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.
This season's team v last season
Blog from door 8
N.B. This is purely my opinion and I wish no offence or to impose my views on anyone else.
Last season was my first full season attending the Giants, we tried every combination of seats to get the best season ticket places for this year, and no surprise to anyone who sits where I do but I'm totally going elsewhere next season. Anyway the purpose of this blog is to compare this seasons squad to last year's. No surprises when I say that Paul Deniset was the jewel in the Belfast Giant's crown last season scoring forty goals and forty eight assists in fifty four games. Personally my stars of 2008-2009 were Malcolm Macmillan, David Phillips, Mike Burgoyne and Shane Johnson. (the living legend) Macmillan cementing his place in my top players of last season with his aggressive, passionate playing, showing that he can score, and step up as an enforcer if the occasion called for it, most memorably taking on Voth in the absence of Jason Rushton.
The Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup finals were the highlights of the season, watching the end of the Knockout Cup final from the rink side, seeing Shane Johnson and Bobby Robins dumping a barrel full of ice over Steve Thornton's head. The touchy matter of goal tenders will have to be tackled and it's better to get it out of the way. Last year Stevie Lyle was in a Giant's jersey, and I regret to say as good as he was when he was on form I sometimes wanted to scream at him. He was a fan favourite and finished the season seventh over all of the elite league goal tenders with a 90% save average. The other goalie that caught my eye last season (despite the obvious Jody Lehman) was Belfast's new golden boy Stephen 'safe hands' Murphy. He took Manchester to two Cup finals and finished the season last year fifth in the season overall with a 91% save average.
The returning players from last season Colin Shields and Evan Cheverie are doing the business this year both in the top three point scorers. Evan Cheverie was the surprise return coming back with the now injured George Awada in the first match of the season to the delight of the audience at Dundonald. Colin Shields, now promoted to Captain is leading the Giants to success rarely dropping points and averaging out at least a point per game.
Of course the name on everyone's lips this season is Sean Macmorrow, whether you are a Giant's fan or not 'The Sheriff' is a totally Marmite player, you either love him or hate him, either way he keeps the tough guys quiet and entertaining the crowd. Guaranteed fights every match at the Odyssey and his theatrical exits from the ice into the penalty box makes for a fun night at the Giants and there is very little pushing around of the key players on our team. His counterpart of the 08/09 season was the one and only Jason Rushton, who made his presence known last year silencing key goons such as Payette and enforcers such as Voth.
David Phillips, the Beverly born 'D' man was such an impressive player last season, showing us that not only was he solid up front but also that he could cannon a huge slap shot from the blue line and sew up games for the Giants. He is now in Rockford playing for the Icehogs and for a player that was so young and that could be seen developing into a well rounded player and could one day be playing for the NHL! This year his big brother Kevin is proving that he is a great player in his own right and shouldn't just be known as 'David's brother,' granted he is a quiet, unassuming player that isn't flashy and doesn't try and play forward, but his peach of a goal against Edinburgh on the 5th December shows that he is totally capable of great things given the chance and enough ice time.
This season my personal favourite is Tom Walsh, the 'D' man from Boston Mass. in the words of Colin Shields 'that's right ladies he went to Harvard.' Playing for Harvard, the Fresno Falcons and Worchester Sharks and a stint in the Finnish league he is one of the most skilled puck handlers I have ever seen. In the words of Todd Kelman and Steve Thornton at the meet and greet he is also their personal favourite because he 'never makes a mistake.' The arrival of Jeff Szwez was a welcome purchase providing the team with an extra boost and putting them on a winning streak, solid players such as Benedict and Peacock have also kept up to the hype and provided the team with their fair share of points. Solid D men have been keeping the puck from the net and not feeling that they have to play forward such as Cook, not feeling that they have anything to prove, their hockey speaks for itself. Lets just hope we hold onto the Challenge Cup, the date has been announced for the 20th January in fortress Dundonald against Cardiff, and with the points the Giants have been providing we could run away with the League, providing the match against Coventry reffed by Hicks wasn't the final nail in that coffin.
Lets go Giants, Lets GO!
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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
