Tag Archives: Michael Rose

Lions Leave It Late To Snatch Draw

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Sheffield Senators 3 – Nottingham Lions 3

The Nottingham Lions left it until the last few seconds to earn an away draw at Sheffield in a tense encounter.

Having beaten the Senators in their last three meetings, the Lions were odds on favourites to take all the points. However, they found themselves behind early on as Sheffield’s Tom Proctor fired past Nottingham’s debutant netminder, Dan Green, around the eight minute mark.

“Outstanding debut” – Dan Green.

A scrappy first period nearly ended all square after Michael Rose hit the post for the Lions with two minutes to go. Despite Sheffield’s lead, Nottingham had begun to gain some confidence after their early setback.

The Lions continued their momentum into the second period – Ollie Betteridge and Joe Wightman combined well but failed to yield any goals between them.

Sensing an opportunity to capitalise against an under-strength Lions side, the Senators piled on the pressure towards the end of the period. However, Nottingham held strong and closed out, still trailing by just the one goal.

Things heated up in the third period and the Lions were subject to some intense pressure early on. Dan Green, brought in from the Panthers as last minute replacement for the injured Sam Gospel, made five good saves in quick succession to keep Nottingham in the game. However, after the Lions were called for having too many men on the ice, Sheffield used the advantage to score on the powerplay, courtesy of former Lions defenceman Jonathan Bell.

Undeterred, Nottingham pounced back two minutes later as veteran Stuart Parker, another Lions debutant, scrambled the puck home after a melee in front of the Sheffield goalmouth.

“Man of the Match” – Stuart Parker.

Buoyed by Parker’s goal, the Lions equalised in the 52nd minute when Luke Branin put the puck in the net off a rebound – the game was now there for the taking.

However, the Senators’ Joel Aheran burst the Lions’ bubble by putting Sheffield back in the lead with less than five minutes to go.

Sensing it was now or never, coach Matt Bradbury pulled Dan Green off the ice with just under two minutes left in the game. His gamble paid off as, with just 16 seconds to go, Michael Rose thundered one into the net, salvaging a point for Nottingham and delighting their traveling support.

By no means was this one of the Lions’ best games, yet they showed great resolve to remain focussed despite being behind for the majority of the game. In the end, a superb team effort paid off and Nottingham rescued a point that may prove vital in their promotion campaign, with several tough games ahead in the next few weeks.

One of those is next week’s away fixture at Deeside Ice Rink against Deeside Dragons on Sunday (January 20th). 6.40pm face off.

LionsTV post-game interviews with Man of the Match Stuart Parker and head coach Matt Bradbury are now available to view via LionsTV our official online TV channel.

Game Stats:
Luke Thomas 0+1, Michael Rose 1+1, Luke Branin 1+0, Stuart Parker 1+2.
Period Scores: 1st 1-0, 2nd 0-0, 3rd 2-3.
Shots: 1st 4-8, 2nd 10-7, 3rd 13-19. Total 27-34.
Penalty Minutes: 1st 2-4, 2nd 4-18, 3rd 22-22. Total 28-44.
Lions MOTM: Stuart Parker.

Lions Stay On Top Over Festive Break

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Nottingham Lions 4 Sheffield Senators 1

The Nottingham Lions had the chance to pull out a four-point lead at the top of the table, and did exactly that, winning 4-1 over local rivals Sheffield Senators at the National Ice Centre on Sunday evening, in a game which didn’t always reflect the result.

The Lions block out the path to Sam Gospel’s goal.

This fixture was always going to be closely contested, with neither side wanting to let go of the two points in this top of the table clash.

First blood went to the Lions courtesy of Michael Rose on the powerplay after Steve Weeks went into the sin bin for slashing. This stayed the way of things for the remainder of the period.

Sheffield leveled the scoring when the Senators’ Russian import Anton Egorov got the better of Sam Gospel and this suggested the evening wasn’t going to be so easy after all for Nottingham.

Joe Wightman’s great point scoring season continued as he found himself one on one with the Senators’ netminder, unleashing an unstoppable shot past Mark Hartley to give the Lions the lead for the second time in the game with a short-handed goal.

Wightman then scored his second of the game less than five minutes later with the Lions’ second powerplay goal of the evening. Once again proving how affective the attacking line has been for Nottingham so far this season.

The third period was just as close as the previous two, with Sheffield fighting to find a way back into the game.

Both sides had players spend a total of six minutes each in the penalty box, proving just how physical the game was as both sets of players put everything on the line in the final twenty minutes.

However, as Sheffield pushed and pushed, a mid-ice turnover then saw Christy Johnson-Brown score the Lions’ fourth of the game, quashing the Senators’ hopes of a comeback.

Christy Johnson-Brown firing home past Mark Hartley.

Even after a few needless penalties late on, this stayed the way of things all the way to the final buzzer, giving the home side the perfect Christmas present, sending them comfortably clear at the top of Division 2 North going into their four week break.

Nottingham head coach Matt Bradbury isn’t letting up though, making it known in his post-game comments that the Lions will still be training every week over the festive period, making sure the pedal doesn’t leave the accelerator come the second half of the season.

Goal highlights and post-game interviews with players and coaches from both teams are now available to view on LionsTV by clicking here.

The Lions are next in action away at Sheffield on the 12th January in the final meeting between the two sides this season, meaning they’ll have to be on guard against any complacency or revenge from a Senators side who will be keen to avoid a 4-0 season whitewash.

Game Stats:

Callum Worthington-Evans 0+1, Luke Thomas 0+1, Michael Rose 1+0, Ollie Betteridge 0+1, Luke Branin 0+3, Joe Wightman 2+1, Christy Johnson-Brown 1+0, Cameron Good 0+1.

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

Period Shots – 1st 11-7, 2nd 12-12, 3rd 16-14. Total – 39-33.

Penalty Minutes – 1st 2-4, 2nd 2-4, 3rd 6-6. Total – 10-14.

Lions MOTM (Sponsored by The Castle) – Joe Wightman.

Determined Lions Slay Dragons

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Nottingham Lions 8 Deeside Dragons 6

The Nottingham Lions overcame their toughest test of the season so far with a well-deserved victory over Deeside Dragons at the National Ice Centre on Sunday night.

The Lions welcomed back Simon Hunt, Josh Ward and Joe Wightman after missing the win at Blackburn last weekend and all three of them played their part in keeping Nottingham at the top of the Division 2 North table.

Matt Bradbury’s men raced out of the blocks, surprising their opponents by hitting five goals in the first 22 minutes, helped by strikes from Gareth O’Flaherty, Michael Rose and a Wightman hat-trick.

Hat-Trick Hero: Joe Wightman.

At the other end Lions’ goalie Sam Gospel was in fine form keeping out any Deeside chances that came his way.

A shell-shocked Deeside’s quality eventually became evident as they attempted to get back into the tie, Richard Hughes and James Parsons both scoring to give the Welsh visitors hope.

Plucky Nottingham kept on battling and were they were rewarded with Rose’s second of the night and a powerplay goal from Ben Wood.

Dragons’ Shaun Kippin left the final outcome still in some doubt after firing home right on the buzzer at the end of the second to cut the margin to four.

The visitors dominated the play in the third period as they fought to salvage something from the game and they were given a glimmer of hope when Parson’s scored his second of the game five minutes in.

Great Saves: Sam Gospel.

However, Deeside’s hopes were all but snubbed out just a minute later on the powerplay, as Elliot Perrin struck a shot from the blue-line past hapless netminder Matt Compton to restore Nottingham’s four-goal advantage and despite late goals from Aaron Davies and Kippin, the Lions took the two points and made it four wins from four games so far this season.

LionsTV post-game interviews with Lions and Dragons players and staff will be available from tomorrow (Monday) night via our official online TV channel.

Nottingham now have a three week break from the action before they travel to North Wales for a re-match with the Dragons on Sunday 21st October.

Game Stats:

Elliot Perrin 1+0, Luke Thomas 0+1, Ben Wood 1+0, Michael Rose 2+0, Simon Hunt 0+3, Ollie Betteridge 0+2, Joe Wightman 3+1, Josh Ward 0+2, Gareth O’Flaherty 1+1.

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

Shots on Goal: 1st – 12-12, 2nd – 13-12, 3rd – 5-17. Total: 30-41.

Penalty Minutes: 1st – 4-10, 2nd – 2-14, 3rd – 6-2. Total: 12-26.

Lions MOTM (Sponsored by The Castle) – Joe Wightman.

Hunty Bags A Brace As Lions Hit Eight Past Hull

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The Nottingham Lions hit eight goals without reply as they swept past a beleaguered Hull Stingrays side at the National Ice Centre on Sunday evening.

All eyes were on Nottingham Panthers legend, 39 year-old Simon Hunt who made his return to senior hockey with the Lions after a gap of twelve years. ‘Hunty’ didn’t disappoint the bumper crowd who turned-up for Nottingham’s first home game of the season, bagging himself two goals.

Simon Hunt unleashes one of his “trademark piledrivers”.

American import Luke Branin and Panthers two-way deal player Josh Ward also marked their debuts with goals and Michael Rose notched up two strikes against his former club.

Hull took to the ice short-benched with only fifteen skaters including two netminders and did not do themselves any favours by conceding four goals in the first eight minutes. Christy Johnson-Brown hitting the first after three minutes followed, two minutes later by Simon Hunt who unleashed one of his trademark piledrivers from the blueline to double the Lions’ lead on the powerplay.

Callum Worthington-Evans then popped up with a third with seven minutes on the clock before Josh Ward slotted home a fourth sixty seconds later.

The Stingrays hurriedly called a time-out which seemed to have the desired effect as they became increasingly harder to beak down as the period wore on but still producing little in the way of any attacking threat to Sam Gospel’s goal.

Into the second, Hull seemed focused on damage limitation as they proved a tough nut to crack. Luke Branin grabbing the only goal of the period three minutes in.

Lions’ Reece Glossop and Stingrays’ James Maughan were both given a 2+2 for roughing on the half-hour after a short fight which saw both players fall to the ice and minutes later Nottingham’s Joe Steeples was ejected from the game after charging Hull’s captain Jamie Cobley.

Josh Ward bagged himself a goal on his Lions return.

The Lions’ slowly ground down Hull’s steely resolve in the third period with three more goals but not before Sam Gospel had to stop Jordan Fisher’s penalty shot with ten minutes remaining.

Simon Hunt hit home his second of the night two minutes later before Michael Rose finished off a flowing move on the powerplay with six minutes to go.

Rose then completed the scoring in the dying seconds of the game tipping the puck past a despondent Warren Gilfoyle.

Overall, an excellent win with numerous excellent performances throughout the team. However, tougher challenges lie ahead for the Lions, starting with a trip to Lancashire to take on Blackburn Eagles next Saturday (22nd September) 17.45 face off.

LionsTV interviews with Lions’ and Stingrays’ players and coaches will be online via our online TV channel tomorrow (Monday) evening.

Game Stats:

Christy Johnson-Brown 1+0, Luke Branin 1+3, Simon Hunt 2+0, Josh Ward 1+1, Callum Worthington-Evans 1+0, Ollie Betteridge 0+2, Gareth O’Flaherty 0+1, Elliot Perrin 0+2, Ben Wood 0+3, Michael Rose 2+0.

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

Penalty Mins: 1st 2-4, 2nd 29-6, 3rd 6-6. Total: 37-16.

Shots on Goal: 1st 15-6, 2nd 13-9, 3rd 14-4. Total: 42-19 (15 on Sam Gospel 4 on Tom Hovell).

Lions Man of the Match (Sponsored by The Castle): Simon Hunt.

Michael Rose Returns For New Season

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The Lions are pleased to announce the return of right-winger Michael Rose to the pride for the forthcoming season.

Michael was Nottingham’s fifth-top points scorer last season, weighing in with 9 goals and 12 assists from 30 games.

The 20 year-old joins the likes of Nick Whyatt, Joe Wightman and Gareth O’Flaherty who have all re-signed for the Lions’ first season in the NIHL Division 2 North and Michael caught up with LionsTV to give them his thoughts on signing up for another season at the National Ice Centre, the interview can be seen below.

Keep an eye on nottinghamlionsenl.com for more exciting signing announcements coming soon!