New Season
The hockey season is back, and you can follow it all with us right here on BIH.
Stats Centre
We are working on an archive of matches, stats and players from BIH in the past few years.
Been interesting so far
I have not been missing for a while, just had so much to do in a little space of time but hey I am back with a vengeance as they say. My first blog of the season somehow ended up in BIH’s junk mail folder, and despite BIH’s best attempts to retrieve it we couldn’t get back. I am typing this whilst enjoying the rarity of a day off from work and just two days before the Panthers, also known as “The Dark Side” to us in the House of Steel, arrive for what is surely to be typical peaceful (NOT!) Steelers-Panthers encounter.
This season I am back in the House of Steel after a sabbatical period across at Ice Sheffield, but in Block 103 is where anyone who really knows me better will find me bleeding Steeler colours. It’s where I started when I first came down to watch hockey seriously after I came down from the “frozen north” as some wags say and hey, I am enjoying it and enjoying it a plenty. Sure there is a marked difference between the Elite League and the EPL, but hockey is just hockey to me and that’s all really that matters. I just want to see a Sheffield team come off the ice victorious, and if it means winning on penalty shots, overtime or normal time - well I don’t care.
After a summer which wasn’t really good for hockey fans, when it looked bleak for Steelers and Scims (now Steeldogs) fans alike, it was just thankful that both survived and could compete in their respective leagues. Both have new coaches, new rosters and new expectations set and it’s only good for everyone that Sheffield is so lucky to have teams playing at every single level of the hockey pyramid. From Steelers in the Elite to the youngsters playing through the Academy ranks. I mean, does any City in the country have this? I think you might struggle to find one.
So what I have been able to make from the Steeler class of 2010-2011? Let’s be honest, Ben Simon is doing a more than reasonable job in what is a rookie year for him as a coach. Following Dave Matsos, and the silverware he reigned in during his time at the helm, is no easy task but Ben is doing it his way and doing it pretty well. He has not been blessed with injuries etc. hitting the team hard at crucial times but he has the Steelers in third place at the moment with games in hand so he must be doing something right, don’t you think? Come on, be realistic he is.
The team plays expansive and exciting hockey so much I have no qualms of handing over £15 (£1 discount because I’m a SSSC member) of my hard earned money every week. People around me have said they have come out of games feeling entertained, and that’s what we want – we need to be entertained for our money. I mean the prime example was the recent game against Belfast at the Arena, 6-5 after normal time to the visitors but it was an absolute brilliant game with both teams intent to win. Shame someone had to lose.
So who’s stood out for me in the first two months? Of our own team, I like the look of the Globke, Simon and Clark line, very exciting and energetic. Talbot, Tait and Legue will always be good, Moose looks a decent netminder but the Brits seem rejuvenated and scoring freely too. Look at last season, Jono couldn’t score a hat-trick and that you would have had that down as a certainty. This season, he’s a man intent of winning and it’s just damn unlucky he’s picked up that injury just as he was really hitting top form. The recent recruitment of Tom Squires will help the team and Tom too, another top young Brit for sure as the years progress.
Now onto the those of that I have seen play in opposition. Belfast’s defensive corps of Cook and Seeley (until the latter got injured) really looked good as did Prudden and Bayrack up top. Dundee aren’t as bad as I have ever seen, and Brent Hughes looks a decent pick up for them. We caught Coventry on the hop last Saturday, but they are always good with Weaver on D and Fussey, Chambers, Carlson, Fulghum and Selmser as quality import forwards. Perras stood on his head for Braehead when they shut us out at home whilst the Caps will improve as they only can. I haven’t seen Hull yet in action but you just know you get tough games with Cardiff and Newcastle anyway and yeah, we’ve had those – home and away.
So Friday and the first visit here this season, as I said, of the Panthers. That hockey mom of mine will be residence, probably shouting for their blood literally speaking. I just hope I will be smiling at the end. Next blog, more of the same and a first update on my Eastside Hockey Career which I have started up again on the good old PC with me as GM of the Steelers. See you soon!
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-5 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-4 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
2-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
5-8 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-2 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
3-7 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
- Adam Walker
- Alex Birch
- Andy Pierce
- Chris Gent
- Christopher Beal
- Craig Simpson
- Dave Simms
- Elliott Stanley
- Gareth Chalmers
- James Broughton
- James Gordon
- Katy Madgwick
- Luke Catterson
- Mark Briggs
- Mark Duell
- Mat Young
- Patrick Smyth
- Promotion
- Russ Morrell
- Seanna Murdock
- Stephen Dowson
- Stewart Roberts
- Tom Forster
- Vicki Smart
- William Lyon
