NIHL News
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Blackburn Hawks’
player-coach Steven Duncombe has announced the signings of long-serving
defenceman Ollie Lomax and forward James Riddoch. Set to serve a fifteenth
season with the club in which he will no doubt assist Duncombe’s leadership of
the Hawks following his captaincy in his last campaign, Lomax, who is certainly no
stranger to the sin bin, will strive to make life as difficult as possible for
his opposition when he takes to the ice in September. Also returning to the
club, forward James Riddoch prepares to play another season at Blackburn Ice
Arena. Having accumulated nineteen points for the Hawks last season, Riddoch
will look to improve on this tally as his team targets the best possible league
position from September, after achieving third place in the dying stages of their
2016-17 campaign.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Meanwhile, Scott
McKenzie’s Dragons have once again secured the services of forward Andrew
Chappell and defenceman Gavin Austin. An experienced forward, Chappell started
out with Flintshire Flames in 2000 before progressing through the ranks of
junior hockey to ice for the Freeze and then the rebranded Dragons from 2012. Though
achieving just nine points from twenty seven games in what was a difficult
season for his team, Chappell is one of his side’s longest serving players and
is a welcome addition to his team’s roster. Likewise, versatile blue liner
Austin is now in his sixth spell for The Dragons and played for the Freeze prior
to the re-naming of the Deeside-based club. Missing out on only one game last
season, Austin’s hard work and reliability in defence ensured that the Welsh outfit were able to compete against tough competition in the Moralee Conference to
avoid automatic relegation. Amongst those who took to the ice to prevent their team’s relegation in
their league placement playoff against Widnes Wild in April, Chappell and Austin now find themselves in the second tier of British Ice Hockey with some new opposition to look forward to as Sheffield Steeldogs, Hull Pirates and
Telford Tigers One prepare to slot into the NIHL’s Division One.
In addition, Hull Pirates’ Head Coach Jason Hewitt has re-signed six players from last season’s squad as captain Jamie Chilcott and fellow defenceman Lee Haywood return alongside forwards Lee Bonner, Jordan Fisher, Josh Gent and Samuel Towner. Further to this, Sheffield Steeldogs have confirmed last season’s captain Ben Morgan as their new player-coach and already, he has acquired the signatures of youngster Aaron Jepson, forward Callum Brownley and defenceman Lewis Bell.
In addition, Hull Pirates’ Head Coach Jason Hewitt has re-signed six players from last season’s squad as captain Jamie Chilcott and fellow defenceman Lee Haywood return alongside forwards Lee Bonner, Jordan Fisher, Josh Gent and Samuel Towner. Further to this, Sheffield Steeldogs have confirmed last season’s captain Ben Morgan as their new player-coach and already, he has acquired the signatures of youngster Aaron Jepson, forward Callum Brownley and defenceman Lewis Bell.
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