OXFORD, UK – Oxford City Stars new Swedish goalie Robin Lindva enjoyed a mixed weekend in his first taste of hockey in the UK.
On Saturday the City Stars faced off against local rivals Swindon ENL Wildcats and secured a convincing 9-2 win at the Link Centre. Lindva was beaten twice but both goals came on the power play, and his performance was described as ‘great’ with one particular save also described as ‘outstanding’ on the Wildcats website following the game.
The following day Lindva tasted defeat for the first time as his team went down 5-3 in Bracknell against a hard skating Hornet’s side. Following the game, one Hornet’s supporter stated that based on the evidence seen at the Hive, Lindva will make the City Stars a very dangerous team in the ENL.
For his part, the Stockholm native says he enjoyed both games but feels he still needs to adapt to new surroundings before he can hit top form.
“It was a really fun and intense weekend for both myself and the team” said Lindva, who spent last season with Trangsunds IF in Swedish Division 2. “The first game felt weird for the first two periods and I found it hard to get comfortable with my game,
“It was not like Swedish hockey, with much more pucks to the net and smaller ice so I got surprised a few times. It felt way better in the game at Bracknell and I had more confidence,
“I played well for the first two periods but made a mistake in the last period. Things like that happen and that’s just hockey I suppose. I’m looking forward now for next weekend when we host our first home game against Wightlink”
Photo by Lewis Cleveland
After spending his whole hockey career in Sweden, a move to Oxford may have come as a culture shock to the 22 year old, but Lindva says his new team mates have made the transition easier, despite their lack of multilingual skills.
“I think we have a great team and they are really nice people” said Lindva. “I think we will win some games this year just because we fight for each other, and this is a good quality for any side to have,
“The guys stick up for me all the time during games and obviously this helps with confidence. Plus they have supported me on and off the ice to get settled in which should help my game improve from the level it is at now,
“I’m the only one who speaks Swedish on the team but I’m not finding it hard to understand or anything, so communication is not a problem at all”
Oxford is one of the world’s most famous cities and attracts millions of visitors every year. It is not known as a hockey town but Lindva has liked what he has seen so far:
“Oxford city seems to be a nice place” explained Lindva. “I’ve just been here for a week so I don’t know the place so well yet, but I have to admit getting a little confused because everything looks the same”
City Stars fans will be hoping that Lindva continues to enjoy his time, both on and off the ice in the University City, and that he doesn’t get lost or become a regular at Ahmed’s Fast Food Van on the High St (the downfall of many a City Star). His form will undoubtedly be a key influence on how well the team do this season, and you never know, some of the Stars players may learn a little Swedish along the way.
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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