game he did not play in, namely a 14-4 trouncing in Chelmsford. Whilst that result may be unfair to blame on the back up goalies who played that day, it does show that the Swede is a big miss when unavailable. Technically excellent, Lindva has faced 859 shots in 20 games so far this year and can count on facing a lot more before the season is out.
 
Top scorers: Elliott 14+21=35, Green 11+11=22, Josh Oliver 11+6=17
 
Bad boys: White 61 PIM’s, Green 56 PIM’s, Elliott 53 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): Oxford should be able to give any team a game on their day, sadly last season they had a few off days. A permanent bench coach in Ken Forshee is exactly what the team need and the only real worry is where the goals will come from against the top teams.
 
Mid season transfers: None
 
New Year’s Resolution: Oxford simply have to start scoring more. Easier said than done, however once their injury problems clear up there is no reason why they cannot try and usurp one of the current top four by the end of the season if they hit some form. They have lost their last four games in a row but with Bracknell, Milton Keynes and Bristol coming up next on the fixture list, the Stars need to hit the ground running in 2011.
 
 
Streatham Redskins
Strong start disrupted by small squad
 
The Londoners may lack the budget of the teams near the top however they pack the ability to give any of them a bloody nose. A strong start to the season similar to that of Oxford, saw the Redskins in a lofty position early on.
 
An opening game tie at home to Invicta set the tone for nine victories out of the next ten games for Streatham, whose fans were suitably pleased at the new look team. Slovak Tomas Valko proved an instant hit with goals and fights, but he then struggled with injury before returning home for treatment over Christmas.
 
A settled first line of Russ Stevens, Peter Molnar and ‘Mr Streatham’ Joe Johnston proved successful early on for Coach Barry Spours, with Valko and new signing Michael Ranby getting the goals on the second. In defence youngster Casimir Madren-Brittton has shown glimpses of talent that could make him highly sought after in the future if he continues to improve.
 
New arrivals Dan Marashi and Fred Carnegy boosted a squad blighted by injury and availability problems, and the Redskins depth in quality goalies has been tested with no fewer than four different stoppers starting in Redskins colours so far this year.
 
Will Sanderson, Stefan Nubert, Shane Kemp and James Tanner have all performed brilliantly when called upon and no other club can boast such strength in this position.
 
Just before Christmas, Spours added veteran defenseman Warren Rost to the line up and recalled Czech defenseman Lukas Zilak to the side in the absence of Valko.
 
“In previous seasons we always started a little unprepared, sometimes getting off to a slow start” said Spours, who also had major knee surgery this year.
 
“This summer I was determined to get the team settled in early and get off to a good start. In the first quarter we took advantage of some favourable fixtures and to be honest the results were better than I expected”
 
“We simply bowled teams over with confident offensive play and the goals were coming in from all over the ice, we rode the wave of confidence. As we enter the midway part of the season we have been hampered by injury and sickness, this has come at a tough time of high end fixtures and has acted as a reality check of sorts”
 
“The question is do we have the endurance to get through this tough time in order to come out the other side with our confidence intact. Other teams seem to have found new form and we need to rediscover ours”
 
Key man so far: Jack Tarczycki
Alongside his regular defence partner, Redskins skipper Ed Koral, Tarczycki has racked up probably more ice time than any other player so far this year. Strong in defence and also capable of carrying the puck coast to coast, Tarczycki is proving an important acquisition on the Skins blue line and will probably be required to put in a lot of miles between now and the end of the season.
 
Top scorers: Valko 12+6=18, Ranby 10+8=18, Johnston 9+7=16
 
Bad boys: Ranby 60 PIM’s, Hardy 51 PIM’s, Tarczycki 48 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): Streatham don’t have the budget of near neighbours Romford and Invicta, but they have still managed to sign some quality players to supplement last season’s squad. The team have traditionally relied upon a hard skating blood and guts approach to games and this paid off last season. The aim will be to make the Play-Offs and entertain their loyal fans in the last season at the old High Road rink.
 
Mid season transfers: Johnson – OUT, Marashi – IN, Rost – IN, Webb – OUT,
 
New Year’s Resolution: Scoring goals is becoming a problem for the Redskins, as is the lack of depth in the squad. The fixture list doesn’t get much easier in the near future and with four consecutive losses on the mind, a strength of will is required in South London. It is important that top scorer Valko returns to form or if he continues to be injured, that Spours can pick up a replacement goal scorer before the transfer deadline.
 
   
Bracknell Hornets
Starting to settle after more upheaval
 
The Play-Off champions (or what is left of them) have not had the smoothest season so far in 2010/11. It started relatively well for Coach Ben Pitchley and his side with good victories over Oxford, Bristol and Milton Keynes, but stormy waters lay ahead.
 
Following the win over MK, the Hornets gained just one point from their next six games with real low points coming when struggling Swindon beat them home and away.
 
The Coach released speedy winger Greg Martyn, replacing him with Slough ENL Jets player Tom Smith. More bad news came in the form of forward Danny House relocating to France thereby reducing options up front, and Gareth Wheeler being ruled out for months with injury. Pitchley himself was then dismissed/or walked, depending on which version you read and Lukas Smital took over the role again in the interim.
 
Meanwhile, the poor form of the Hornets parent club, Bracknell Bees in the EPL meant that the squad couldn’t settle. Defenseman Ben Austin was called up to the Bees whilst Tom Avery and Ben Duggan dropped back down.
 
The Hornets finished 2010 with a bang however as they smashed Cardiff 9-2 in Wales to send out a warning shot to the league. Danny Hughes and Duggan will always get goals and with Alan Lack emerging as a serious scorer, the second half of the season could be a big improvement.
 
Key man so far: David Wride
Solid in between the pipes, Wride has had to face a lot of shots already this year in contrast to the previous season. The proud new father is always a big obstacle for teams to get round, and although his save average is not as high as he would probably like it to be at 90.4%, he will have a big say in how the Hornets finish the year.
 
Top scorers: Hughes 9+14=23, Lack 10+12=22, Rounding 10+10=20
 
Bad boys: Lack 44 PIM’s, Reynolds 40 PIM’s, Austin 31 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): Despite losing a number of players, the roster shows that this team are no mugs. A strong goalie and mobile defence are plus points plus they have goals in the side courtesy of Hughes and potentially House. Simecek and Austin have a big job replacing the departed Blair Dubyk, Ben Johnson and Dom Hopkins on the blue line.
 
Mid season transfers: Martyn – OUT, Avery – IN, Duggan – IN, Austin – OUT, Tom Smith – IN
 
New Year’s Resolution: Before the Cardiff game, Bracknell had lost seven of their previous eight games on the road, and they will need to improve this record if they want to make the play-offs. The return of the prolific Duggan will be a much needed boost for the team and they have an early chance of revenge against Swindon with back to back fixtures in the first weekend of the New Year.
 
 
Cardiff ENL Devils
Steady progress with adjusted expectations
 
After last season’s second place finish in the league, Cardiff have struggled to emulate last season’s heroics so far this campaign. Any hope of repeating the proud record of being unbeaten on their own ice over the whole of 2009/10 league campaign, was shattered on the opening game of 2010/11 by Streatham’s shock 5-4 win at Cardiff Bay.
 
Sadly for Coach Mark Cuddihy and his men, the Redskins win was a sign of things to come, and the Devils have only won two of their ten home fixtures so far this season. This shocking statistic is mellowed by recent arrivals on the playing front.
 
Last seasons top scorer Steve Fisher has rejoined the club after his release from Swindon Wildcats in the EPL and he is joined up front by highly rated Slovak youngster Dusan Krehlik as Cuddihy moves to address the team’s lack of firepower. Fisher has already notched 5 goals in his first 4 games for the team.
 
Tim Burrows and Luke Piggott have been in good form in front of goal so far this year and gritty performers like Gareth Dixon, David James and Steve Maile continue to do what they do best.
 
Despite their current league position, there have been some bright spots for the ENL Devils, with the 6-3 home win over Romford Raiders a particular highlight.
 
January will be the big chance for the Welsh side to put some points on the board as they face most of the teams around them in the fixture list. Two games against Bristol and also clashes with Swindon, Streatham, Oxford and Milton Keynes give Cuddihy the perfect opportunity to turn the season around.
 
Key man so far: Luke Piggott
Stepped up to the plate when Fisher left pre season and has not let the team down with some impressive stats. Piggott leads the scoring for the ENL Devils with 20 goals in as many games. This is no mean feat in a team that has found the season tough so far, but with Fisher back and also assistance from Burrows and hopefully Krehlik scoring goals, Piggott has a good chance of pushing on further up the scoring charts.
 
Top scorers: Piggott 20+11=31, Burrows 15+13=28, Jones 3+21=24
 
Bad boys: Hart 84 PIM’s, James 71 PIM’s, Manny 74 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): Cardiff will be tough to beat on their own ice, but they won’t get away with travelling light to away games this season. Tim Burrows, Chris Jones and Ricky Deacon bagged plenty of points last season and Cuddihy needs them to be firing again if his team are to make an impact this year.
 
Mid season transfers: Krehlik – IN, Fisher – IN, Cowmeadow – IN
 
New Year’s Resolution: A return to form on their home ice must be a priority for the ENL Devils. They have some winnable games coming up, so it is vital they start 2011 with a bang if they want to stay clear of the teams below and make the play-offs. Whilst they have always been a chippy team, the ENL Devils have the second highest penalty minutes total in the league and are suffering due to improved power play units across the league. Cardiff have some real talent within their ranks and it would be surprising if they were still sat in seventh position come the end of the season.
 
 
Milton Keynes Thunder
On the road to recovery after poor start
 
Following some quality acquisitions in the summer, it hasn’t worked exactly to plan for the Milton Keynes Thunder so far this year. A frustrating start to the season saw them struggle for form early on, but a run of home games in November and December have eased relegation worries.
 
The real highlight of the season so far was the home win over Invicta Dynamos which shocked everyone involved with the ENL. The headline grabber that day was young Slovak Maros Stefanco who had only been with the club for a couple of weeks, before his two goal cameo performance against the champions.
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Another highlight was holding Wightlink Raiders to a tie on the island, plus home wins over relegation rivals Bristol and Swindon. The fact that the Thunder can take three points from the top two clubs in the league shows that the ability is there within the squad.
 
Mark Woolf has kept up his decent form in goal and has had help on the blue line from the likes of Lee Featherstone and Simon Howard. Up front the much heralded Jamie Line has divided his time between the Thunder and their parent club Milton Keynes Lightning of the EPL. Aside from Bowers, none of the other forwards have hit double figures yet in goals and this will be a concern for the coaching team of Lewis Clifford and Darryl Morvan.
 
Utility player Matt Roberts currently stands at the top of the league for penalty minutes with a staggering 120 minutes already this season.
“Over all so far this season we have won most of the games we would have expected to win, but lost some we feel we should have done better in” said Player Coach Clifford.   “We had a terrible run through the end of September and October where we lost 9 in a row. The boys were working hard but we weren’t coming up big where it mattered. Just before the Christmas break we had started to pick up some home form, and this will be the key to our success going into the New Year”   “We still have our eyes firmly set on the play offs, and I believe if we keep winning at home and picking up points on the road this is well within our reach. Over the last 5 or 6 games the boys have been playing with belief, and that has been the difference between losing the tight games in the early season and winning them of late”    
Key man so far: Ross Bowers
Whilst he has not always been available, when he does appear in Thunder colours he is their biggest goal threat. Highly experienced in the EPL, Bowers has the speed and talent to grab the goals the Thunder need to stave off relegation fears. Twenty goals in seventeen appearances is not a bad return and if he manages to stay fit, it will be no surprise to see him appear in the league leaders before the end of the season.
 
Top scorers: Bowers 20+9=29, H.Goode 7+11=18, Randall 3+14=17
 
Bad boys: Roberts 120 PIM’s, H.Goode 68 PIM’s, Mahmud 56 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): Another team with a low budget who will always be up against it. Thankfully they can rely on some excellent local talent and they now seem to have goals up front to add to a traditionally decent defence. They have guys who can fight, guys who can hit and guys who can score, the test will be whether they can blend this together and also if they can show a commitment to road games, something that was lacking last season.
 
Mid season transfers: Stefanco – IN, Goody – OUT, Mahmud – OUT, Chaplen -OUT
 
New Year’s Resolution: Pick up the form away from home and continue to make the Thunderdome a place that teams do not want to visit. The Thunder start the year with a trip to Oxford, so that will be the perfect place to try and get two early points on the board. The form of young Slovak Maros Stefanco could be the key for Clifford’s men and he already has four goals in his first six matches.
 
 
Bristol Pitbulls
Reality check for league newcomers
 
No one said it would be easy, but Bristol have found the opening half of the season to be a difficult proposition. Player Coach Richie Hargreaves worked round the clock to recruit new talent capable of making the step up to ENL 1 following their promotion, but that team building is very much work in progress.
 
The team currently sit in tenth position, just three points ahead of bottom club Swindon and way behind ninth placed Milton Keynes. That is not to say they are a bad side, as the Pitbulls have undoubted talent on their roster.
 
Whilst not free scoring, the team can find the back of the net with Steve Osman, Alan Armour and Hargreaves himself all hitting double figures already. It is in defence where the team are struggling, and the 149 goals they have conceded already this season tells it’s own story. Hargreaves moved to address this issue by bringing in veteran Drew Chapman, however at the same time Swedish defenseman Adam Klasa headed off to Norway and Alastair Band broke his wrist.
 
The team had previously suffered another blow when Shannon Taylor left the club in October to join his home town side in Swindon due to personal circumstances.
 
Of the four games Bristol have won this year, three of them have come on home ice, with the sole win on the road coming against bottom placed Swindon (including former player Taylor).
 
Key man so far: Alan Armour
You can’t keep a good man down so they say, and with Armour that has proven to be the case. Last season he played as a cog in the Cardiff wheel that finished second in the league, however with the Pitbulls he faces a much more direct pressure to get amongst the goals. The veteran former Oxford, Swindon and Bracknell man, has scored twelve already this year and is in good form. Sadly the last few weeks of 2010 were blighted by injury so Hargreaves will be hoping that Armour is fighting fit for 2011.
 
Top scorers: R.Hargreaves 12+19=31, Armour 12+18=30, Smith 6+21=27
 
Bad boys: R.Hargreaves 110 PIM’s, Armour 101 PIM’s, Merrick 81 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): Just how much can one man do? Rich Hargreaves has clearly tried to take pressure off himself both on and off the ice with some of the signings and decisions he has made this summer. He cannot yet afford to exclude himself from playing responsibility as the team need his talents, but he will be targeted by opposition teams so will need to keep his temper in check to succeed.
 
Mid season transfers: Klasa – OUT, Chapman – IN, Taylor – OUT
 
New Year’s Resolution: Despite offering great entertainment value, the Pitbulls really need to cut down on the time they spend in the penalty box. Hargreaves and Armour may be leading the scoring charts, but with over two hundred minutes between them in penalties it is fair to say they could have probably scored a lot more had they not crossed the officials so often. Having said that, the Pitbulls’ have every chance of turning round their season. Players like Mike Smith, Mike Hargreaves and Peter Korff know exactly what is needed at this level to succeed and they are vital to ensure Bristol’s talented youngsters do not drop back down to ENL 2 next year.
 
 
Swindon ENL Wildcats
Youngsters battle against the odds
 
The leagues bottom team have taken some real beatings so far this year, but looking ahead, they can still avoid relegation if they keep battling.
 
The amateur ENL Wildcats have won only twice this year, with both victories coming against Bracknell Hornets oddly enough. A tie with Milton Keynes and close run defeats against Oxford and Bristol prove that the team are not that far away from competing. Sadly when facing the big guns the Wiltshire side have been shown little mercy, with a 17-1 spanking from Wightlink and a 17-6 thumping in Invicta being prime examples.
 
Goalie Jamie Thompson has faced 681 shots in his 17 games so far this year, making him one of the busiest goalies in the league. The return of Shannon Taylor from Bristol at least gives Swindon an extra goal threat, to add to the likes of Ryan Burgess and Jamie Newton.
 
Despite all the doom and gloom, a quick glance at the league table shows the Wildcats only three points behind Bristol but more importantly with three games in hand over their west country rivals.  
 
Key man so far: Jamie Newton
A frequent scorer for the side, Newton leads the team scoring alongside the hard working Ryan Burgess. In a side that struggles to score goals, Newton’s stats are all the more impressive given the team’s troubles. Seven goals so far this season is decent but a far cry from his career best stats of last year in ENL 2 where he notched 42 goals and 26 assists in twenty games. Those statistics alone show the difference between the two leagues.
 
Top scorers: Burgess 7+9=16, Newton 7+9=16, Barrow 5+9=14
 
Bad boys: Clark 60 PIM’s, Richardson 36 PIM’s, Taylor 20 PIM’s
 
Pre-season thoughts (written September 2010): Head Coach Justin Bonello has a tough job on his hands this season. The ENL Wildcats ran Bristol close for the title last season however the flurry of activity in the Pitbulls camp has not been replicated in Wiltshire. The ENL Wildcats have a small squad and equally have nothing to lose as they take on the big boys.
 
Mid season transfers: Taylor – IN
 
New Year’s Resolution: Don’t give up has to be the mantra for the ENL Wildcats. Making the Link Centre a tough place to come would be a good start and put them in a similar position to the likes of Bristol and Milton Keynes. Swindon have a well organised hard working style that will catch teams off guard if they don’t focus. This could work to Swindon’s advantage with opposition players not expecting much of a challenge and approaching games against the ENL Wildcats lightly. Bracknell know what can happen as has been shown already this season, and the Hornets wont be the last team to get a shock at some point.
 
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Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com