LONDON, UK – With the league title sewn up, one might expect it was a quiet week in the NIHL South, but that’s not hockey. Broadsides from the EIHA, high quality digital output and some cracking hockey gave us all plenty to talk about.
Down but not out – Hughes on form (Kev Slyfield)
Chelmsford Chieftains Coach Sean Easton and his team spent the week basking in the glory of their impressive league title win.
Unfortunately there was no time for an open top bus tour or even a champagne reception at the salubrious Miami Hotel to celebrate. However Easton did have time to speak to the Essex live website and spoke of his pleasure at lifting the clubs first piece of silverware this season.
‘I’m extremely proud of the team. I think a lot of people were shocked in the summer because we released a lot of senior players and replaced them with young talent.
‘And to win a league title with five new guys into our team is fantastic, especially the way they have done it losing one game all year.
Easton ready to streak (Emily Snoding)
‘Our strength is where we use the depth. I said to the boys after we won. Everyone has played a huge part in winning the league and I think that is where our strength is how we can play everyone in the team and they all add something different.’
The English Ice Hockey Association sent out a warning shot to all clubs regarding their use of Social Media. The governing body were not specific as to which club had prompted their ire, however they were pretty clear on the future consequences of any indiscretions in their press release:
The Association has received reports about sites on social media networks such as Facebook which have been used to directly attack clubs, players and officials involved with EIHA hockey.
Anyone who is affiliated to the Association – as a player, team official, bench official, coach, administrator, match official – is reminded that social media posts can result in disciplinary action if content is found to have brought the EIHA or its clubs into disrepute.
Basically in the Social Media world of the NIHL, that leaves only London based Twitter handle @HockeyHoundBark in a position to go rogue with some cutting comments. Hockey Hound… it’s over to you.
Oxford City Stars and Invicta Dynamos have provided quality media output this year, however their respective media teams had differing atmospheres in which to do their handy-work during the week.
For the Oxford media team they had the pleasure of putting together the highlights package of the Stars 5-2 win over Bracknell Hornets, complete with the dulcet tones of Andrew Self and James Schall on the commentary. You can watch the action HERE
Down in Kent, poor Mo’s media supremo Paul Bennett had to edit and produce the highlights of the Dynamos 9-3 defeat at home to Chelmsford Chieftains.
It’s fair to say that most Mo’s fans would probably prefer to watch woeful Adam Sandler movie ‘Going Overboard’ in full than sit through the 12 minutes and 13 seconds highlight reel, so god knows how Paul felt sitting through the footage for hours. If you are a Chelmsford fan or just enjoy watching Invicta get pumped on home ice then click HERE
All of us at Pro Hockey News HQ doth our caps to Paul for his diligence and professionalism each and every week regardless of result. It’s the benchmark for others to follow in the NIHL.
There was some good news in Gillingham however as the Dynamos announced a charity foot golf tournament that will take place in April. Fans are invited to join the players and Coach Kev Parrish in what should be a pretty cool event. More details are available HERE
Streatham Captain Joe Johnston was in an upbeat mood despite his RedHawks side losing their second game on the bounce with a 6-3 defeat against the title winning Chieftains.
Rose gets stitched up
‘Luckily, we still have cups and play-offs to play for so at the very least they (Chelmsford) will know what we can do when we are on our game, should we meet again.’
‘If we play solidly for three whole periods then it will be one cracking and even hockey game. We will keep going and working towards the same goal of picking up some silverware somewhere by the end of the season.’
Meanwhile the GB University team returned from Kazakhstan with some NIHL players bringing back injuries. Bracknell Hornets defenseman Sam Cheema returned to the UK with concussion and Streatham’s Daniel Rose came back with stitches in his lip.
Rose donned the cage left behind by David Savage and was declared fit for the RedHawks weekend fixtures, however Cheema was ruled out of the Hornets clash with London Raiders.
Saturday action
Bracknell Hornets stunned London Raiders with a last gasp equaliser from Danny Hughes at the Hive to bounce back from a five game losing streak with a 4-4 tie.
Tait-marine at the Hive (Kev Slyfield)
In a rare moment of accuracy, your Pro Hockey News correspondent had predicted the Hornets would get a result in the game during the NIHL midweek podcast that you can listen to HERE
A brace from Ben Ealey-Newman and a lone goal from Conor Redmond completed the scoring for the Hornets, whilst Stewart Tait, Sam Roberts and Brandon Miles notched for the Raiders.
In Oxford, the City Stars started the day by giving out merchandise and pucks at the Kassam Stadium before the Oxford Utd v MK Dons game. The Oxford football team went on to win the game, no pucks were thrown on the pitch and the City Stars then went on to beat the MK Thunder 8-1.
Jaroslav Cesky led the scoring with a hat trick to add to a brace from Josh Oliver and lone goals from the in-form Jesse Lye, Mike Whillock and Josh Florey. MK travelled with only 12 skaters for the game and had Tom Mboya to thank for their lone goal.
PHN reader and 482 days villain Mike ‘The Potter’ Wright
The 482 Days official ‘Game of the Day’ was in South London as Streatham hosted Invicta in a game both teams were desperate to win. Unlike football’s Match of the Day, where crisp eating Guardian hero front-man Gary Lineker makes sure he never misses a kick, the 482 days media team were not at their game of the day, but instead at a black tie dinner in the Shires.
They missed a cracker as the RedHawks won 4-3 thanks to goals from Alex Sampford, George Norcliffe, Chris Cooke and Callum Best. The Dynamos goals came from Bailey Wootton, Adam Rehak and Steven Osman.
In a further blow to the 482 days empire, it was revealed that a resourceful Invicta fan had ripped off their infamous branded coffee mugs in a fury at missing out on their popular weekly PIAMG prize. Well done Mike Wright who clearly studied pottery in Staffordshire as a boy.
Sunday action
London Raiders had Chelmsford all tied up at 2-2 by the first buzzer at the Riverside in the latest derby game between the two teams. The Raiders have done better than most against the Chieftains this season, but Sean Easton and his side were in no mood to allow their rivals two points as they pushed on and won 5-3.
Former Raiders hero Juraj Huska and local boy Cameron Bartlett scored a brace each to add to Darren Brown’s lone goal and seal the win. Raiders’ scorers were JJ Pitchley with two and Slavomir Buda with one.
Big crowd in Streatham (Fusional)
The win was Chelmsford’s seventh in a row and their longest winning streak of the season so far. Will it come to an end as Frank the Tank’s did in the movie Old School? The rest of the league are hoping so… and an appearance of Snoop Dog at the Play-Offs would be welcome too.
The final game of the day took place on the South Coast as Solent Devils faced off against Oxford City Stars in an intriguing clash.
Solent have been on good form on home ice in recent times and they upset the odds again, battling to a 3-3 tie to bring the Stars back down to earth.
Alan Green, Dom Hopkins and Joe Edwards scored the goals for Oxford, with Alex Trendall, Richard Facey and Alex Murray on target for Solent.
The result puts Solent two points behind sixth placed MK Thunder with a game in hand.
Results
Saturday 11 February 2017
Oxford City Stars 8-1 MK Thunder
Streatham IHC 4-3 Invicta Dynamos
Bracknell Hornets 4-4 London Raiders
Sunday 12 February 2017
Chelmsford Chieftains 5-3 London Raiders
Solent Devils 3-3 Oxford City Stars
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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