LONDON, UK – Two familiar faces returned to the NIHL and some big fixtures across the league gave NIHL fans plenty to talk about.
Riverside joy (Ice Cold Photography)
The biggest news of the week came from South London as Streatham persuaded Callum Best to return to the capital after his departure from Guildford Flames. Best reportedly had his pick of a number of clubs but decided to go back to the club he left earlier this summer.
“It has been a very difficult start to the season, with injuries every single week and it’s so bad we still have managed a full practise as we enter our fourth month” said Coach Warren Rost.
“Michael Ranby is going be out for between 3 – 6 months so we have been looking to find some cover.”
“It was a good fit for both parties when the situation at Guildford didn’t work out for Callum. Of course it is disappointing when a player of Callum’s talent steps up a league and doesn’t make the expected impact but these things happen sometimes. He can slot straight in with us, we’ll get him playing well again so who knows what will happen in the future.”
Even the fireworks and bonfire night couldn’t stop the UK’s biggest companies launching Christmas adverts already, with the John Lewis man on the moon effort creating the usual wave of publicity.
Curiously an image popped up on Social Media of Wightlink Raiders star Corey Watkins taking a shot with a 65 flex hockey stick on what appears to be a lunar landscape.
Through the eye of Jeremy’s telescope
The NIHL is now waiting to see if the Wightlink PR department have something special lined up involving a brass telescope and Jeremy Cornish to rival the John Lewis effort. We can just imagine the big Canadian stood at the end of Ryde Pier looking up at the moon with a smile as Watkins slaps a puck towards Earth.
Talking of publicity… Bracknell Hornets gave M4 tourism a massive boost in their ‘Road Trip to Cardiff’ poster that was circulated early in the week.
The ‘silicon corridor’ has been portrayed as many things over the years and regular users may praise the newly installed Greggs at Newbury Services or even the majestic views of Slough at its eastern end.
Neither the Berkshire town or the popular bakery featured in the image as the Hornets PR department took away four lanes, added some mountains and pine trees plus defenseman Stewart Tait strolling towards the camera in full kit looking for a change.
The majestic M4
This photo-shopped masterpiece was not the only good news to come out of Bracknell as former Irish National coach Kenny Redmond took over as Head Coach to allow Danny Hughes the chance to focus on playing.
Hughes has had to stand on the bench in a few away games this year due to no level 2 coaching cover (league rules state there must be a level 2 coach on the bench) and this has certainly not helped the team on the ice who rely on his goals. Redmond brings his vast hockey experience to the team and in theory it should be a perfect fit.
An arguably even bigger boost for the Hornets came when it was announced that JJ Pitchley was signing from Basingstoke Bison.
The 21 year old was in the league top scorers last season and is the perfect signing for a Hornets team struggling for goals so far this campaign.
London Raiders looked forward to a cup game in Chelmsford hoping to inflict a rare double defeat on the Essex side after they surprisingly lost at Oxford the previous weekend.
“Oxford is a bit like Rom Valley Way was for Romford. It’s intimidating, they’ve got the nets around the rink and the fans are on top of you” said Coach Alan Blyth in an interview with the Romford Recorder.”
“The ice is terrible and it’s not a nice place to go, which Chelmsford found out. It was a wake-up call for them, but hopefully not too much of a wake-up call!”
Blyth had added defenseman Rob Jenner to the side during the week as the former Raider rejoined the club from Haringey Racers.
Gary Dent in action
“Jenner is a big boost for us. He’s a player who plays with his head, more than his heart. And in difficult situations you need that, rather than someone who goes in gung-ho” explained the London coach.
Last but certainly not least, there was welcome news out of Oxford, after former club secretary, GM, owner and now current EPL League Manager and altogether good guy Gary Dent was nominated for an unsung hero award in the Oxfordshire Sports Awards.
Fingers crossed for Gary, who is often a sane and considered voice in a sport with a fair percentage of people involved at the other end of the spectrum. His long winded PA announcements at Oxford games whilst on the mic over the years live long in the memory of anyone who attended a game at Oxpens.
Saturday’s Hockey
It was déjà vu for Streatham as they hit early penalty trouble at home to Invicta and allowed the visitors to take a first period 5-1 lead, before bouncing back in the next two period to no avail.
Eriks Ozollapa and Steven Osman scored a brace each for the Kent side with Conor Redmond also on target. A brace from Joe Allen and goals from Joe Johnston and Kamil Kinkor were Streatham’s reply.
King of Invicta meets the King of Beers (Rick Webb)
The result means that in the three clashes between the two sides so far this season, it is the away team that has always taken the win.
Wightlink Raiders enjoyed a 6-1 league win over Cardiff NIHL Devils on the island. It was family time at the Cube as the Raiders offered vouchers for not one, not two, not three but four soft drinks with every family ticket bought.
In amongst the slurping and burping from the stands, the Raiders took the two points thanks to a brace from Corey Watkins (fresh back from his trip to the moon) and lone efforts from Aaron Edwards, Matt Lawday, Jaroslav Cesky and Chris Cooke.
Cardiff’s lone goal came from Joe Morris.
Matt Colclough spent 31 minutes turning away 17 shots for a mini shutout, with youngster Aaron Craft playing the rest of the game.
Chelmsford Chieftains hosted London Raiders in a South East Cup game at the Riverside with both teams confident of getting the win.
Chelmsford have been rocked by an injury to all-star defenseman Lukas Zatopek, but they managed to shut out the Raiders with goalie Ben Clements taking the plaudits in a 5-0 win.
Clements turned away 34 shots whilst at the other end Grant Bartlett scored two and there were goals for Anthony Leone, Matt Turner and Ross Brears.
Sunday Hockey
Streatham needed to bounce back against Chelmsford in a top of the table clash at the Riverside but just could not find a way past Euan King in the Chelmsford net. Not content with having arguably the strongest squad in the league, Coach Sean Easton drafted in former Lithuanian international Andrius Kaminskas into the line up to replace the injured Lukas Zatopek.
Hands up if you got a shutout (Ice Cold Photography)
A 43 shot shut out earned King a crate of Budweiser at the end of the game as the Chieftains deservedly rose to the summit of the league for the first time this season.
Juraj Huska scored two for the hosts, with Danny Hammond and Julian Smith getting a goal each. The only small piece of good news for Streatham fans to shout about was Ryan Giles getting the better of Grant Bartlett as the pair dropped the gloves in the dying minutes.
The other key game of the evening took place at the bottom end of the table as Stewart Tait and his Bracknell team mates finally made that much vaunted road trip to Wales to face a Cardiff side also struggling.
In the end it was Michael Crisp who stole the show for Cardiff keeping a 43 shot shut out and only marginally eclipsing his Bracknell counterpart Danny Milton who turned away 31 shots himself whilst conceding only one.
Cardiff took the 1-0 win and two points thanks to an effort at the start of the third period scored by Alex Williams.
Oxford City Stars were 4-2 victors over Milton Keynes Thunder at Oxpens Road. Thunders Estonian International Villem-Henrik Koitmaa didn’t ice so Spencer Caminsky got the nod between the pipes backed up by the evergreen Mark Woolf.
Green licking his lips ahead of a hat trick (Paul Foster)
Another familiar face returned to Thunder colours as Matt Roberts iced for the first time in a long while, but it was Oxford’s Alan Green who grabbed the headlines with a well deserved hat trick for the Stars.
Andy Cox got the other goal for Oxford with Jamie Line and Josh Nicklin on target for Milton Keynes.
The result keeps Oxford in fourth position whilst the Thunder surprisingly move to the bottom of the league below Cardiff and Bracknell.
Invicta Dynamos made it a 4 point weekend with a 6-1 win over London Raiders at Silverblades.
Vital win for Cardiff (David Trevallion)
Ondrej Zosiak captained the side in the absence of Nicky Lewis and scored, as did Bailey Wootton, Josh Condren and Eriks Ozollapa. Steven Osman showed his worth with two more goals as did fellow recent signing Damien King with another solid display between the pipes.
Liam Chong scored the consolation goal for the Raiders who actually outshot their hosts over the sixty minutes.
The final game of the day in a packed league schedule took place in Gosport Arena as Solent hosted Wightlink Raiders.
A brace from Jaroslav Cesky and a lone goal for Danny Rose made it a 3-0 win for the visitors with Matt Colclough joining Euan King and Michael Crisp in the shut out club.
The result moves the Raiders up to third and chasing down Streatham above them.
Results
Saturday 7th November 2015
Streatham Redskins 4-5 Invicta Dynamos
Chelmsford Chieftains 5-0 London Raiders (Cup)
Wightlink Raiders 6-1 Cardiff NIHL Devils
Sunday 8th November 2015
Chelmsford Chieftains 4-0 Streatham Redskins
Oxford City Stars 4-2 Milton Keynes Thunder
Invicta Dynamos 6-1 London Raiders
Solent Devils 0-3 Wightlink Raiders
Cardiff Devils NL 1-0 Bracknell Hornets
Contact the author: david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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