NIHL Signing News

NIHL News

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

It has today been announced that forward Marc Fowley has made the switch to North Ayrshire Wild after initially agreeing to play another season for Solway Sharks. Starting out with North Ayrshire’s Under 16s team in 2003, Fowley progressed to play for the North Ayrshire Bruins in the SNL before leaving the club to ice in the Northern League. A hardworking forward with a proficiency for finding the back of the net, Solway’s loss will certainly be the Wild’s gain as Fowley embarks on a new chapter in his ice hockey career.

Meanwhile, both Solway Sharks and Billingham Stars completed their pre-season schedule over the weekend. Though losing 5-1 in their first game against Sheffield Steeldogs on Saturday evening, the Sharks bounced back to a 2-2 draw at Ice Sheffield last night. The Stars, on the other hand, lost out twice to Telford Tigers, conceding six unanswered goals in Shropshire after suffering an 8-1 defeat at The Forum on Saturday.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

In other news, Hull Pirates have signed netminder Zack Brown from Sutton Sting where he has played for the last three seasons after making his way through Sheffield’s junior teams. Joining the Pirates as their first choice netminder, Brown will hope to shine for Hull in the same way that he has done so for the Sting in recent years when he heads into the new season alongside fellow shot stoppers Joe Gent and Ashley Smith.

Further to this, Nottingham Lions have confirmed the signings of defenceman Benjamin Wilson, young prospect Connor Glossop and Czech twins Ondrej and Jakub Pniok. Joining the Lions for a fifth consecutive campaign after playing twenty seven games for the side last season, Wilson will once again provide Nottingham with a physical edge which could be crucial as the team prepares for the tough competition ahead. Also re-signing for the Lions is young forward Glossop who returns to his hometown club after playing eighteen games for EPL outfit Peterborough Phantoms last season. Glossop made his Lions’ debut in 2014, contributing five goals and three assists in sixteen games. Dividing his time between Nottingham’s senior team and their Under 18s outfit, Glossop went on to rack up thirty nine points in twenty three games in the Lions’ 2015-16 campaign, a season which also saw the youngster make his Team GB Under 20s debut at the World Junior Championships. Adding youth to an experienced Lions’ squad, Glossop’s pace and skill will certainly be an asset when he takes to the ice with the side for their first clash of the season against Telford Tigers this Sunday. Also set to feature in this game are Czech forwards Ondrej and Jakub Pniok. Whilst Ondrej will now prepare for his third consecutive season with the club after recently tallying thirty six points in twenty three games, Jakub will make his debut with the side having last played for SK Karvina’s Under 20s team in 2013 where he notched five goals and five assists in nine games, besides sitting out twenty seven penalty minutes. As a result, the Lions’ squad is now made up of two netminders, seven defencemen and eight forwards as Nottingham’s squad begins to take shape ahead of their upcoming campaign in the NIHL’s Division One.  

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