LONDON, UK – As Britain began the countdown to Christmas the NIHL South carried on as usual with goals, fights and not too much festive spirit.
Streatham legend Johnston celebrates making history. – Rick Webb
Chelmsford Chieftains announced that brothers Billy and Charlie Phillips were no longer part of the squad.
In a club statement, Coach Sean Easton announced that the brothers and the club came to a mutual decision last week. The pair had only just returned from a lengthy suspension but the pair do not have the time to commit to the heavy training and playing schedule.
The statement then went on to add that the club would like to wish both players good luck for the future.
Given both work in the hospitality trade it remains to be seen if either pop up again at a club in January after the busy Christmas period.
Their initial suspension paved the way for Chelmsford to sign Liam Chong so if he stays for longer as a result, it may work out to Easton’s advantage after all.
MK Thunder forward Nick Poole has been a very busy man this season, combining multiple roles including playing NIHL hockey, owning a Taco business and being GM of the MK Lightning EPL team.
MK legend Nick Poole
As of this week he was a little less busy as he stepped down from his GM role with a stunning send off at the MK Arena. Poole’s number 91 jersey was hoisted to the rafters and he got the attention he deserved after being a key figure in the history of the club.
Poole is also the only NIHL South player with a jersey hanging from the roof that we are aware of, and is a true MK hockey legend.
Streatham followed up their brush with the big time the previous week with more celebrity publicity.
After Adam Wood, Daniel Clayton and Joe Allen carried daytime breakfast weather supremo Laura Tobin across the ice to the delight of Good Morning Britain viewers, forwards Steven Fisher and Sean Scarbrough posed with popular band Nothing but Thieves at their sell out gig at Brixton Academy.
They were joined in the VIP lounge by your Pro Hockey News columnist, music mogul and NIHL advocate Stefanie Reines, plus THF’s voice of sanity Oliver Sanderson and his partner Jacqui.
At this point we could insert a real rock and roll anecdote involving heavy drug use and some risqué behaviour but with Streatham Head Coach Jeremy Cornish running a tight ship these days, Scarbrough and Fisher headed home for an early night.
When Streatham met Nothing but Thieves
Regular readers of the Romford Recorder will know that problems are never far away in the Essex market town. This week they reported on an elf causing mayhem in the local mall, ten miles of delays on the A13 and a protest at the Town Hall against plans to build a solar park in Harold Hill.
On the back pages life wasn’t any easier as London Raiders Coach Alan Blyth revealed he had a ‘goalie problem’.
New signing Euan King and longstanding nettie Michael Gray probably both feel worthy of a start and Blyth has a conundrum to keep both happy.
‘It’s a good problem to have, whichever way around there will be questions asked either way. They’re both good goalies and I’m still not sure who will play this weekend. Euan has been a true professional since joining us and the defence have been nice and relaxed and more composed.’
Oxford Xmas appeal begins
‘Maybe it has been easier for him to settle in with some of the defencemen having played with him in Chelmsford last season. But Michael was under pressure to perform on Sunday, with the way Euan has been playing, and he justified his start.’
‘It will be a judgement call nearer face-off time on Sunday. We’ve only got one game this weekend too, so only one of them can play this weekend.’
Oxford City Stars charitable work from last year with the John Radcliffe Hospital is set to continue this year after former player Shane Moore put out a public request for assistance. The Stars donated lots of toys and cash to the hospital last year and will be doing another ‘air the bear’ at their game against Chelmsford in a couple of weeks.
You can also donate at the designated Just Giving site by clicking HERE
Saturday action
Game of the day was at Silverblades in Kent as Invicta Dynamos hosted a Streatham team looking to end 2016 on a high.
Both teams are desperate to put together some consistency and catch Chelmsford, however it was the Mo’s who triumphed 5-3 thanks to goals from Ashley Jackson, Adam Rehak, Josh Condren, Callum Fowler and Nicky Lewis.
Happy days in Invicta (David Trevallion)
Streatham’s goals came from a George Norcliffe brace and a lone effort from James Warman.
Casimir Madren-Britton and Mason Webster dropped the gloves late on and in the aftermath Mo’s defenseman Tommy Ralph was ejected for ‘resisting an official’.
Notably absent from the game were the 482 Days media team who were busy flouncing around San Diego buying foam hands at a Chargers game and making gags about Ron Burgundy. Say what you like about Pro Hockey News, but mid-season jaunts abroad are certainly not in our repertoire.
MK Thunder made it back to back wins as they edged past Solent Devils with a 7-6 victory on the South Coast.
Jamie Line and Tom Mboya scored a brace each for the Thunder with Connor Goode, Alex Whyte and Jakub Klima also on target.
Matt Lawday bagged a hat trick for Solent, Aidan Doughty scored two and Richard Facey got one to make up the tally.
Alex Murray and Nidal Phillips dropped the gloves in the third period to add to the drama.
The result stretched the Devils winless run to five games after a bright start to the season.
Sunday action
Chelmsford hosted the out of form Oxford City Stars at the Riverside hoping to extend their unbeaten run in the league.
The subsequent 2-1 win came despite Oxford outshooting the Essex side and cemented the hosts lead at the top of the table.
A Juraj Huska brace had put Chelmsford 2-0 up but a Jaroslav Cesky goal with around 14 minutes to play left for an exciting finish as Oxford pushed for an equaliser.
Chelmsford’s Grant Bartlett and Oxford’s Ben Paynter tangled to add to the talking points.
Staples Centre (Ice Cold Photography)
The result took Chelmsford seven points clear of second placed Invicta whilst Oxford dropped to fourth after a poor run of results that has seen them lose their last four games.
Earlier in the season Solent grabbed their first ever win in South London against Streatham, but there was to be no repeat this time as the RedHawks romped to a 9-1 win.
Sean Scarbrough top scored for the Londoners with four goals to add to efforts from Chris Cooke, Steven Fisher, Vaclav Drabek, Joe Allen and George Norcliffe.
Matt Lawday scored Solent’s consolation.
The night belonged however to Streatham Captain Joe Johnston who assisted Drabeks goal in the final two minutes of the game to move above another legend, namely Gary Stefan, to be Streatham’s second all-time point scorer.
The stat is no mean feat at a club with 84 years of history so well done Joe from everyone at Pro Hockey News.
In Milton Keynes, Invicta Dynamos sealed an impressive four point weekend with a 6-4 win over the resident Thunder.
Milton Keynes had lead 4-3 with five minutes remaining before a match penalty on Jamie Randall left them shorthanded for the remainder of the game.
Mboya and the Thunder lose at home (David Trevallion)
Invicta punished them with three powerplay goals to take the points with their last two goals both scored in the space of a minute.
Taylor Wootton, Ondrej Zosiak, Adam Rehak, Arran Strawson, Jarvis Mewitt and Callum Fowler scored the goals for Invicta.
For MK it was Jakub Klima who scored twice against his old club, to add to goals from Harrison Goode and Jamie Line.
The result moved Invicta to second place in the league and left MK in sixth place.
A Sam Roberts double and a goal from Slavomir Buda gave London Raiders a home win over Bracknell Hornets.
Euan King started the game in goal for the Raiders and was beaten only twice, and both times by Hornets forward Ondrej Pekarik.
The 3-2 win for the Raiders leaves them in fifth position behind Oxford.
Johnston gets the final say .. with the game puck
Results
Saturday 3 December 2016
Invicta Dynamos 5-3 Streatham IHC
Solent Devils 6-7 MK Thunder
Sunday 4 December 2016
London Raiders 3-2 Bracknell Hornets
Streatham IHC 9-1 Solent Devils
MK Thunder 4-6 Invicta Dynamos
Chelmsford Chieftains 2-1 Oxford City Stars
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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