Monday, 15 August 2016

NIHL North News



 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.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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.

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.

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.

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