LONDON, UK – With only a few league games remaining, thoughts turned to the summer for a number of fans, with the rebranding of the second tier of UK hockey on everyone’s lips.
Fusco’s wandering hands as Solent stun Invicta (Dave Chapman)
The new proposals for the replacement of the EPL were revealed during the week, leaving plenty questions still to be answered.
The new league will be branded the Premier Ice Hockey League and so far has seven teams signed up to it. The impact on the NIHL remains to be seen, however the new league has already ruled out non British trained goalies being allowed so for some this could represent an opportunity to step up. It has also limited the non-British trained quota to three down from five which is another carrot dangled to teams below in theory, if not in reality.
Additionally the dropping of the word English from the title suggests that Scottish or Welsh participants could arrive in the near future. Interesting times are ahead this summer but ultimately this is a bold and cautiously welcomed move.
Long road almost over for legend Johnston
Back in the NIHL and the Invicta Dynamos camp was in jubilant mood after their progression to the Cup final and promptly put out their excellent highlights package that can be viewed HERE
The Dynamos will play Chelmsford over two legs on the 18th and 19th March.
In Streatham a sad mood descended over SW16 as long time player and club legend Joe Johnston announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season. The decision caught many by surprise as the 36 year old had looked composed on the blue line in recent weeks after dropping back from his usual position on the wing.
‘I can assure you this is not a decision I have taken lightly but I feel that the time is right for me to step aside and give someone else the honour of leading our great club’ said Johnston in a club statement.
‘Ice hockey is the best sport and teaches you so much about life. It can mould you as a person and I have a hell of a lot to be thankful for. Hockey has given me everything and as someone who has lived and breathed the game since birth I will always be grateful for that.’
Ultra White Collar Boxing in Portsmouth
The recent good form of Solent Devils has seen the South Coast team rise to 6th in the table but for team Captain Alex Cole, that’s not enough. With the weekend before the Play-Offs begin left open for the Devils, Cole has decided to put himself in the ring for an Ultra White Collar Boxing event in Portsmouth.
The event is rather interestingly sponsored by Twinings Tea and is in aid of Cancer Research UK. If you want to sponsor him, ‘Time4Nutrition’ will not take it the wrong way and you can do it via the JustGiving page HERE
Long-time readers will remember the Romford Raiders management banning drums from the rink as they found them irritating. On the irritation scale at a typical ice hockey game in the UK, drums are way down the scale below overpriced hot dogs, temperamental vending machines and crackling speaker systems.
One item that is certainly on par or above the drum for annoyance is the vuvuzela. Yet London Raiders have embraced the buzzing trumpets in a way the South Africans did at the 2010 football World Cup. The management team promised to supply them to fans at the weekend fixture against Solent at Lee Valley, prompting suggestions of what tunes could be played.
Alan Batman (Paul Foster)
Rumours that dog walkers on Walthamstow Marsh subsequently complained of ten people in blue and yellow hockey jerseys murdering iconic Bangles hit Eternal Flame on the plastic instruments early on Friday morning are unconfirmed.
In Chelmsford, the much vaunted academy added another string to their bow by advertising a screening of legendary hockey film Miracle at the local Everyman Cinema on 25 March.
Readers already stunned by the shock that there is such a trendy picture house in the sleepy Essex town, may not want to get back up off the floor before we reveal that Oxford City Stars forward Alan Green once skated at the famous Arena in Lake Placid and was part of a group that fired pucks at a distressed bat flying overhead. Don’t say we never give you exclusives here at Pro Hockey News*
In bed on a bus with McIlroy.. a new documentary ?
Finally, news reached us that former NIHL player Jamie McIlroy’s new side in France, Valenciennes, reached the Play-Offs and were rewarded with a long 1400 mile return bus trip to Nice on the South Coast.
For a journey like that you need a decent bus and boy did they have one. Check out those beds pictured, for the ultimate hockey road trip. Thankfully for everyone concerned they won the game 8-3, and even more mercifully no pictures of the celebrations on the way home had made the public domain at the time of writing.
Saturday action
Solent Devils made it three wins in a row for the first time this season as they stunned Invicta Dynamos down in Gosport. The Mo’s iced a full squad yet still lost 3-2 as the Devils continued to prove what a force they can be on home ice.
Hind-Pitcher on crutches at Bracknell (Kev Slyfield)
Matt Lawday top scored for the Devils with two goals and fellow former Wightlink player Aidan Doughty got the other. For Invicta Adam Rehak and Arran Strawson were on target.
Chico Cole in the Solent net had an outstanding game between the pipes turning away 48 shots over the 60 minutes.
In Bracknell the Hornets aimed to extend the Milton Keynes Thunder’s run of poor form but found their opponents too strong. The Thunder had won only once in their previous five matches but skated away from the Hive with an impressive 6-4 victory.
MK boys celebrate in style
Youngster Hallden Barnes-Garner continued his good scoring form of late with a hat trick for the Thunder whilst returning Captain Jamie Line, Nidal Phillips and Tom Mboya got the other goals.
For the Hornets the scorers were Michal Oravec, Josh Ealey-Newman, Ben Ealey-Newman and Ryan Handisides with the latter converting a penalty shot past Thunder goalie David Wride.
The final game of the day took place in South London as Chelmsford once again proved too much for third placed Streatham and won 6-3.
Cameron Bartlett scored two for the Chieftains with Danny Hammond, Olli Baldock, Jake Sylvester and Anthony Leone also on target. Streatham scorers were Callum Best, Sean Scarbrough and James Warman.
Sunday action
Chelmsford hosted Bracknell Hornets at the Riverside offering kids entry for a quid. They also scheduled a trophy presentation post-game with the EIHA’s Richard Carpenter in town to do the honours.
Bracknell kept to the script and succumbed to a heavy 10-1 loss which doesn’t bode very well for their hopes in the Play-Offs where they will face the champions again in a few weeks. League top scorer Juraj Huska scored a hat trick, Danny Hammond and Jake Sylvester got two each, while Grant Bartlett, Callum Wells and Matt Turner got the others for the hosts.
Slovak sniper Michal Oravec was named as back-up net minder on the gamesheet but thankfully wasn’t needed and scored a consolation goal in any case for the Hornets.
Solent capped off another memorable weekend with a 4-2 road win at London Raiders in what must be their best streak of results since they arrived in the NIHL1. Matt Lawday set the visitors on their way after only 25 seconds and the Devils sealed the points thanks to a brace from Aidan Doughty and a late empty netter from Richard Facey.
The Raiders hit penalty trouble during the game but did manage a couple of replies through Alan Lack and Tom Davis. The result goes a long way to keeping Solent in sixth place in the league, whilst the Raiders appear to be routed in fifth.
Invicta goalie Damien King made an unexpected return to the Mo’s line-up after a long injury lay-off at Milton Keynes Thunder. The Thunder were looking to grab a morale boosting four point weekend but came unstuck as the Dynamos won 4-2.
Ashley Jackson, Ondrej Zosiak, Scott Bailey and Adam Rehak scored the goals to seal the points with the latter an empty netter. For the Thunder it was Ross Bowers and Ross Green with a goal each.
There were a couple of fights too, as Boris Ruzicka and Mason Webster squared off, following an earlier bout between Ross Green and Tom Ralph. The result effectively puts Invicta in the driving seat for second place where they would likely face… you guessed it… MK Thunder in the Play-Offs!
The final game of the night came at Streatham Arena where the RedHawks snapped their four game losing streak with a last gasp 3-2 win over Oxford City Stars.
George Norcliffe top scored for Streatham with two goals to add to an effort from Callum Best. Oxford scorers were Hallam Wilson and Jaroslav Cesky.
The game was attended by an extended 482 media team who were reportedly stopped on entry trying to smuggle a large bag of Morley’s into the Arena and subsequently took revenge in a fit of rage on an innocent seat.
The results mean that Milton Keynes and Bracknell have now played their full quota of league games and Chelmsford are left to enjoy their champagne.
League champions (Ian Snoding)
Results
Saturday 4 March 2017
Bracknell Hornets 4-6 MK Thunder
Streatham IHC 3-6 Chelmsford Chieftains
Solent Devils 3-2 Invicta Dynamos
Sunday 5 March 2017
MK Thunder 2-4 Invicta Dynamos
Streatham IHC 3-2 Oxford City Stars
Chelmsford Chieftains 10-1 Bracknell Hornets
London Raiders 2-4 Solent Devils
*Note Green didn’t actually fire a puck at the bat but was on the ice at the time and therefore implicated.
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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