MILTON KEYNES, UK – Milton Keynes Thunder were presented with their first piece of silverware last weekend ending a wait of 15 years.
The Buckinghamshire club have competed in the NIHL or its equivalent since their inception and thanks to a 7-4 win over Oxford City Stars a fortnight ago, they finished top of the three team BBO Cup group.
It may be a new competition launched this year, but given the trials the Thunder have been through in recent years, lifting an early trophy was just reward for the small band of largely local players and volunteers associated with the club.
Formed in 2001 the club have been a steady mid table outfit for most of their history offering MK juniors a platform to develop, and famously refused to mothball when their rink was closed for refurbishment a few years ago.
A committed band of volunteers including long-time manager Dave Fairhurst, played a big part in refurbishing an old supermarket into a temporary rink thus securing a home venue for the team and ensuring no damage was done for future years.
Indeed the team has gone from strength to strength since moving back into the new Milton Keynes Arena and have slowly built up a strong roster.
Captain Jamie Line was awarded NIHL Player of the Season last season and the previous year Paul Gore was voted NIHL Coach of the season by his peers in the Pro Hockey News Annual All-Star Awards.
Bowers snipes (Claire Stanton)
The Thunders BBO Cup campaign saw them beat Oxford twice, whilst beating Bracknell Hornets once and tying the other game.
‘When the BBO Cup was suggested by the league as a means of making up for lost fixtures after Cardiff withdrew, we saw it as a chance to get the new Thunder team gelled early on and better prepared for our league campaign’ explained Dave Fairhurst.
‘In addition we knew we stood a good chance of winning the cup, maybe we took it more seriously than Oxford or Bracknell but now we have our first silverware on the shelf which gives the team and fans a boost early on in the season and if last weekend is anything to go by, the six cup games have certainly got us going in the league.’
For experienced forward Ross Bowers the experience of winning an early trophy was also well received.
‘It’s always nice to win trophies’ admitted the Luton born sniper.
‘We are aware that it’s not quite as prestigious as a league or playoff win due to the number of teams in the competition, but it’s the first trophy in the Thunder cabinet. Winning is a habit and hopefully this can be a catalyst for more Thunder success in the future.’
Milton Keynes Thunder BBO Cup winners 2016/17:
Goalies: David Wride, Mark Woolf. Defence: James Clarke, Paul Gore, Ross Green, Simon Howard, Nathan Long, Nidal Phillips, Jamie Randall, Greg Randall, Alex Whyte. Forwards: Ross Bowers, Ryan Coffey, Harrison Goode, Conor Goode, Adam Harris, Jakub Klima, Jamie Line, Tom Mboya, Cameron Wynn, Nick Poole.
Contact the author: david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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