Team
Talk
 |
Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
|
Having
left Hillheads in 2012, returning Warrior Shaun Kippin shares his views with NIHL
Northern Trio on his switch back to the Moralee Conference, working with David
Longstaff and his future hopes of silverware…
You returned to
Whitley Warriors in September after a season away from ice hockey. What made
you want to return and how does it compare to previous seasons?
I had last season
out due to shoulder surgery and it was always my intention to play for the
Warriors again. This season has been completely different to any season I have
played. I would say we are more of a professional outfit now and the difference
in crowd sizes is unbelievable. I remember when we were lucky to get one
hundred fans through the door but this season has been very special and a big
reason why we have a good home record is the large crowd support.
What has been your
highlight this season?
The away win in
Billingham was a personal highlight. It’s been quite a few years since we have
won away at Billingham and we were missing a few top players.
What has been your
greatest disappointment so far?
Every time we have
lost points. I think when you look at the league table and think about the
points we dropped, you always think we should have gotten more from that game.
The draws at home to Blackburn and Billingham stand out.
Since taking three
seasons away from the NIHL’s Division One, has much changed since you had last
played in the Moralee Conference?
The standard has
improved massively. Every team has at least one import and more EPL players
have dropped down which has raised standards.
You are the Warriors’
sixth highest points scorer at present. Are you happy with your contribution to
date?
My aim at the
start of the season was to be in the top five. I am disappointed with point
production this season but, as long as the team is playing well and winning
games, I am happy.
As a new addition to
the team this season, how have you found working with fellow newcomers Andre
Payette, Joe Stamp and Stu Tomlinson?
Andre has been a
great addition to the team. His positive attitude and experience has been a big
help to the dressing room. I have been very impressed with Joe this season. He
hasn’t played hockey for a number of years but he fitted in straight away and he
has been one of our top performers this season. Unfortunately, Stu’s season was
cut short by injury but hopefully he will be back next season.
What has it been like to
be coached by David Longstaff?
Yeah, it’s been
great being coached by David. He really has pushed me to be a better player
this season. I’ve been lucky to always have good coaches everywhere I have
played.
You started out with
Sunderland Arrows before playing in Whitley’s junior set up. What made you want
to play ice hockey and what were the positives and negatives of playing the
sport you loved?
I started off at
Durham when I was seven, then moved to Sunderland a few years later. My next
door neighbour owned the Durham team. I went to one game and I was hooked. I
think one of the major positives of the sport is the comradery you get with playing
on a team is like nothing else. The negative side is the lack of funding and
exposure for the game.
This is the ninth
season you have iced with the Warriors. In that time, which opposition is the
toughest you have faced?
The toughest team
would have to be Fife Flyers just after they left the BNL. They retained most
of their team and dominated the league.
Which players are the
best you’ve worked alongside?
I have worked
alongside a lot of great players. My three standouts would be Kevin Conway,
Simon Leach and David Longstaff. I would also say Callum Queenan is one of the
best up and coming youngsters I’ve played alongside.
Which has been your
favourite season with the Warriors?
The first year we
won the league in our 2010 season. We were seven points behind Nottingham in
January and came back to win the league and playoffs.
In the past, you were
given the captaincy role for the Warriors and more recently were alternate
captain for Deeside Dragons. Did you enjoy these roles of responsibility and
would you ever consider taking on a leadership role again?
Any time you get
to captain your team, it’s an honour but we have a good leadership group here
already and, as a senior player, I try to be a leader on and off the ice and
give advice where I can to the younger guys on the team.
You moved to NIHL 2 to
play for Deeside Dragons, becoming the team’s top points scorer in their
2013-14 season. Is there a large difference in the competition between the
Moralee and Laidler Conferences?
I think the
Laidler Conference has improved over the years. You only have to look at our
league table and see Solihull and Telford are third and fourth in the table [as
of last week]. It will be interesting to see my old team Deeside in the Moralee
next year.
In the 2012-13 campaign,
Deeside loaned you to EPL side Telford Tigers for two games. How was that
experience?
It was a really
good experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We lost both games but I was given
lots of ice time…probably why we lost!
Finally, what do you
consider to be your greatest achievement in a Warriors’ shirt and is there
anything you’d still like to achieve in your ice hockey career in the future?
My greatest
achievement would be the back-to-back league and playoff years and my future
aspirations would be to win as much silverware as possible.
Thank you to Shaun
Kippin for taking the time to be interviewed by NIHL Northern Trio.
No comments:
Post a Comment