Time to Put the Wildcats Out

Sadly, this is not the Zamboni.  It is a raffle prize.

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Sunday 7 April 2012 at the Altrincham Ice Dome
Result	Manchester Phoenix 4 Swindon Wildcats 0 (Phoenix win 6-1 on aggregate)
Competition	English Premier League playoff quarter-final second leg
Hopping	#6 on the rinkhopping list
This match in one sentence
A fast and open game which was controlled by Phoenix from beginning to end.
So what?
Phoenix will take on Sheffield Steeldogs in the semi-final at Coventry next weekend.
The drama unfolds
Swindon have scored plenty of goals this season and, as they started this away leg with a deficit of one, a first score from them could have made life interesting.  However, Phoenix, who finished the regular league season in second place behind Guildford Flames, gave a very solid performance to seal their semi-final place. Both sides went close in the opening seconds and a first period powerplay for Swindon was shut out, an “If only…” moment, and to be fair to Phoenix, the only one they allowed the visitors to have.  Tom Duggan passed to James Archer who finished superbly to open the scoring after 12 minutes.  1-0 Here are some clips to capture the occasion.  Phoenix are in white-and-black. Swindon were not down yet and Phoenix netminder Steve Fone distinguished himself with an excellent save (from Michal Pinc, I think!).  Both sides had unconverted powerplays but there were no more scores in the first.  1-0 at the end of the first period Duggan assisted Archer for his second goal after only two minutes of the second, and this calmed any residual home nerves.  2-0  You knew that Swindon were going out when they then conceded during their own powerplay chance (a “shorthanded” goal, apparently).  This time Archer returned the compliment with an assist for Duggan.  3-0  Phoenix so nearly added an intricate fourth but then got it soon afterwards.  Stephen Wallace got the goal with an assist from that man Archer.  4-0  They then eased through a powerplay of their own and ran the clock down with the job done and a whole period to go.  4-0 at the end of the second period Wildcats gave some ice time to another netminder, Dean Skinns, and he was very busy.  Pinc got two minutes for slashing in the game’s remaining flashpoint, and the only matter of interest became whether Fone would get a shutout.  He did.  Final score 4-0
Something Random
See previous hockey posts on this blog – all I am saying is that it went clockwise and the Northern Hemisphere Residual Corolis Force Clockwise Circulation theory is intact ;)  Sadly, the Nobel Prize committee remain unimpressed by my late contribution to the canon of scientific knowledge and understanding.
A snippet from the programme
“Sledge hockey is a variant of ice hockey and can be played on and off ice, using sledges to allow paricipants to move about the rink at high speeds hitting a puck travelling at speeds of up to 100kph.  Players sit in sledges, propelling themselves with sticks adapted to allow propulsion in a manner similar to skiing.” Among the teams competing in the 2012 league will be the Battle Back Bisons, consisting of injured military personnel, who will be supported by players and staff from the Swindon Wildcats sledge hockey team.  There will be a series of tournaments during the summer months at the various home rinks, with free entry for fans.  Other teams involved are the Kingston Kestrels, Peterborough Phantoms and Manchester Phoenix.  Phoenix will be linked with Coventry Flames and Widnes Wolverines in order to help the sport grow and develop.
What Next?
A Monday groundhopping double in Buckinghamshire – post to follow.

Jets Roaring On

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 17 December 2011 at The Hangar, Slough
Result	Slough Jets 9 Manchester Phoenix 0
Competition	English Ice Hockey Premier League
Hopping	#2 on my new rinkhopping list, and here because it fitted in well with my Middlesex League game earlier in the day.  As with football, I will be posting from any new venue that I attend for the first time.
This match in one sentence
Slough always had more attacking threat but the one-goal first period held no hint of the six-goal demolition to come in the second.
So what?
Slough stay second behind Guildford and Manchester are fifth in a congested mid-table.  Slough and Guildford still have to play each other four times this season so the competition is still open.
The drama unfolds
Slough took the lead just over three minutes in.  There was no clue of what was to come, except that Manchester’s failure to score (see clip) when two Slough players were in the sin bin hinted at their lack of firepower up front.  Both teams seemed to be affected today by injuries and international calls (and perhaps suspensions for all I know). This game is fast … and I utterly failed to get any usable footage from the second period, when Slough rattled in six goals in fairly quick succession to render the game meaningless as a contest.  It was impressive stuff, and embarrassing for the visitors (who were well-supported by the way). This is not meant to be a highlights site though, so we must content ourselves with an “atmosphere” clip from the third.  I suspect Slough gave some ice time to their squad members and the focus became whether netminder Gregg Rockman would keep a clean sheet.  He did, despite 35 shots from the visitors (most of them in the third, I think).
A snippet from the programme
From the Jets’ perspective, that 5-4 reverse at MK Lightning last week, which I now realise was doubling up as a cup qualification game. “MK lost Gracic to a 5+game check from behind penalty after a hit on Joe Greener.  Defending his brother, Adam Greener was awarded a match penalty for cross-checking and a 10+game penalty for abuse of an official.  Slough called their timeout at 58:58 and despite playing 56 seconds with an extra attacker and empty net it was the home team who hung on for the points to split the weekend results.”  (Jets had beaten Lightning at home the day before.)
What I learned today
There are lots of other reasons for 2-minute penalties that I had not seen before … and that there can be 10-minute penalties for misconduct.  I am still not totally sure what the Slough player had done to deserve this at a restart – it appeared to be something like looking at the stripey man in a sarcastic manner.  It was certainly very tame compared with the other carnage that seems to happen as a matter of routine.  No doubt I will gradually learn these things in the month ahead. Adam Greener, the angriest man on ice for the Jets when I saw them last weekend in a spectacular 5-4 defeat at MK Lightning, was absent today. (The Jets had come back to 4-4 from 4-0 down only to lose to a late goal in a superb game.) However, all else pales into insignificance compared with the news that the Slough Zamboni also goes clockwise, so my Northern Hemisphere Coriolis Force Zamboni Influence Theory is holding up with 2 from 2.  Disappointingly, it was not a Dave at the wheel, so that one is gone.  Nevertheless, a trip to Australia will be necessary at some point to check this out.
What Next?
I must start some fixture research to decide my Boxing Day double footy hop.  I don’t know of any evening fixture that would allow a treble, so please let me know if you know different!