Tag Archives: Gareth O’Flaherty

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.

Lions Grab The Glory In Varsity Game

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Players from the Nottingham Lions were the stars of the show in the annual Nottingham Universities Ice Hockey Varsity game at the Capital FM Arena on Monday evening.

In a thrilling, topsy-turvy game, the University of Nottingham came out the victors over their Nottingham Trent University rivals by a 4-3 scoreline.

Representing for Trent – right-winger and assistant captain; Gareth O’Flaherty, Ryan Rathbone, Jamie Hovell and Canadian forward Jose Leon. They were taking on their Lions counterparts; Jack Baveystock, Christy Johnson-Brown and American import Luke Branin, who were all icing for the University of Nottingham.

Lions’ head coach Matt Bradbury took up a guest coaching role on the Trent Bench.

Also, Lions’ Assistant Coach and University of Nottingham employee Simon Hopkins; coached the UoN side for the evening, whilst fellow Lions coach Matt Bradbury will took up a guest coaching role on the Trent team bench.

Once again the arena was packed to the rafters with a boisterous and noisy crowd for the biggest Varsity game outside of North America. They were treated to a tense, close encounter between two sides desperate to please their supporters and get their hands on the Varsity trophy.

The participating Lions’ exertions in the previous night’s 6-0 win in Hull seemed to have little effect as the game began at a ferocious pace and Lion; Luke Branin got Nottingham off to the best possible start, finding the back of the net after just forty-five seconds, much to the delight of their vociferous support.

Nottingham then found themselves a further two goals to the good after just eleven minutes thanks to Sam Chandler and former Nottingham junior Simon Bell.

Two minutes later, a lifeline was handed to Trent via the handywork of our very own Gareth O’Flaherty who grabbed a goal, bringing the game back within the reach of the blue side.

A brace by Trent’s Gareth O’Flaherty wasn’t enough to retain the Varsity trophy.

The Lions’ Christy Johnson-Brown almost restored Nottingham’s three-goal advantage but a one-on-one with Trent keeper James Cantle saw the custodian come out on top.

The interval saw the arrival of the Nottingham Ice Hockey Club’s Under-12 Tiger Cubs onto the ice for a short exhibition game. The team coached by Lions veteran forward Simon Parker entertained the crowd with some smart skills and some remarkably big hits, in keeping with the main event.

A free-flowing second period ended scoreless with perhaps the best two chances falling to  O’Flaherty, who twice was denied on the breakaway by former Lions netminder Richard Griffiths.

Both sides started the final period showing signs of wear and tear from the intensity of the previous forty minutes and it wasn’t until nine minutes from the end that Trent got the goal that turned the game on it’s head – O’Flaherty firing home his second of the night to sway the momentum Trent’s way in the final few minutes.

Jose Leon wheels away after scoring Trent’s equaliser.

Seconds later Trent found an equalising goal courtesy of another Lion, Canadian import Jose Leon who was in the right place to slot the puck away and send one half of the 7000 sell-out crowd into raptures.

Trent then pushed for a winner but with just 1.22 left on the clock, Branin popped up again to score his second of the night and Nottingham’s game-winning goal, instigating jubilant scenes in the Nottingham supporters’ section.

Luke Branin celebrates scoring the game winning goal for the University of Nottingham.

A successful night for the Lions was rounded off with Ryan Rathbone and ex-Lions Jack Clarkson and Paul Whitby all picking up assists, whilst Luke Branin and Gareth O’Flaherty both picked up Man of the Match awards for their respective teams.

All full photo gallery of shots from the game can be viewed here.

The Lions’ focus now turns back to the NIHL as they prepare to take on the Hull Stingrays at the National Ice Centre this Sunday (24th February) with a 7.15pm face off. Click here for ticket details and special student deals.

Varsity 2013 – Two Weeks To Go!!!

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Just two weeks remain before seven members of the Nottingham Lions squad take to the ice in front of a 7000-strong capacity crowd for the annual Ice Hockey Varsity Challenge match at the Capital FM Arena.

Matt Bradbury (left) will be coaching the Trent team whilst his counterpart Simon Hopkins (right) will be directing from the Nottingham bench.

This years match-up between Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham will take place on Monday 18th February (7.30pm face off) and is organised by the Lions’ Assistant Coach and University of Nottingham employee Simon Hopkins; who will also be coaching the UoN side, whilst fellow Lions coach Matt Bradbury will be taking up a guest coaching role on the Trent team bench.

All the players on show normally ice together as members of the Nottingham Mavericks, a team which compromises of players from both universities, but once a year their roster is split into two teams which compete against each other in this one-off game, as part of a series of fifteen events including American Football, Rugby, Netball and Football. The University that gains the most wins from all the events is then crowned 2013 champions and takes home the coveted Varsity Trophy.

Representing for Trent this year will be right-winger and assistant captain; Gareth O’Flaherty alongside Ryan Rathbone, Jamie Hovell and Canadian forward Jose Leon. They will be taking on their Lions counterparts; Jack Baveystock, Christy Johnson-Brown and American import Luke Branin, who will all be icing for Nottingham along with ex-Lions; Richard Griffiths, Jack Clarkson and Paul Whitby.

Last year’s event raised thousands of pounds for the Cerebral Palsy Sport charity and saw Trent emerge victorious after a thrilling 7-5 victory with the Lions’ O’Flaherty grabbing the game-winning goal midway through the third period.

Lions winger Gareth O’Flaherty celebrates scoring Trent’s game-winning goal in last year’s clash.

This year’s game, which still remains the biggest varsity ice hockey match outside of North America, is in aid of Headway; a local charity branch which provides a diverse range of social, leisure and educational activities. Their outreach service offers practical support to families, supporting people to come to terms with the change in lifestyle following brain injury.

All tickets are £5 and can can be bought in advance by ringing 0843 373 3000 between 9am and 9pm Monday to Sunday or by visiting the National Ice Centre Box Office in person between 8am -9pm Monday to Sunday.

Nottingham Trent Students - Tickets are available from NTSU receptions at City and Clifton campuses.

University of Nottingham Students - Tickets are on sale at the UoN SU reception and available online.

Don’t forget there is also a pre-skating session with the players on the hallowed CapitalFM Arena pad before-hand. This takes place between 5:15-6:15pm and costs just £3 (including skate hire) with all proceeds going to the Nottingham Mavericks club..

The varsity clash is just the beginning of what is being dubbed ‘Ice Hockey Week’ in the city with the Nottingham Panthers hosting on local rivals Sheffield Steelers on Friday 22nd before the Lions take on Hull Stingrays at the NIC on Sunday 24th (7.15pm face off).

All Students! – Keep an eye on the Lions website or our Facebook and Twitter accounts over the next few days for some exciting news.

 

Classy Lions Hammer Visitors Solihull

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Nottingham Lions 8 Solihull Barons 3

The Nottingham Lions remain three points clear at the top of NIHL Division Two after a staggering victory over local rivals Solihull Barons at the National Ice Centre on Sunday night.

Joe Wightman – “First period hat-trick”.

In a thrilling end-to-end game the Lions looked to be skating rings around their Midlands rivals with both sets of players getting battered and bruised along the way.

This crunch-clash had been hyped-up via Social Media all week with both sides desperately needing the two points. Solihull to close the gap on Nottingham, and the Lions to pull that bit further away from Deeside Dragons in second place.

The contest started in traditional fashion with hits coming in thick and fast and within the first three minutes Solihull’s Perry Doyle was in the sin bin for a two minute charging minor, leading to Lions breaking the deadlock at 3.05 through the usual suspect of Joe Wightman, who smashed the puck home after a scramble around the goal.

Just short of nine minutes later Wightman yet again found himself capitalising on the power play, lashing home after a great pass from Luke Branin. The American’s vision gave Wightman a great one-on-one chance against the Solihull netminder Sam Hewitt, unleashing a drilled shot into the roof of the net.

At 13.22 the master Wightman was at it again, securing an early hat trick with his twenty-third goal of the season.

Solihull pulled one back on 15.27 with a powerplay goal from David Rogers at a crucial time in the game for the visitors, bringing belief that they could get something from the game.

The second period started in the same way as the first with the Lions bagging two goals in the first five minutes, the first coming from Gareth O’Flaherty at 23.49, then at 24.55 Stuart Parker made it five for the hosts, marking his home debut with a goal.

Stuart Parker hits a home-debut goal.

The game then got a lot more physical with Solihull racking up an amazing eighteen penalty minutes as the Barons hit harder against the boards and constantly troubled Lions netminder Alan Levers’ crease. However, the Lions never rose to any of the scuffles that broke out and continued to play their own game.

At 36.20 Jose Leon got in on the act, firing home a powerplay goal for the hosts as they scored their sixth of the night, giving Lions a five goal cushion going into the final period, but a huge twenty minutes was still to come.

Just under three minutes into the final period Solihull got a goal back through Doyle, reducing their arrears to just four.

At 54.24 the visitors struck again through the Barons top goal scorer Richard Slater, making it a three-goal game and keeping the bumper crowd at the NIC wondering if there was a miracle about to happen for the West Midlands side.

However, any thoughts of a Barons comeback were well a truly quashed on 57.22 when Luke Branin, after providing five assists, hit home to put the game to bed and secure a big two points for the hosts.

The final nail was hammered into the Solihull coffin at 59.22 through O’Flaherty, who launched a fortunate rebound into the back of the net after following up Christy Johnson-Brown’s original shot, which forced a great save from Sam Hewitt.

Nottingham coach, Matt Bradbury, hailed this perfomance as a great win for his young, learning side, who just seem to improve every game. Although on the other end Solihull’s Doyle couldn’t express enough that there was no excuse for the result and their performance.

“Is it a bird – is it a plane?” – Luke Branin gets some ‘airtime’.

LionsTV interviews with players and coaches from both teams will be available to view here from Monday evening.

Nottingham are next in action on the 10th February as Deeside Dragons come to town in yet another must-win game for both sides as the race for top spot heats-up further. Face off is at 7.15pm.

Game Stats:

Jose Leon 1+0, Luke Branin 1+5, Joe Wightman 3+1, Stuart Parker 1+3, Gareth O’Flaherty 2+1, Luke Thomas 0+2, Christy Johnson-Brown 0+3.
Period scores: 1st – 3-1, 2nd 3-0, 3rd 2-2.
Shots: 1st 11-16, 2nd 11-13, 3rd 11-24. Total 33-53.
Penalty Minutes: 1st 6-8, 2nd 4-18, 3rd 4-16. Total 14-42.
Lions MOTM (Sponsored by The Castle Inn): Joe Wightman.

Lions Edge Out Barons In Midlands Derby

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Solihull Barons 1 Nottingham Lions 2

Nottingham Lions strengthened their lead at the top of the league with a tough win in Solihull on Sunday evening.

The Lions travelled south for a top of the table clash missing key players Simon Hunt, Jose Leon and Christy Johnson-Brown, making the short trip to the West Midlands looking even trickier. However, they came out with the two points, mainly thanks to defensive frailties from their hosts.

Luke Thomas gets the better of former teammate Neil Adams. Photo – James Morton.

This fixture was always going to be a close game with both sides having to make the most of their chances and possession. The home side were the first to do this with a goal from Jake Larkin inside two and half minutes, adding to the already hostile atmosphere and putting the Lions, even more so, up against it.

Ollie Betteridge then took a two-minute high-sticking minor at 10.23 after Lions failed to score on a powerplay a few minutes before. However, a turnover in the neutral zone from assistant captain Gareth O’Flaherty saw the Barons netminder David Roxburgh make an absolute howler, gifting O’Flaherty an empty net to slot away the equaliser with a short-handed goal.

As the first period started to count down towards the interval with less than thirty seconds remaining, Luke Branin gave the visitors the lead from what appeared to be an impossible angle.

In second period the physical game that everyone was expecting began with both sides having six penalty minutes each. Nottingham’s players also appeared to be a little rattled by the hostile home crowd. Reece Glossop was an example of that as he accidentally hit his stick against the netting that separated the crowd from the players, much to the anger of the Solihull support.

In fact, at the buzzer at the end of the period former Solihull player Luke Thomas and Neil Adams exchanged words, after it appeared the Lions captain had been caught on the chin by Adams’ stick.

The third period again didn’t see any further goals, mainly due to some fine goalkeeping from Sam Gospel who yet again looked solid in the Lions goal making some crucial saves. One of these was a great stop right on the goal line after the puck managed to creep under his pads.

Sam Gospel deals with another of the 71 shots he faced. Photo – James Morton.

The sin bin was continued to be busy in the final period with both sides having players spending eight minutes in their own boxes. However, six of Solihull’s minutes came from Phil Lee, who at 52.21 received two minutes for cross-checking on Matt Greaves which resulted in both players grappling and throwing a few punches and left both players receiving 2+2 penalties for roughing.

At 56.20 Michael Rose then went into the sin bin for a two minute slashing minor giving Solihull a powerplay with little time left but some wonderful saves from Gospel and great defensive work on the penalty kill the Lions managed to keep hold of their one goal lead.

Solihull’s onslaught never showed any sign of stopping with the home side continuing to try and find the equalising goal. However, every time the Lions managed to touch the puck they hit it out of their zone to centre ice or beyond, resulting in the Barons being unable to pull Roxburgh and stopping the hosts from keeping up any momentum.

As the final buzzer went massive cheers from the away bench were to be heard, especially from Lions man of the match Luke Thomas, meaning he was able to get one over on his former club and his own father Richard, who still manages the Barons.

LionsTV post-game interviews with players and coaches from both teams will be available to view here in the next 24 hours…..

Next up for Nottingham is a home fixture against local rivals Sheffield Senators, giving the Lions another chance to extend their lead at the top of the NIHL North Division 2 as they look to go straight back up to Division 1 at the first time of asking.

Ticket details for next Sunday’s game at the National Ice Centre can be found here.

Game Stats:
Luke Branin 1+0, Joe Wightman 0+1, Gareth O’Flaherty 1+1.
Period Scores 1st 1-2, 2nd 0-0, 3rd 0-0.
Period Shots – 1st 21-11, 2nd 27-9, 3rd 23-8. Total 71-28.
Penalty Minutes – 1st 2-4, 2nd 6-6, 3rd 8-8. Total 16-18.
Lions MOTM – Luke Thomas.