Author Archives: James Morton

Lions Crash To Barons Defeat

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Solihull Barons 8 Nottingham Lions 0

League champions Nottingham Lions were on the wrong end of a thumping at the hands of their Midlands rivals Solihull Barons at Solihull Ice Rink on Sunday evening. Even though the hosts had 77 minutes in the penalty box, the Lions couldn’t find a break through.

Stuart Parker in action during Sunday night’s game. Photo courtesy of James Morton.

This fixture was always going to be tough, with a smaller ice pad, intense atmosphere and physical opponents. Nottingham just never really got going on the night as the hosts stopped the game from becoming free flowing and made it become hostile.

With two Nottingham powerplays going to waste and no real efforts on goal being produced, Solihull then took the lead through Robert Eley with 9.04 gone on the clock.

The hosts then showed their visitors how to score on the powerplay when Richard Slater did just that eleven seconds into a Lions penalty kill. The score stayed that way until the first break.

The second period saw Lions try to claw their way back into the game with a few goalmouth scrambles not being able to see the puck cross the line.

At the worst possible time Michael Rodger added a third for the hosts at 37.21 deflating the visiting side just before the end of the period.

With an early goal for the visiting side this game could have easily had a different ending, but yet again Lions seemed to show lack of fight in their hockey. Two and a half minutes into the final period and Slater doubled his tally for the night, netting the hosts forth goal.

Less than a minute later Joe Henry got himself of the score sheet and making the most of some huge defensive frailties in the Lions side.

Just another forty seconds an improbable comeback was made impossible with a goal from David Rodgers, yet again making the most of the open gap between the two defenceman.

A seventh goal came three minutes after with Jake Larkin netting his effort past Alan Levers at 47.23.

Two minutes later Levers was relieved of his duties for the night as youngster Callum Steventon made his Lions debut and iced the remaining 10.35 of the game.

Although a minute into this Solihull added yet another goal through Henry yet again, after dribbling the puck past the netminder.

Action from Sunday night’s game. Photo courtesy of James Morton.

At 55.11 Ryan Rathbone skated one on one in the Solihull zone, before getting a huge hit against boards, this subsequently saw him have to leave the ice. This saw Joe Steeples drop the gloves with former Super League player Perry Doyle with both players exchanging big punches before Steeples fell to the ice. The young defenceman did lose the fight, but was far from disgraced with his efforts against the beast-like Doyle.

The clock then ran itself down before the buzzer finally sounded. Putting Lions out of their misery so they could make the short trip back home.

The result means next Sunday’s return fixture at the National Ice Centre (7.15pm) will mean a great deal for Solihull as they aim to secure the second place play-off spot in what is sure to be an exciting, end-of-season show down. Ticket details are available here.

Match Stats:

Period Scores – 1st 2-0, 2nd 1-0, 3rd 5-0.

Penalty minutes – 1st 45-27, 2nd 22-2, 3rd 10-4.

Shots – 1st 20-6, 2nd 13-16, 3rd 23-10

Lions MOTM – Luke Thomas.

Q & A With Luke Thomas

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James Morton caught up with Lions captain Luke Thomas after last weekend’s title win and asked him his thoughts on what has been a magnificent season so far:

Q: How proud are you, that in your first season back at the Lions and as captain, of leading the team to the Championship?
A: I don’t think I can show just how proud I am! It’s my first year back at the Lions and taking on the captaincy was daunting at first, especially as you had more experienced guys on the team such as Joe Wightman and Flats. I wasn’t sure how the more senior guys would take a ‘newbie’ as captain, but they have been fantastic. If I’m honest, there hasn’t been many times this season when I’ve had to pull rank and lose it in the dressing room, which is always a good sign. It’s been more a case of the whole team knew what was required and got on with things. The guys made the job so easy for me, and it was a pleasure to be the leader of such an amazing group of players.

As I was part of the Lions team who won the league and national championship title in the 07-08 season, so success with the Lions isn’t a new experience. Doing it as Captain just makes it that little bit more special.

Q:With three games still to go, will you be still be looking out for more points?
A: Of course, there is no chance of us rolling over and doing ‘just enough’. We will be playing hard until the end of the season and will take the last 3 fixtures like we did the first 3. Having only lost 2 games all season, we have been some way above the rest of the chasing pack, only dropping 4 points out of 20 against the other title contenders. It would take the gloss off the achievement if we went on and only won the league by a single point after working so hard to get to where we are right now. It also wouldn’t be fair on the rest of the league, especially as other teams are relying on the results of our remaining fixtures in order to make the playoffs.

Q: There are still two fixtures to be played against Solihull, will you be looking to win the series against your former club?
A: Both myself and Matt have spent the season banging on about the ’4-game series’ between teams, and that doesn’t change just because we are already league champions. We have already started to talk about next season, and the possibility of been back in Div 1, and the hard work starts now. The 2 games against Solihull will be fast-paced and tough affairs that will be high in skill, low in goalscoring chances and provide a taste of what to expect from next year against the likes of Solway, Billingham etc. My achievements with the Lions this season have more than proved to those who doubted me at Solihull just what i had to offer, and on a personal level it would be great to finish strong and take at least 2 more points from them.

Q: What do you think are the chances of keeping some of the clubs star performers at the club for next season?
A: The Lions have always been a team who are affected by the two local Universities, waiting to see who comes and who goes in the summer. The current squad has several players who are not native to Nottingham, and so we will have to wait and see what the outcome of their studies are before we know exactly who will be back. We also have several guys who could go on and play at a higher level. However, they are all quite young and still developing and this is a great place to do just that. I’d expect at least 75% of the squad to return and no doubt we will have some new faces looking for a squad number come the new academic year!

Q: Even though the team have dropped points against Deeside and Sheffield, what was the key to not letting those results affect you?
A: Bouncebackability! You could say that on the occasions we did drop points, it was what was needed to re-focus and drive the guys on even more. We would come back to training the week after and push even harder. No-one spent time dwelling on points lost, instead re-directing their energy to focus on the league title. For a young team, the mental strength is immense. There has even been a couple of times that i have been put straight by the younger guys! Division 2 in the North is normally done and dusted by Christmas, with one team running away with things while the rest battle it out for the lower positions. I don’t think any team would have gone the whole season without dropping points, and to have things wrapped up before the last game of the season is some achievement.

Q: How has working with head coach Matt Bradbury helped your game?
A: Matt has to be one of the most professional, committed and driven coaches I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing for. At this level of the game, teams usually concentrate on themselves and how they play. Matt would research the opposition and spend hours plotting how to beat them. That is what has been key to our success, we had plan A, B, C and D! He runs things like a professional club, what you would expect to find in the EPL or Elite. Not many guys out there can take a squad of amateur ‘pay-to-play’ players and impose a professional structure, but Matt got the balance spot on. I certainly hope I’m around next year to further my work with him at a higher level.

It’s not too late to catch the Luke and the rest of the Lions this evening! They take on Fylde Flyers at the National Ice Centre at 7.15pm tonight. Ticket details are available here.

Q & A With Sam Gospel

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After the Lions’ championship winning heroics last weekend – James Morton caught up with netminder Sam Gospel to get his thoughs on the season so far:

Q: After the disappointment of last season, how pleasing was it clinching the title on Sunday?

A: It was very pleasing winning the title this year, I found it more impressive that its only taken a year.

Q: With a lot of star performances, including five shut-outs, from you this season would you say this year has been a huge success for you?

A: I’d say this year has been a success, because I’ve been able to play consistently throughout the season and played well at important times.

Q: How has head coach Matt Bradbury transformed the team and the moral this season?

A: Matt has given players confidence by giving them plenty of ice time for them to develop their game skills, throughout the year he has kept the moral high by taking the positives from each game and taking them into the next game.

Q: Has bringing in a new captain in Luke Thomas been a catalyst in the teams turnaround this season?

A: Bringing in a new captain, in the form of Luke has helped us this year, because he’s a guy that knows the league, he’s got a lot of experience, and he knows when to say the right things.

Q: Has the return of Alan Levers towards the end of the season helped spur you on in recent performances?

A: With bringing in Alan, to me it has created some friendly competition, I played with Alan last year so we get along really well, and he’s someone I can learn from.

Q: Do you feel the teams’ solidarity has been key to this seasons success?

A: In our team we have a great bunch of guys, we are a young team with some very experienced players, so I think that is a winning combination.

You can see Sam and the rest of the title-winning Lions in action on Sunday evening as they host Fylde Flyers at the National Ice Centre (7.15pm face off). Ticket details are available here.

Q & A With Gareth O’Flaherty

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After the Lions clinched the NIHL Division Two North title last weekend, James Morton caught up with assistant captain Gareth O’Flaherty and asked him his thoughts on the season so far.

Q: After the disappointment of last season, how was it winning the league on Sunday?
A: It was an awesome feeling winning the league title on Sunday especially after the tough time we had last season. It was an up & down season that ended with the loss to Sutton and getting relegated, it just left us all feeling gutted really. So to bounce straight back in the first time of asking really gave winning the league that extra buzz. There’s no doubt it meant a lot to all the new guys who came to the team this year, but I suppose it was extra special for the guys who were here last year. Overall I think it’s a great achieve from the lads, coaches and all the off-ice staff who make the team tick.

Q: With this being your highest points scoring season how has the season met your expectations?
A: This season has gone better than I originally thought it was going to, for me personally. I always knew the team would do well as a whole but with Deeside, Solihull and Sheffield all putting together strong line-ups it’s been great to get some points on the board. With the amount of talent around the league to be up in the top 10 for most of the year has been great. I set myself a 50 point target so at 45 I’ve still got a bit of work to do.

Q: How much have you enjoyed playing with former professionals Simon Hunt and Stuart Parker this season and what have you learnt from them?
A: It’s been great, they both bring a lot of experience to what’s got to be one of the youngest teams in the league. When your 23 and considered to be one of the older boys you could say the team lacks experience, so they really help out with that as they know what to say and when to say it. Also their presence on the ice is great, they create so much time and space for themselves and can both bury the puck still. I would have liked to see Hunty drop the mitts but I think his reputation precedes him.

Q: How influential have Sam Gospel and Alan Levers been to the team this season?
A: They’ve both been outstanding at the back and I’ve said previously it’s great to have a solid netminders between then pipes when we’ve stumbled defensively. Gozzy was great for us at the beginning of the year and I think getting Levers back really help out as you can’t expect one goalie to stand on his head all year. They’re both great lads off the ice as well so its been pleasure playing in front of them.

Q: How well has Matt Bradbury brought the team together following relegation last season?
A: Yeah Brads done a great job this year, we lost a lot of guys last year so he had a challenging summer having to build a team and get everyone focused and motivated but he obviously put together a great team and it paid off. Bringing in Hunty, Stu and Branny as well as securing the return of Joey and Woody are just a few examples of his good judgement and work. His dedication to player development is also great and shows with players like Bingo (Dan Hazeldine), Steeps, Illsley and Cam all icing for us this year and putting points on the board which has been great to see. However you can’t overlook the work that Glossy and Danny put in besides Matt, they make quite the trio!

Q: With three games to go, will you be looking to keep away complacency and add even more points to the table?
A: Definitely, we’ve got it in the bag now but its important that we finish strong, it would be nice to win the last 3 games but we’ve got Solihull twice at the end I’m sure it will be tough. However, it gives us the opportunity to perhaps have a say in who gets the second place spot.

You can see ‘Flatsy’ and the rest of the champions in action at the National Ice Centre this Sunday against the Fylde Flyers. Click here for ticket details.

Eagles Fall Prey To Rampant Lions

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Blackburn Eagles 2 Nottingham Lions 13

The Nottingham Lions are just four points away from being crowned NIHL Division Two North Champions after they romped to a huge win over Blackburn Eagles at Blackburn Arena on Saturday night.

A young, short-benched Lions side showed little sign of weakness despite missing the likes of Stuart Parker, Christy Johnson-Brown and Craig Wallis as they overwhelmed their lowly hosts with a barrage of ninety-one shots.

Ben Wood and Joseph Steeples crowd out Nick Saxton’s goal.

The scoring started just over five minutes into the game when Daniel Hazeldine continued his fine scoring form with a powerplay goal for the visitors after Darren Shaw sat a two-minute minor interference penalty.

Blackburn then tied the game at one each ten minutes later through assistant captain Paul Mercer, after the bouncing puck finally crossed the line following a moment of defensive confusion in front of Sam Gospel’s goal.

Thirty seconds later Hazeldine gave the Lions the lead once again, the youngster netted his fifth goal of the season with assists coming from Joe Wightman and Luke Branin, proving how clinical anyone on their line can be.

A minute later Mikey Rose doubled the traveling sides’ lead. Once again coming from some slick passing in the Eagles defensive zone.

Two minutes before the break, Lions leading goal scorer Joe Wightman added fourth goal, putting the forward onto forty-five points for the season with some great passing and possession hockey in the build up.

Wightman scored his second goal of the night seven minutes into the second period with Branin providing yet another assist in the build up, the American’s twentieth of the season.

Thirty seconds later Rose broke away as a pass found him with lots of space in the neutral zone. However, when skating through on goal he was tripped resulting in a penalty shot being awarded to the utility man. He dusted himself off, skated up to the Eagles netminder Nick Saxton before firing the puck into the back of the net for Nottingham’s sixth.

Joe Wightman and Scott Barnett exchange blows.

Ben Wood was the next player to get himself on the scoresheet when he got the better of Saxton, inflicting more misery on the home side.

Just over twenty seconds later Reece Glossop got in on the act, scoring his fifth point of the season and the last goal of the period for Matt Bradbury’s men.

The third period started with an Eagles goal, reducing the deficit to six as Harry Bolton scored his first senior goal.

A minute later, Branin scored his first goal of the night, this time with Wightman turning provider and making the evening feel just that little bit longer for the Eagles.

With just over ten minutes to go Joe Steeples put the Lions into double figures, scoring his first goal of the season and only his third point all year.

At 55.19 Elliot Perrin had to leave the ice after taking a stick to his face, not helping the already short-benched Lions side. Dave Williams subsequently received a 5+game for the high-stick which signaled a turning point for the Eagles’ as their discipline began to go off the rails as their frustration started to show.

Heading into the last five minutes, anyone who thought the Lions would slow the pace down was proved wrong when Gareth O’Flaherty netted his first of the night with a powerplay goal. Wightman and Branin once again assisting.

Just less than three minutes left and O’Flaherty added another, again on the powerplay and in the final minute Branin scored his second of the night with yet another powerplay goal to finish off a busy night’s scoring.

Ben Wood finds the net.

With Sheffield only managing to claim a point up in Hull on the same evening, the Lions now know that a road win at Fylde Flyers on Saturday (5pm), followed by another two points at the National Ice Centre against Blackburn on Sunday evening (7.15pm) would see them crowned champions, securing promotion back to Division 1 at the first time of asking.

LionsTV post-game interviews with players and coaches from both teams are now available to view on the Lions’ official online TV channel by clicking here.

Ticket details for next Sunday’s potential championship-winning game against Blackburn Eagles are available here.

Game Stats:

Daniel Hazeldine 2+1, Mikey Rose 2+0, Joe Wightman 2+4, Ben Wood 1+3, Reece Glossop 1+0, Luke Branin 2+5, Joe Steeples 1+1, Gareth O’Flaherty 2+0, Cameron Good 0+2, Luke Thomas 0+1, Jamie Hovell 0+1, Jack Baveystock 0+1, Elliot Perrin 0+1.

Period Scores – 1st 1-4, 2nd 0-4, 3rd 1-5.

Penalty Minutes – 1st 4-0, 2nd 6-6, 3rd 21-0, Overall 44-6.

Shots – 1st 8-22, 2nd 5-39, 3rd 7-29, Overall 20-91.

Lions MOTM – Sam Illsley.