SWINDON, UK – Week 15, while not the busiest week of the season, was not completely devoid of activity either as the GB U20 team can attest, and although not directly an EPL matter how can you not mention young Ben Bowns the Steeldogs netminder who was not only credited as the Most Valuable Player of the GB team, but Netminder of then Tournament? Why, you may ask yourself, then how about a shut-out against Italy, 2 Man-of-the-Match awards and a whopping 95.19% save rate? All of which will do him no harm on his hockey CV, and probably bring a smile of satisfaction to the Steeldogs face as well.
Onto EPL matters, and as mentioned last week, the rumour of a move at the Wildcats became a reality days later with the news Estonian forward Toivo Suursoo was on his way back to Sweden from whence he came with another contract already in his pocket. Suursoo had been signed in June on a rare, at least for the Wildcats, 2-year contract and three months later told the press he was not a player who was here one day and gone the next but was, ‘here to stay.’ There was no doubt he did not produce the figures expected of him, but that now makes three imports – Suursoo, Juraj Rusic and Jozef Kohut – who have come to nought in Swindon.
However, the following day Coach Aldridge said a replacement was lined up with whom he had been talking for a while and hoped would be in place for the next game, on Boxing day. But, although without a name for another two days he subsequently turned out to be Jonas HÖÖG also from Sweden where he was averaging over a point a game in division 1. ‘I’m not worried about his character,’ said Aldridge, ‘I’ll take someone that’s annoying as long as they put the numbers up.’
Meanwhile, the Lightning who it may be remembered were beaten out of the playoffs last season by the Wildcats in a first leg 3-3 draw in Swindon followed by a 7-5 defeat at home the day, after say they have avenged that humiliating encounter. Let’s be precise, the club, a former league champion, declared they had lost one of the most vital encounters of the season to a team they had defeated six times previously when they were, ‘exhausted after a long league season and cup campaign.’ For which they have satisfied themselves they have had revenge by a relatively insignificant 6-2 defeat of the Wildcats in early December. Hmmm, I wonder how many fans feel the books have been balanced, which reminded me my old grand-pappy used to say, ‘An eye for an eye is honourable, just and proper, but a head for an eye is much better.’
Somewhat tellingly, Lightning’s forward Joe Miller said, ‘Things have gone against us this season. We are not a sixth-place team and we should be at the top end of the table, but we only have ourselves to blame. However, forward Gary Clarke became the only British player in the EPL Top Ten Goal Scoring Chart and the leading British goal scorer – just – taking over a spot previously filled by Bison’s Ollie Bronnimann.
The Steeldogs appear to have achieved something of a coup with the signing of Latvian Janis Ozolins, an experienced international junior who is averaging an impressive 2.5 points a game with Ozolnieki Monarchs in the Latvian league. Andre Payette, though, who after just two games for the Sheffield side has leapt into the top ten of EPL penalty receivers with his 69 minutes joining Bees’ Michal Pinc who must have been feeling lonely as the only import at that level for goodness know how many weeks.
What helped propel Payette into this orbital position, whose average if multiplied by the remaining games of the season will give him over a thousand minutes in the box and beyond, was adding the Phoenix’s Andrew Sharp to his dance card. Sharp, who himself is averaging four minutes a game which if continued will surpass current EPL penalty leader Adam Greener’s present total, must be a bit of a headache for his boss, Coach Tony Hand, who has made clear he wants more than brawn from the Canadian. But, Hand, in his most understanding, paternal way commented, ‘It’s not a case of him fighting all the time. He’s not really played a lot in the last few years…he has to learn of to play again. Now why couldn’t my old dad have been like that?
Slightly less compassionate were the Tigers who announced the immediate release of Latvian forward Andrejs Maslovskis. Coach Watkins, in his own fatherly fashion, said, ‘Andrejs is a hard worker and well-liked, but we have struggled to find the right line-mates to get the best out of him. We have tried various combinations, but not succeeded in creating a winning partnership.’
Maslovskis was perhaps surprisingly quite magnanimous about the decision to drop him and said his sawing in half of all the sticks should not be misunderstood as anything other than a simple gesture of goodwill. Actually, I’m fibbing, he wished the club well: ‘I got a good break with the team and I really like all the fans. I want to wish good luck to the team and hope they make the play-offs.’
What is it with all this peace and understanding this week? Anyone would think it was Christmas, especially as there was something going on Saturday so not a game was to be had anywhere. Sunday wasn’t much better with just a couple of games one of which saw the Phantoms visit the Bison who were looking to add to their eleven-game winning run. Coach Moria said before the game, and following last week’s cancellation, ‘Missing the game at Sheffield was unfortunate when you are on a roll, playing with confidence, you do not want to miss any hockey.’ But miss it, the record, I mean, they almost did.
In a closely fought encounter, the home team took the lead only to go into the break level, and then retook the lead only to go into the second break level too. But, in the third period the visiting Phantoms went a goal up thanks to Maris Ziedins and in a last ditch effort the Bison pulled Dean Skinns from the net which did the trick and Viktor Kubenko equalised with a minute to spare. The game eventually ended up in a shoot-out with the Bison doing just enough for the 4-3 win. But what the heck, a win is a win and a record is a record and once established no one remembers how you got there.
In the only other game, the Flames raced ahead of a still-sadly outclassed Bees slotting in their first after four minutes and a second after fifteen. But then for a short while it looked as though the Bees might get it together as Peter Jasik and Michal Pinc snatched two back coming up to the half-hour but by which time it was 5-3 and the rest, as they say, was history.
The win put the Flames back on top of the league table and now level on games played with the Phoenix, but I don’t suppose anyone will be fretting too much by the change at this stage of the season least of all Coach Hand, fatherly manner or otherwise, who heads the EPL Points Chart by a furlong and the Assists Chart by a mile. Or should that be 1.069 kilometres?
Week 15 isn’t quite over for the EPL, but it is for the Roundup, so the remaining games will be added to next week’s.
For more EPL stats, facts, news including it all in a mailing list you could do worse than try my website – www.iceman-epl.com
Contact the author Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com
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