PLAYOFF
PREVIEW
NIHL
NORTH DIVISION 1 MORALEE CONFERENCE
Saturday 9th April
10:30am: Widnes Wild vs. Nottingham
Lions
1:30pm Blackburn Hawks vs. Solway
Sharks
4:30pm Deeside Dragons vs. Blackburn
Eagles
7:30pm Whitley Warriors vs. Solihull
Barons
Sunday 10th April
1:30 Laidler
Final
4:30pm
Moralee Final
NIHL North Division One Moralee
Conference
Blackburn
Hawks
Champions
for a second consecutive season, Daniel MacKriel’s Hawks reign over their
Division One opposition, having won twenty six games out of a possible thirty
two, thus losing points on just six occasions. With skilled players Adam
Brittle, Richard Bentham and captain Chris Arnone amongst the NIHL’s finest,
and Daniel Brittle undoubtedly one of the league’s best netminders, the Hawks
have picked up from where they left off last season, also enjoying much input
from Canadian import RJ Berra who achieved thirty one goals and forty assists
before switching to Elite League outfit Edinburgh Capitals. A 4-2 preseason victory
against Viikingit Jääkiekko allowed Blackburn to resume their unbeaten run, the
Hawks soon finding themselves undefeated in eighteen months. A chink in the
side’s armour began to appear however, when MacKriel’s men drew against Sutton
Sting in Sheffield at the end of November before suffering defeat to David
Longstaff’s Whitley Warriors the following weekend.
The
addition of Reece Cairney-Witter to Blackburn’s roster has provided much
entertainment to the league, the defenceman a force to be reckoned with from
the moment he signed in November. First featuring in Hawks’ 2-2 draw against
Sutton Sting, Cairney-Witter quickly became the star of the show as he took to
the ice against Whitley Warriors and soon found himself in the eye of a storm
as enforcer Andre Payette waged war against the Hawk. A storm cloud
gathering as the two teams prepared to
face each other for a third time, it took only four seconds for Cairney-Witter
and Payette to drop their gloves, both players giving their all in an evenly
matched fight.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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It
is also clear that the Hawks have the upper hand against playoff semi-finalists
Solway Sharks in terms of head to head form, the Lancashire outfit recording
three victories against the Dumfries side and more recently triumphing in a 7-0
victory over Martin Grubb’s men at Blackburn Ice Arena. However Blackburn have
also conceded a 5-3 away loss to the Dumfries line up this season and, with
surprise losses against Whitley Warriors and Solihull Barons to boot, the
outcome will be anyone’s guess as the Hawks encounter a tricky playoff
semi-final against Grubb’s men on the 9th April.
Reflecting
on the Hawks’ achievement this season, Cairney-Witter noted: “I think it’s been
a really good season at Blackburn with such a change in so many players from the
unbeaten team last year and my highlight, I would say, was playing against
Whitley Warriors for certain because they have been our closest rivals by far
this year and all the games we have played have all been close and also nail
biting at the same time. Secondly, the teams that have moved up from Division
Two last year have impressed me a lot. Both Telford and Solihull have been very
strong additions to a very strong league and I think it’s the strongest NIHL
One has been for a while. I am looking forward to the last few games remaining
and me and the boys are working harder than ever to be ready to go when the
puck drops for the playoffs in just under a month.”
Whitley Warriors
Steeling themselves for
a league placement promotion playoff against Widnes Wild this time last year,
David Longstaff’s Whitley Warriors have undergone a drastic turnaround at the
hands of their new player-coach, with the addition of enforcer Andre Payette,
returning Warrior Shaun Kippin and defencemen Joe Stamp and Stu Tomlinson
merging with the youth and experience of the current cohort.
Close to fifty points,
Longstaff has lead the way with his level of commitment and dedication to
inspire his players to a successful season and the attainment of a
much-deserved playoff spot. Creating additional leadership roles, with the
division of home alternate captaincy to Payette and power forward Jordan
Barnes, and away alternate captaincy to defencemen Stamp and Dan Pye, the
Warriors arguably have more leaders on the ice than ever before. Youngsters
Callum Queenan, Kyle Hindmarsh-Ross, Liam Smedley, Craig Johnson and Ben
Richards have also continued to shine for the Warriors, racking up twenty one
goals and thirty assists between them.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Achieving an awful lot
this season, the Warriors’ have iced with fortitude, resilience and intensity
to put many of the NIHL’s top teams under pressure, with a momentous victory
over Blackburn to bring the Hawks’ eighteen month unbeaten run to an end. Additionally,
the Hillheads outfit have also triumphed over their derby rivals Billingham
Stars following a 4-4 draw in October against Terry Ward’s men, claiming five
points from a possible eight in these fixtures.
Facing Solihull Barons
in their playoff semi-final, Whitley Warriors will hope to defeat the side that
they have already recorded three league wins against. However, with Whitley
enduring a 6-4 defeat to Perry Doyle’s side more recently, the Warriors will
need to give the game their all if they are to beat the Barons on the larger
ice surface to make the final.
Contemplating the
transformation of his club, defenceman Josh Maddock observed: “Nearly being
relegated and being in the position we were in last season was a bit of a shock
to the system as, I think, looking around the dressing room, we had the players
to be further up the league. This season, with Lobby [David Longstaff] coming
in, I think we have been a more solid unit. Lobby’s had us working harder in
training and we are more drilled this season and it has shown on the ice.
Coming into this season, none of us really knew what to expect but I think we
were all pretty optimistic on how the season would pan out. With a few of the
other teams in the league able to pay players, I think people underestimated
how good our home grown players are and didn’t really expect us to get into the
top four. We have fought hard and pushed Blackburn all the way for the league
title and I firmly believe that we can walk out of the playoffs with the
trophy.”
Solihull Barons
Finishing in third
place, Perry Doyle’s Solihull Barons have also gone beyond the expectations of
many this season to claim a playoff place. Newly promoted in September, the
Barons showed that they could contend with the heightened competition in the
Moralee Conference with a victory over Solway Sharks in September, having lost
out in consecutive games to Whitley Warriors prior to this fixture. Displaying
spirit and determination to battle back from these opening defeats, the Barons
have since won twenty of thirty one games to hold onto their playoff position.
The perfect balance of
skill and strength, the Barons possess an outstanding roster with the goal
scoring abilities of Thomas Soar, Josh Bruce and Niklas Ottosson complementing
the formidable power of player-coach Perry Doyle, captain Rob Eley and young
forward Stephen Heape. Contending with Division One’s most established and most
challenging teams this season, the Barons have recorded victories against every
side in the league at least once to prove themselves worthy of a playoff spot.
When considering the top five points scorers of each team in the Moralee
Conference, those of Solihull Barons have collectively accumulated more points
than those of their opposition in Division One, with the exception of Blackburn
Hawks, of course. Doyle’s leadership this season has been second to none and,
whilst success for the team includes a victory over champions Blackburn Hawks,
the player-coach has also thrown himself into the limelight when required,
engaging in battle with Warrior Andre Payette and returning Hawk Reece
Cairney-Witter. The Barons’ fighting prowess has resulted in seven hundred and
twenty three penalty minutes, the side leading the way in the number of penalty
minutes awarded to an individual team this season. With the stakes higher
than ever, Solihull will be sure to present themselves as a force to be
reckoned with as Payette and Doyle meet in another entertaining clash between
the two sides.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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In light of this
impending fixture, player-coach Perry Doyle shared his thoughts on Solihull’s
campaign and his most recent work at the club: “This season the Barons provided
me with one of the biggest challenges in my hockey career to date, taking on
the role of Director of Hockey for the Solihull Barons. Coming back to play for
Solihull was always my wish and having to adapt to the new rules and systems of
the league was no easy feat so you can understand that, whilst I was looking
forward to my new challenge, I was also apprehensive as well.
It goes without saying that I am a well-known
enforcer and tough guy, having been around the hockey circuit for many years
now and with that label you receive a fair amount of negative publicity.
However, the support I did get from ex-players, coaches, current players, team
staff and close friends and family, I welcomed the opportunity to try my hand
in the world of coaching. To date, I still stand by my decision.
When asked originally
what my thoughts were on league position for this season and what I was aiming
to deliver, I said I would be happy to aim for mid-table, provide a good,
strong base for the team for next season and also work with the existing fan
base to deliver a team that they would be happy and willing to support. With
the team we had, I knew we had something good but often a little change can
upset the momentum in any team. The setup at Solihull has allowed me to
concentrate on the on-ice issues and leave the back room staff to pick up
anything else or often give me a gentle nudge if I need advice or support.
This season the team
has exceeded all expectations and made a lot of friends along the way as we
have strived to remove any previous stigmas attached with the Solihull Barons
and my playing history. A bad guy can also be a good guy at times! The standard
of the teams this season has been a welcome challenge and the step up to the
higher league has often pushed the team to its limits. Whilst we have ended the
season on a high, there are still items we need to work on; out of twelve losses,
seven had less than a three goal difference and that is something that grinds
me heavily. As with any other team, we have had our ups and downs but pulled
together when needed and I am proud of the team and staff for that.
Good luck to those who
are taking part in playoff weekend and I hope that the event is a success and
becomes a yearly event. Lastly, I would like to thank my wonderful partner Jo
for putting up with me and the hockey in what is a busy year for us both, and
for not blackening my other eye following my recent visit to Whitley Bay.”
Solway Sharks
No team in NIHL North
Division One has undergone a greater turnaround than that of Martin Grubb’s
Solway Sharks this season, the Dumfries outfit finding themselves all but foot
of the table until recently. With the NIHL at its most competitive this season,
the Sharks have demonstrated great resilience to battle back against strong
opposition to earn a top four finish and that much-coveted playoff spot.
Having lost several
players over the summer, including top goal scorer Richard Bentham who made the
switch to Blackburn Hawks, the Sharks were then left behind by initial signing
Craig Douglas who, though intended to fill the skates of Gary Russell, made the
switch to Elite League outfit Fife Flyers. As a result, the Sharks found
themselves without a netminder and were left little choice other than to call
on shot stopper Kieran Hobbins to step into the breach. Taking on the role of
first choice netminder, Hobbins has shown that he can be relied upon, quite
often proving himself to be Solway’s lifeline and keeping the Sharks in games
when they have needed it most.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Solway’s most notable
victory this season was undoubtedly a league win over Blackburn Hawks played at
the Dumfries Ice Bowl in January. The teams’ belief further ignited, it
appeared that this was the turning point of the Sharks’ season; Grubb’s men
winning nine games from fourteen subsequent to this result, as opposed to the
seven from eighteen that were recorded prior to this fixture. With the goal
scoring ability of Marc Fowley, Duncan Speirs, captain Struan Tonnar and
imports Martin Cingel and Juraj Senko, Solway have what it takes to win the
game but must show it in their semi-final in order to achieve the ultimate
success.
It goes without saying
that this semi-final will be an intense one and perhaps even fiery, both teams
collectively tallying one hundred and twenty one penalty minutes across the
four leagues fixtures they have encountered each other this campaign. Whilst
Blackburn may call on Reece Cairney-Witter at some point in the game, Sharks’
alternate captain Ross Murray has again proven himself to be quite a resource
this season, fighting the Sharks’ battles in front of goal and exchanging
punches with some of the NIHL’s toughest.
Taking the time to
discuss Solway’s playoff qualification, netminder Hobbins shared his views:
“Getting to the playoffs wasn’t easy. We’ve had ups and downs to get there but
in the end it shows the resilience and character of our team. I think in mid-January,
we were sitting in eighth place and looking far too adrift to even qualify.
However, as a team, we’ve all worked hard and bought in to what Martin [Grubb],
Scott [McMeekan] and Cingy [Martin Cingel] have told us and it shows by our
form since returning after the Christmas break. It’s a great turnaround and
confidence within the team is high and it shows by how we’re playing. I think
the hard graft is still to come. We, as a team, don’t want to qualify just to
take part. We want to go to ice Sheffield with the confidence that, if we
execute our game plan, we will give ourselves the highest possible chance to
win. This is our last chance at a piece of silverware this season and we as a
team are hungry to grasp our hands on the playoff trophy once again.”
NIHL North Division One Laidler
Conference
Deeside Dragons
Sitting in the topmost
position of the Laidler Conference, Deeside Dragons have much to celebrate,
having succeeded in their efforts to secure promotion as well as a playoff
place. Having won twenty three games from twenty seven, and losing out only
once in a contest with Nottingham Lions, the Dragons have shown themselves to
be formidable this season.
High-scoring draws
against foot-of-the-table side Bradford Bulldogs, title rivals Widnes Wild and
the hardworking Blackburn Eagles have also proved entertaining but largely, the
Dragons’ opposition in Division Two have found the team a challenge to play
against, more often than not suffering heavy defeats at the hands of the league
leaders. In a more recent clash against Widnes Wild, player-coach Scott
McKenzie saw fit to remove his team from the ice in the early stages of the
second period, feeling that the risk to his players was too great, with several
roughing penalties handed out to either side. Coincidently, Deeside were handed
a 3-1 victory due to the abandonment of the game and, should both teams make it
to the playoff final, this encounter will be a very interesting one to say the
least.
Standout players for
Deeside Dragons this season include Slovakian imports Adrian Palak and Filip
Supa, the forwards collectively tallying one hundred goals and sixty seven
assists for the side to become two of the league’s highest points scorers this
season. Accumulating penalty minutes rather than points, forward Paul Davies
and defenceman Bryn Roberts have stood out for quite different reasons this
campaign, both players racking up over a hundred penalty minutes each. Whilst
Deeside have battled through the season to make it to the top of the Laidler Conference,
none of it would have been possible without the leadership of captain Marc
Lovell whose experience ranges from a stint in the Elite league with Manchester
Phoenix, ice time in the EPL with Telford Tigers and a spot in the line-up of
ENL2 side, Flintshire Freeze.
As captain of the title
winning Dragons, Lovell took the time to talk about Deeside’s latest campaign
ahead of the playoffs: “This season with the Dragons is the best we’ve had in a
long time and it been a pleasure to play there and be a part of it. There was a
lot of talk at the beginning of the season about Red Hockey taking over and
buying the league title but all of the players and coaches still had to deliver
and that’s what we’ve done as a team. Even when Red Hockey left in January, we
stuck together as a team and finished the league off strong just like we
started. As for the playoffs, we are all really looking forward to it and it
should be a really good weekend. Hopefully we can play like we have done all
season and win another trophy to finish our season off.”
Deeside Dragons will
take on the Blackburn Eagles in their playoff semi-final, having already
triumphed over the Lancashire outfit three times this season with landslide
victories of 10-2, 11-1 and 10-3 achieved by the Dragons to date. A 5-5 away
draw saw Deeside challenged by Scott Barnett’s team, who battled back from 2-0
down to get ahead in the game before the Dragons added to their tally to claim
a point. Should a playoff semi-final between the two resemble this game in anyway,
it is likely to be a highly enthralling fixture as the league leaders clash
with Barnett’s fourth placed Eagles once more.
Widnes Wild
Finishing in second
place behind Deeside Dragons, Widnes Wild have claimed both a playoff spot and
the chance to secure promotion in a league placement playoff final which will
be played at a later date against Moralee Conference outfit Sheffield
Spartans.
Set to face Nottingham
Lions in the first semi-final of playoff weekend, the Wild will be up for a
challenge as they look to take on the team they have lost out to twice already
this campaign; their only victory against the side was back in October and a
more recent contest with the Lions ended in a 5-5 draw between the two.
With player-coach Scott
McKenzie the Laidler Conference’s highest points scorer this season, the
forward having racked up one hundred and twenty eight points in twenty seven
games, and with fellow forwards Shaun Dippnall and Geoff Wigglesworth two of
the league’s most creative players, the Wild should certainly not be short of
goal scoring opportunities come playoff weekend.
In a recent clash
against Deeside Dragons, Wild’s defenceman Lee Kemp and netminder Greg Ruxton
both sustained injuries which led to McKenzie calling on his players to leave
the ice. As a result, these players may miss out on the semi-final,
with shot stoppers Thomas McDonald and Joshua Benstead possibly called into action. A strong coaching
structure at the club ensures that the team continues to achieve, with
assistant coaches Richard Charles and Mark Gillingham, and goaltending coach
Tom McDonald, working together to give the team direction and guidance when
Widnes need it most. Whilst this will be one battle that they hope to win, the
Wild also look forward to a clash with Sheffield Spartans after the playoffs as
they aim for promotion to the Moralee Conference, the side having lost out
against Whitley Warriors last season. With the prospect of silverware and a
place in Division One still possible, it may be that the future of Widnes lies
beyond the Laidler Conference.
Considering the league
campaign of Widnes Wild, player-coach Scott McKenzie took time to discuss his
team’s achievements and the future of the club: “This year has been a really
productive one for Widnes Wild. I came on board in April and really had a blank
canvas to work with and put my stamp on. The junior programme was my priority
and that is slowly growing. With a successful junior programme, we feel that
the senior team will almost look after itself. I believe we have been
successful as a club this year; second place is not to be sniffed at and we
have the chance to go up into the Moralee Conference. A highlight for me has to
be the home draws with both Nottingham and Deeside. Both games drew in over
five hundred people so the atmosphere was electric, similar to what we expect
this weekend at the playoffs. Moving forward, the aspirations of the club are
to grow, produce great British players and to be self-sufficient. There is no
real time scale as we understand that it is a process. We have a great rink,
great support and great volunteers; a brilliant foundation to build a hockey
club on.”
Nottingham Lions
With development of young British talent a key
component of Nottingham Lions’ philosophy, coaches Matt Bradbury and Paul
Glossop will aim to showcase the talent of their side’s young prospects when
they face Widnes Wild in their fast-approaching playoff semi-final.
The Lions’ top points scorers include youngster
Connor Glossop, Czech Republican Ondrej Pniok and thirty year old forward
Robert Perks, a fact which reveals the diversity of Nottingham’s roster and the
complementation of youth and experience in the squad. Finishing in third place
in the Laidler Conference, the Lions have fought hard to compete with fellow
playoff contenders Deeside Dragons, Widnes Wild and Blackburn Eagles this
season.
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| Photo Credit: UrbanScot Photography |
Sharing a detailed account of the Lions’ season
and playoff qualification, alternate captain Adz Andrews kindly introduces us
to his team and the achievements of their campaign as his side get set to ice
in the first semi-final of playoff weekend against Widnes Wild: “This season the Lions had a great start with a
run of results that put us in good stead from the start but form over the
remaining run of games put us out of the league running with some poor results
against teams we should have secured points against. Placing third is better
than last year and securing a playoff spot was our main objective which was
achieved.
Highlights so far are that we have been the
only team to beat Deeside, along with some close fought battles against playoff
rivals Widnes Wild and Blackburn Eagles who have all shown great form and
deserve their place at the finals weekend. From a Lions’ perspective, being
able to give so many of our U18’s and U20’s a chance to play regular roles all
year has been a pleasure to watch and to ice with many who will be on show at
the finals. Players like GB international and Nottingham Panthers/Manchester
Storm player Connor Glossop, young netminder Tomas Hovell, who has dressed for
both the Panthers and Belfast Giants of late, not to mention young, exciting
prospects Joe Humphries, Joe Gretton, Cam Pyewell and Liam Redwood, all who are
looking forward to showcasing their talents at the finals.
From a playoff perspective and ambitions, who
knows? It’s anyone’s playoff trophy to lose.
Based on games played against our rivals, we held the series win over
Widnes, winning two, drawing one and losing one in a four game series. We then
played out a 2-2 series against the Eagles, tying with each other on points and
goals scored. Ultimately, the playoffs are a one- game-winner-takes-it-all;
anyone can win in any given game. All we can do is continue training as we are
and up the tempo.
Our coaches, Matt Bradbury and Paul Glossop,
will have us well drilled and conditioned, ready for the playoff weekend which
promises to be a fantastic event for all involved, where we look forward to
showing what we are all about and hopefully walk away with some silverware for
our efforts.
Be sure
not to miss the opening game at 10:30am against Widnes Wild. In previous games
this has all the attributes to be a cracking start to a great weekend.
Enjoy the
weekend, alternate captain Adz Andrews.”
Blackburn Eagles
Claiming the fourth and
final playoff place in NIHL North Division Two, Blackburn Eagles finished just
two points adrift of third place, having accumulated thirty three points from
twenty seven games.
The Eagle’s most
valuable player has been Slovakian import Tomas Mitrik who made the switch from
Deeside Dragons over the summer to become one of the outfit’s strongest
players, scoring nineteen goals and successfully aiding the offensive efforts
of his team mates on twenty six occasions.
With the Eagles a
development team for Moralee Conference side Blackburn Hawks, forwards Lee
Pollitt and James Riddoch have also featured for the Hawks this season along
with youngsters Callum Strong and Kyle Haslam who have enjoyed senior debuts
with the Division One side. Improving on last season’s ninth place finish, the
development of individual players is concurrent with the progress of the whole
team and Eagles fans have watched as the side transformed from the struggling
unit it once was to playoff contender; notably the side failed to pick up a
single point in their 2012-13 campaign, highlighting the extent of the Eagles’
achievement.
Playing against the
champions of the Laidler Conference in their playoff semi-final, Blackburn have
a tough task ahead of them, having lost all but one game to the Dragons this
season. However, the Eagles can take courage from their 5-5 home draw played
against Deeside at the end of December as the Lancashire team worked hard in
this fixture, showing resilience to take a point though they were behind in the
opening stages of the game. Reflecting on the
Eagles’ achievements this season, player-coach Scott Barnett considered his
team’s success and revealed what a place in the playoffs means to his side: “I
am very happy that the Eagles have made the playoffs this year. A place at the
end of the season showdown was our goal as a team from day one. It is another
step in the right direction for us as a team. We have worked hard and we have
improved over the past three years. My lads have continued to improve all
season and we have continued to grow as a team. We have had a tough run of
games leading in to the playoff weekend and we got the results we needed when
it counted so confidence is high. We are looking forward to the weekend, it
will be a good experience for all my players and a further opportunity for us
to develop as a team.”
With Blackburn to play
in the third semi-final against Deeside, this game is not one to be missed as
the striving Eagles could add to their list of achievements this season with a
momentous victory against the Welsh outfit to make it to the Laidler playoff
final.
Good luck to all teams taking part in the NIHL North Playoff
Weekend and thank you to Reece Cairney-Witter, Josh Maddock, Perry Doyle,
Kieran Hobbins, Marc Lovell, Scott McKenzie, Adz Andrews and Scott Barnett for
taking the time to share their views ahead of the playoffs.
For more photos from IceHockeyMedia, please visit: http://www.icehockeymedia.co.uk/.
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