NIHL
North Bulletin
The dawn of the 2016-17
season drawing ever closer, coaching staff in the Moralee Conference are
wasting little time in adding to their rosters.
In recent weeks, Solway
Sharks have added several offensive players to their line-up, including
returning forwards Ross Murray, Duncan Speirs and Daniel Abercrombie. The
signing of Hawks’ forward Richard Bentham also stunned many, the league’s
second highest points scorer deciding to return to the Dumfries club he parted
company with in 2015, having initially agreed to another term at Blackburn.
Over the last seven
days, Head Coach Martin Grubb has further strengthened Solway’s offence, once
again securing the services of left winger Steven Moore, captain Struan Tonnar,
Marc Fowley and Joe Coulter. Recording his
best points tally to date back in March, Moore continues to be a source of
speed and skill for the Sharks as he embarks on his sixth campaign with the
club. Offering consistency and working hard to provide scoring opportunities
for his teammates, the left winger is one of the club’s greatest assets.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Likewise,
Fowley’s contribution was also great last season, the forward matching the
thirty eight points achieved by Slovakian import Martin Cingel. Scoring
fourteen goals and twenty four assists, Fowley found the back of the net when
his team needed it most to aid the Sharks’ quest for a playoff spot. Further to
this news, it has been announced that Solway’s on-ice leader Tonnar will again
captain Solway, a great achievement for the forward who is set to play his
tenth season with the club. Scoring nineteen goals and ten assists across the
thirty league games he played in, Tonnar will strive to better his points
production as he leads his side onto the ice in September. Also re-signing to
play a fourth season in the NIHL with the Dumfries outfit is forward Joe
Coulter who has gradually progressed from Solway’s junior setup and Under 20s
team to feature regularly in Grubb’s line-up. Playing in all but one league
game for the Sharks last season, Coulter earned his place in Solway’s senior
team, achieving twenty points for the first time at this level.
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| Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson |
Besides
these latest additions to Solway’s roster, returning Shark Connor Henderson is
set to make the switch to the Dumfries outfit from North America. Icing with the
Maroon Mavericks in the OEMHL in his 2014-15 campaign, Henderson went on to
play for West Michigan Wolves in the NA3HL, tallying sixteen points in thirty
five games. With university bringing the youngster back to Scotland, it would
seem that Solway are set to benefit from a forward who bagged thirty four
points in twelve games for the Sharks’ Under 20s outfit.
As
well as confirming the signatures of these forwards, Grubb has enhanced Solway’s
defence with ‘D’ men Juraj Senko and James Wallace committing themselves to the
Sharks’ blue line alongside recent signings Stuart Kerr and Stuart Andrews. Recently
breaking through the ranks of Solway’s junior setup, Kerr played twenty seven
games for the Sharks in his previous campaign as well as featuring for Solway’s
Under 20s outfit and icing in two Elite League games for Braehead Clan. The
young defenceman will now continue his development at the club under the guidance
of Grubb whose pairing of Kerr with experienced Slovakian import Senko was a
successful one last season. Additionally, calm and composed defenceman Andrews signs
up for a third term with the Sharks. Having featured in twenty six league games
for Solway in his last campaign, Andrews only started out with North Ayrshire
Wild in 2013 but continues to learn from his experiences on Solway’s blue line.
Able to contribute to the side’s offensive efforts with goals and assists where
possible, the defenceman’s presence will certainly make a difference in the
Sharks’ upcoming campaign.
Meanwhile,
Whitley Warriors have announced the signing of long-serving forward Callum
Watson and newbies Lawson Glasby, Niall Simpson and Liam Brown. The addition of
Watson to Whitley’s roster is a positive one, the forward having racked up
thirty four points in his previous campaign. Frequently demonstrating his speed
and skill to outsmart the opposition, Watson now enters his eleventh season at
Hillheads and will take to the ice with hopes that Whitley can repeat, if not
better, the successes of their 2015-16 season.
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| Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson |
In
contrast, defencemen Lawson Glasby and Niall Simpson are set to make their
debuts for the Warriors this season alongside forward Liam Brown. Featuring in
the NIHL with Sutton Sting from 2013 to 2015, Glasby also played for Laidler
Conference side Bradford Bulldogs before switching to Billingham Stars’ Under
20s team where he accumulated twenty five points in just thirteen games.
Simpson, on the other hand, has no experience of the NIHL but has worked hard
over the last four years, playing in the BUIHA for Northumbria Kings’ A and B
team as well as local recreational side Newcastle Predators and has clearly
earned the opportunity to play at this level of the sport. Similarly, Brown
will make his NIHL debut this season as he steps up from the Warriors’ junior
setup to play in the senior team. Playing recreational ice hockey for Whitley
Bay Islanders, Brown developed his skills on the ice to impress at recent
trials held at Whitley Bay Ice Rink and will now find himself lining up with
the Warriors in September. In addition to this news, it has been announced
that netminder Rory Dunn will join Whitley’s squad this season. Starting out
with the Warriors in 1999, Dunn played for Sunderland Chiefs, Newcastle Vipers
and Billingham Bombers before deciding to take a break from the game in 2007. The
thirty one year old netminder will now compete for a spot between the pipes
alongside fellow shot stoppers Richie Lawson and Jordan Boyle.
In
other news, Whitley ‘D’ man Scott Cooper will not be lining up for the Warriors
in September due to personal reasons and blue liner Adam McNicoll will no
longer ice with the Sharks due to a change in personal circumstances. Additionally,
former Warrior Callum Queenan has signed for Meaford Knights in the GMHL,
Telford Tigers have added Conor Gordon to their line-up and Blackburn have
signed former Manchester Phoenix forward Jacob Corson-Heron who is the latest
newcomer to be added to the Hawks’ roster following the signing of Bobby
Caunce, Patrik Nyman and Mikko Sierman.
