SWINDON, UK – So the final week of the year is almost over. Well, maybe not in the Gregorian calendar, but the one that counts because we are poised on New Year’s Eve, so to speak, of the EPL 2011 Season – a public holiday, if ever one was called for.
But this final week was not without activity, of course. It started with the Bees signing Lewis Turner, an 18-year-old ENL Hornets D-man who joins on a 2-way contract. Coach Cox, although still not yet declaring his roster complete, announced British forward Rob Lamey would be the new Bees’ captain for the season, and went on to say he had every confidence in his squad and, ‘The Bees will be a tough side to beat.’
This raises an interesting prospect. If, as pretty much all the coaches are saying, the league is a lot tougher place to be this year and what were the top teams will have to work harder to basically even just stand still, and in doing so are likely to drop more points to the rest, does this mean games will be more physical? On the one hand you have a higher team defending its position, and on the other a lower team which now feels it is in with more of a chance of picking up points so has a greater incentive to go that bit further to acquire them. Could be.
Coach Tom Watkins at the Tigers said it was a ‘major ambition’ for his side this season to make the play-offs, and in an eleventh hour signing added British D-man Adam Radmall who iced last season with the Steeldogs.
Meanwhile the Phoenix finally announced the name of their forth import player, Jaroslav Spelda, a 36-year-old Czech D-man with a wealth of experience in his homeland and Slovakia who joined from playing in Italy and, according to the club, completed the Phoenix roster.
With a weekend of pre-season games upon us, Flames coach Paul Dixon said he thought his team was better than last year and with a ‘positive outlook’ had the ability to win the league this time. And let’s not forget, they were but a puck’s breadth from that last time round.
However, in facing the Bison on home ice on Saturday and losing 4-3, a little question must have been raised. Sure, the Bison have already had a weekend of games together whereas this was the first outing for the Flames, but on the other hand it was a quiet first period so you can’t necessarily say the Flames were quickly overcome because of rust. Or, on the third hand, maybe the early calm reflected a solid resistance that only eventually caved to the three-goal onslaught by the Bison in the third, and the come back in the third was the eventual upward gear change. Or, even, on the forth hand perhaps it is far too early to judge.
Back at home on Sunday the Bison took the lead against the Flames early on and minutes later had a goal disallowed. From there it all remained pretty close and after swapping a few goals was equal at 2-2 until half way through the final period. Then the Bison stuck in another and two in the final five minutes which has certainly given the Flames something to think about.
In Swindon the Wildcats, who had already faced the Jets mid-week and not lived up to their paper potential going down 4-2, put four past the Tigers in the first eight minutes. To the Tigers’ credit there followed about half an hour of stability in which they clawed a goal back, and then it was all Wildcats again. As Coach Watkins said, ‘I guess this is why we have challenge games.’
The following evening the Wildcats went to Telford and dished out more of the same starting with two early goals. The Tigers did manage to settle again in the middle and even made a reply, but Jaroslav Cesky was on fire and had a hat-trick just after the half-hour. The final stint was all Swindon again.
In Slough, fresh from their victory over the Wildcats, it was the Jets who didn’t live up to their potential as the Bees went three up in half an hour. At 5-1 early in the third period the tempers flared and Carl Graham was, well, attacked really. Martin Masa jumped in to assist followed by the rest of the Light Brigade and when the smoke cleared Masa got a game penalty and the Greener boys a match and two game penalties between them. The smell of blood in the air must have done something for the Jets because there followed three goals in just over a minute to put them back in the hunt, but sadly for them no fox and they lost 5-4.
But here is an interesting aside to this game. Without pointing any fingers because we all know what naming names means, don’t we? As my old Grand-pappy used to say, ‘No names, no pack drill.’ But, putting it delicately, is it imagination or do certain referees actually attract rougher games? Note I did not say ‘provoke’ so it isn’t a matter of intent or action so much as presence. I can feel some research coming on.
In Bracknell the second encounter against the Jets wasn’t quite the blood-letting of the night before, but then there were a few missing. Andy Munroe, however, left early for hospital treatment but is expected to be back for the season’s start. Once again it was the Bees which took the initiative and the Jets who found themselves always playing catch-up. Also, on home soil the Bees made the victory look even more convincing.
Meanwhile in Sheffield, there was the War of the Roses skirmish 1. The Steeldogs, buoyed by their recent performances against two Elite League teams, not only took the lead but romped to a 3-0 advantage in just over a period. For the Phoenix it was their first game together and maybe it was that which caused them to take half an hour to settle down and score. From there they fought back for the draw but not before Pavel Gomeniuk collected a match penalty for kneeing Cairan Long, who went off injured.
In skirmish 2 it was an even first period, so no repeat of the previous night. But then, things reversed and three goals in the second were too much for the Steeldogs, and not helped by a 2+10 on Thomas Jeffery for a check to the head. The third saw the Steeldogs claim one back, but an empty net goal sealed it for the Phoenix who took the trophy again.
So what can we deduce from all this, or is it still too early to say? Well, no one is going to ignore the Bees now for at least a weekend or so and the Steeldogs, despite their loss to the Phoenix, still have a lot going for them. The Bison, of course, have laid their cards on the table, and probably the Phoenix, while it is just too early to see which way the Wildcats are going to bend. And what about the Tigers, Jets and Flames?
To think by this time next week it will all be for real and we might have a better idea. Can’t wait.
For more EPL facts and figures, headline mailing list, and the graphic-enhanced version of this Roundup Contact Bill.Collins@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.