Nottingham Lions aim to bounce back

NOTTINGHAM, UK – The Nottingham Lions head into the English National League play-offs determined to put their regular season heartbreak behind them. In contention for the ENL North league title for much of the season, the Lions fell at the final hurdle with a last gasp defeat in Whitley against the Warriors. They followed this up with a surprising 5-0 home defeat at the hands of a resurgent Blackburn Hawks to effectively send the trophy north to Tyneside.

 
Placed in a play off group with Telford Titans and Coventry ENL Blaze, Nottingham are hot favourites to progress to the final. They won the ENL North play-offs last year before despatching ENL South champions Invicta Dynamos in the National final, so they are well aware of what is needed to succeed at the business end of the season. Team Captain Chris Colegate is now in his ninth year with the team and admits that finishing runners-up in the league this year certainly wasn’t gratifying:
 
“The season has been a mixed bag really, we haven’t played to our potential as often as we would have liked. We have worked hard and managed to grind out some good results, but on the flip side have dropped some silly points. Our run in to the end of the season cost us the league, dropping points in Coventry and Manchester that we shouldn’t have done, so in the end it’s been disappointing to miss out on top spot,
 
“We only have ourselves to blame for not taking the title. With such a small margin between ourselves and Whitley, you have to say that whilst both teams dropped points we shouldn’t have, they were the most consistent over the season and that’s why they pipped us in the end”
 
After last years dramatic shoot out victory over the Dynamos in the final, it is little wonder that Colegate is looking forward to this years play-offs. The 25 year old winger has been in good form this year and made the top ten points scorers in the league with 14 goals and 29 assists in the 28 games he played. Colegate insists that the whole team is up for the challenge and in confident mood:
 
“All the boys are up for the playoffs, and after a great finish beating Sheffield by five in our final regular season game; it puts the boys in the right mood to start off strong. Telford and Coventry are certainly good teams who will prove tough opposition, especially Coventry who have become a real well drilled outfit over the last two seasons. Having said that, I would expect to take top spot,
 
“From the other group I would see it as a toss up between Sheffield and Whitley as to who would progress. They are both strong teams who skate well, but personally I would love to take on Whitley again, as that rivalry has created some great games over the past few seasons”
 
Confidence is clearly high in the Nottingham camp and rightly so. They have been a consistent force in the English National League and seemingly have a conveyor belt of talent passing through their ranks. With the Elite league Panthers playing out of the same facility, the Lions provide a great stepping stone for players who are also attracted by the fantastic facilities of the National Ice Centre. Add in two of the UK’s most popular universities based in the city along with the renowned sporting focused Loughborough University on the doorstep, it is little wonder they have a plethora of young talent to choose from, as Colegate admits:
 
“We have always had a strong core of players with the likes of Joe Wightman, the Bliss brothers, Colm Cannon, Dean Mills, Marcus Maynard and Adam Robinson who are all quality senior faces. We back this up with good junior development and a good flow of players joining from the two universities,
 
“Last season we had the best set of up and coming youngsters in the league, and it’s great to see boys like that move on to better things. Guys like Thomas Soar, Will Weldon, Josh Ward and Callum Bowley all stepping up into the Panthers system”
 
With the Lions acting as a stepping stone, it has been important that the new recruits this season have blended in to the Lions ethic. A large squad can bring as many hindrances, as well as benefits if not managed properly but Colegate believes that they have got the balance right in 2009/10:
 
“It’s been a tough job for the coach this year. We have such a big squad with lots of quality so there can be quite a few changes each week. It’s settled down now running into the playoffs, and the new additions have really started to show. Gareth O’Flaherty from Haringey is starting to shine and add big points. Nick Whyatt, Tom Parker and Rob Ferrera have added real depth to our defence which is important given the rising quality of forwards in the ENL. Overall it’s a great group of lads off the ice so being able to gel like that all year is really helping us”
 
The set up at Nottingham obviously draws comparisons with rivals Sheffield. Both cities have ice facilities that are the envy of the rest of UK hockey. Unlike Sheffield, Nottingham have no team competing in the English Premier League after the Lions dropped down a level a number of years ago. Colegate was part of the Lions team in the EPL and believes that whilst it would be nice to play at that level again, it is probably not feasible:
 
“Not having an EPL team in Nottingham is a shame. I don’t miss it to be honest, as the ENL standard is now pretty high, but it would be good to have a system to rival the Sheffield set up. Then we wouldn’t have to see our young guys leave the area to take that next step. I think we have enough quality to develop an EPL team but it’s the lack of money to bolster the team and lack of support from the National Ice Centre that holds us back”
 
As a consistent performer, some followers of UK hockey would ask why Colegate has not tried to further himself by giving the EPL a shot. The Lions skipper has stuck with the team and is content to continue:
 
“I’ve never had a reason to play away from Nottingham, I have settled here with a property and a career, and like I say we have great boys and play at a good standard so no real regrets on a personal level”
 
Thanks for reading and stay safe,
Carrsy.
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com