LONDON, UK – After a rollercoaster opening few weeks in NIHL South there was little news to digest over the last seven days.
They keep on rolllin.. winning.. riding high (Rick Webb)
The BBC reported plans for a new ice rink in Reading on Thursday with the local football team planning to build a convention centre, 600 homes, leisure facilities including an ice rink, restaurants and a 10,000 sq m (2.4 acre) park.
Given the constant rumours about the future of Bracknell ice rink any new build in the area may be timely, but already the debate switched to whether the venue would host Elite League Hockey or a level or two lower.
Everyone loves a bit of razzmatazz at hockey so no doubt any prospective team owners will have this talented lady on speed dial for any opening night.
Gary Neville’s hockey lair in Kent
Oxford Ice Rink is one of the few rinks that still retain netting around the whole of the rink and they got a rare boost from the local council/operating charity Fusion with £15,000 for new nets.
Given the council have been milking hockey fans and players like a massive Jersey cow for years with their car parking charges, the small return in investment is certainly justified.
The nets will be fitted in the middle of November, although it would be interesting to see how much extra it would have cost to fit plexi glass.
Invicta Dynamos were rocked by a major injury to utility player Adam McNicoll, who could be out for a number of weeks with a knee injury. Best wishes to him from all at Pro Hockey News.
Why aye.. its a Dan Pye .. mask
It wasn’t all doom and gloom at Mo’s HQ as the man behind the Invicta Dynamos TV and media presence Paul Bennett tweeted some behind the scenes pics of his tools for the job. No crushed beer cans in the background of any of them sadly for NIHL South’s Sofia Coppola.
Wightlink Raiders fans and indeed anyone who follows NIHL South will remember the big Northerner Daniel Pye who patrolled the blue line in Ryde between 2011 and 2014. The 6’ 4” defenseman is now playing for Whitley Warriors in NIHL North and was the focus of an interesting fan poster ahead of their game against Billingham Stars.
Perfect for Halloween or even just a general house party?
The London Oktoberfest party in Tobacco Dock, London was cancelled at the last minute leaving tens of thousands of lederhosen clad men from all across the UK hungry for sausage… and beer.
Stepping up to the plate were Streatham Redskins who did not offer any sausage (that we are aware of) but gave anyone in a lederhosen 50% off match day tickets and access to lots of hockey and beer in the process.
Legend in a lederhosen at Streatham gets half price ticket
The Twitter advert ensured Streatham Captain Joe Johnston a place in the hashtag trend gallery alongside a beer hall panorama and some busty frauleins. Not a bad place for any man in his mid-thirties to be.
Down in the new six team u20 league in the South, the news that the combined London team was likely to withdraw after forfeiting their opening three fixtures was met with as much surprise as Harrods unveiling a Christmas hamper in November.
Quite why players from two clubs that got royally pumped in under 18’s last year would want to add another two years of annihilations to their young lives was a question many asked in the summer.
The relevance of the league offering development is also in question given many teenagers like Jack Cooper, Bailey Wootton, Elliott Dewey, Rio Grinnell-Parke, Bailey Chittock, Ralfs Circenis and Seb Downing are getting regular ice in NIHL1 not to mention the many others in NIHL2.
It gives this column no pleasure to be negative about such matters, but given the fanfare of the proposed u20 league in June by Ice Hockey UK, a statement clarifying that this was simply a box ticking exercise from the outset would be refreshing.
Interestingly as far as we are aware, not one single Elite league team (the league linked to IHUK) has set up and funded an u20 team, which says it all really.
Saturday’s Hockey
Table topping Streatham entertained Chelmsford in a game that many believed would show just how serious the Londoners were as contenders.
The Essex side continued their 100% winning start with a 4-1 win that owed much to a late hat trick from Ross Brears in the last ten minutes of the game. Grant Bartlett got the other goal for Chelmsford whilst Adam Wood scored for Streatham.
Kinkor fires wide as Streatham stumble (Rick Webb)
It was a far cry from the 9-1 thrashing Chelmsford dished out in the cup just a few weeks ago but still a win that makes them look a bit of a juggernaut that will be tough to halt.
One legendary Streatham fan showed up in lederhosen to take up the 50% discount and may indeed be the first ever person to watch an NIHL game dressed in the German outfit.
London Raiders were looking to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat in Milton Keynes but first required officials to show up for their game against Solent Devils.
Last week the Raiders game against Chelmsford was abandoned due to an admin error that caused no officials to be allocated, so imagine the relief when dynamic duo Will Hewitt and Alexandra Von Haselberg Palyvou drove through the gates of Lee Valley car park in their zebra-mobile.
Boris scores two in two for Stars (Paul Foster)
A rare 1-1 tie followed with Sam Roberts giving London the lead only for George Norcliffe to equalise for Solent.
Marek Nahlik and Mitchell Murray dropped the gloves at the start of the third period to add to the storyline.
Cardiff NIHL Devils have not lost to Oxford City Stars in Wales since 2010 and they continued this statistic with an exciting 5-4 win at the Big Blue Tent.
Thomas Stuart Dant came up big for the Devils with Jon Nash, Jack Randall, Kieran Latchford and Rhys Harding also getting a goal each.
For Oxford Steven Osman scored two with Ben Ealey-Newman and new signing Boris Ruzicka also on target.
There was an edge to the game as Andy Cox and David Sadler dropped the gloves, as did Ben Ealey Newman and Joe Morris.
Tribe returns to haunt the Hornets (Nicky Craft)
The old adage ‘don’t eat yellow snow’ is sound advice inside any ice rink, and indeed outside too, but Oxford’s Sports Therapist Kirsty Hopgood learnt another lesson pre-game.
Don’t climb on a mound of ice from the zamboni is the new advice, as Hopgood allegedly got her right leg stuck in the snow and was so wet after being hauled out, that she needed to change her clothes.
Quite why she had a spare set of clothes with her is anyone’s guess!
The final game of the evening took place at the Hive where Wightlink Raiders condemned Bracknell Hornets to their seventh loss in eight games with a 9-2 win.
A hat trick from former Bracknell hero Jaroslav Cesky did the damage for Wightlink with Ryan Webb getting a brace and Alex Sampford, Jeremy Cornish and Craig Tribe all getting one each.
Josh Martin and an unidentified player scored for Bracknell.
Sunday Hockey
482 days fanzine declared Invicta Dynamos v Wightlink Raiders as game of the day so who are we to argue. The Mo’s have had a great start to the season and passed their latest test with a close fought 2-1 win at Silverblades.
Summer slam at Solent in Autumn (Tom Barnett Photography)
Eriks Ozollapa continued his good start to the season with a brace to win the game, whilst Jaroslav Cesky denied Mark McGill a 36 shot shut out with less than two minutes remaining.
London Raiders were 2-0 up away at Chelmsford Chieftains after only four minutes before the home side rallied to win 8-3.
Matt Turner and Ross Brears scored two each for Chelmsford with Anthony Leone, Danny Hammond, Lukas Zatopek and Jake Sylvester also scoring. London’s goals came from Sam Roberts, Bailey Chittock and Seb Downing.
Chittock’s evening was not one to remember as he took a puck to the face and we all wish him all the best with his recovery.
Not the safest place to sit when Chelmo have the puck (Chieftains Photography)
The result makes it eight wins out of eight games played for Chelmsford in all competitions and they have fired in 55 goals whilst conceding only 12.
Solent Devils and MK Thunder faced off at Gosport Arena with both clubs looking to get a win to kickstart their season.
George Norcliffe proved to be the hero for the Devils however with a hat trick in a 5-3 win for the home side that scored through Mitchell Murray and returning import Richard Brown.
For Thunder it was Tom Castle, Harrison Goode and Jamie Line with the goals.
It was an evenly matched game between two teams who both had a number of players missing and iced just over two lines each.
Streatham celebrate late winner (Paul Foster)
The final game of the day was a rollercoaster affair at Oxpens Road as Streatham sealed a late 5-4 win over Oxford City Stars.
The home side were leading 3-1 before a comeback from the Londoners who then took the lead only to see the Stars equalise with just under seven minutes remaining. Kamil Kinkor was the hero for Streatham as he scored the game winner five minutes from the final buzzer.
The result means Streatham stay at the top of the table but Chelmsford and Invicta behind with 100% win records.
Results
Saturday 10 October 2015
Streatham Redskins 1-4 Chelmsford Chieftains
London Raiders 1-1 Solent Devils
Cardiff Devils 5-4 Oxford City Stars
Bracknell Hornets 2-9 Wightlink Raiders
Sunday 11th October 2015
Oxford City Stars 4-5 Streatham Redskins
Solent Devils 5-3 Milton Keynes Thunder
Chelmsford Chieftains 8-3 London Raiders
Invicta Dynamos 2-1 Wightlink Raiders
Contact the author: david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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