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Post by humbucker on Feb 10, 2013 13:37:10 GMT
The Solihull Barons took a trip to Fylde on Saturday and blew them away with a 15-4 win and with Sheffield Senators winning 6-1 at home to Blackburn this now puts Deeside, Solihull, and Sheffield all equal on 25points with 18 games played. The Lions are on 26 points from 15 games but this could change should Deeside leave Nottingham with the points tonight as they would then head the league. Massive game that could definitely go either way on the night and a big psychological advantage to the victor. Good luck guys.
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Post by icebandit on Feb 10, 2013 16:28:38 GMT
Is Simon Hunt playing tonight ?
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Post by humbucker on Feb 10, 2013 22:00:29 GMT
The Lions lost their 100% home record to the league favourites Deeside Dragons tonight. In some ways it had to happen at sometime and Deeside now head the league but the Lions still have games in hand. It is going to be a really tough as the Lions still have some big games both on the road and at home. A 3-5 loss with an eng is no disaster but might be a wake up call to all who thought this season might be in the bag. There are still 8 games to go to the end of the season with the Barons still smarting from their 2 encounters with the Lions and with 2 games to go against them they will fancy their chances of taking 1st or the play off place in the league. Putting all things in perspective of the four game series against the top 3 opposition the Lions have W2 T1 L1 against Deeside, W3 T1 L0 against Sheffield and presently have W2 with 2 to play against the Barons. All still to play for and 8 to go.
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Post by humbucker on Feb 11, 2013 10:53:28 GMT
It's the day after the big one and time to reflect. On the night the Lions were not on top of their game and Deeside were hungrier for the win and judging by their after the game tweets they firmly believe they have the upper hand now as the run in to the end of the season looms. The coach of Deeside found it amusing that he was not asked to be interviewed after the win but with selective memory to the fore he forgot to mention that he would not be interviewed when his side lost at home to the Lions. Possibly not allowed his bragging rights as he has felt all season that the Lions were robbing his side whenever they met in previous games. The other top teams are now waiting to see if the Lions have finally been fatally wounded and are there for the taking. It is the case that allowing this one set back to halt the push for league honours must not be allowed to happen and it is firmly in the hands of the Lions to make sure that this does not come about. They must lick their collective wounds reflect on what happened at put this setback in the drawer marked history. The future is still firmly in the hands of this team who are more than capable of wrapping this league up if they really want it badly enough. The fortress NIC has only been breached not destroyed.
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BigLad
David Clarke
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Post by BigLad on Feb 11, 2013 13:06:44 GMT
My first ever Lions game yesterday. Enjoyed it. Here's some feedback from me. Deeside dominated physically. Their screening of Alan Levers was particularly impressive, it seemed no Lions player could move their players away. Usual EIHL gripes about officiating. How a penalty shot wasn't given on the 2v1 breakaway trip made me laugh...and that's with FOUR officials. Non-touch icing sucks. The majority of the music played was very well received by me! NO HILLBILLY ROCK!!!  |
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Post by humbucker on Feb 11, 2013 16:04:01 GMT
Right Big Lad and that might be of concern as the barons might stick Perry Doyle in or about the crease and if Deeside took some moving from Alans crease then with Perry the Lions will require a JCB on the ice to shift that monster. The Lions do rely on their usually potent attack force to do the business and that appeared to be lacking somewhat. But even so with the heavy screen on Alan's crease they still managed to achieve only the one goal advantage until the eng. Not many heavies in this relatively young Lions team but they seemed to have put in some very creditable performances against teams who have a payroll and an income the Lions would love to have supporting them each season. I noticed that Coventry in North 1 were docked points and conceded a 5-0 for refusing to make the long trip to Solway at the weekend. Probably could not afford the coach costs and the time, work commitments etc. There may be a number of teams in the same situation and how the Lions would cover that cost I could't even contemplate should they move up at the end of this season.
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BigLad
David Clarke
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Post by BigLad on Feb 11, 2013 16:36:28 GMT
Any reason why Marc Levers & Josh Ward weren't playing? Thought they were on 2-ways?
Oh the programme had Hovell and Levers mixed up too. I kept referring to what a good game Hovell was having lol.
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Post by humbucker on Feb 11, 2013 17:26:13 GMT
Panthers will not risk Marc or Josh getting injuries. Earlier in the season Josh picked up an injury (concussion) in a game and from then on, I believe, they became unavailable to the Lions. The big clue regarding the goalie was probably in the mom at the end of the game.
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Caesar
Matt Myers
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Post by Caesar on Feb 11, 2013 22:57:04 GMT
Levers was never gonna play for the Lions this year. They couldn't afford the insurance to cover his Panthers wages if he got injured playing for them. In my opinion of course
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Post by drouindrouin on Feb 12, 2013 8:55:51 GMT
Oh the programme had Hovell and Levers mixed up too. I kept referring to what a good game Hovell was having lol. Since Sam Gospel's concussion and Alan Levers returned from Sutton, Levers has been wearing Gospel's #1 jersey while Hovell has remained at #31 all season. Sunday's game was the first game where Gospel and Levers were both available for selection so Gospel was back to#1 and Levers changed to #31. (Presume Tom Hovell was with the Under 18's?) The programme producer wouldn't have been able to forsee this and all the info was accurate at the time of printing. Would be nice to introduce each player to the crowd but due to previous junior games over running there is normally no time to do it! |
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Post by humbucker on Feb 12, 2013 11:33:48 GMT
Marc did train with the Lions and was ok about playing if required so the plan was in place and he was up for it. Circumstances change and the fear of injuries possibly played a part in the decision not to release him for the Lions games. The insurance to cover wages in the event of injury may have been another factor and given the Lions scant finacial resources might have played it's part.
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Shaggy
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Post by Shaggy on Feb 15, 2013 21:48:23 GMT
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Post by humbucker on Feb 16, 2013 20:04:07 GMT
Well the Deeside coach has thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the league claiming in the Flintshire Chronicle that his side will remain at the top of the league and that the Lions are due a much leaner time as all of the teams head towards the end of a close fought season. He feels recent results show that the Lions are finding it hard to score goals and that they might struggle somewhat in their final games. It is certainly turning into a tight scrap for points and the top four still have a chance to take this league should anyone lose their collective nerve. Some interesting games this weekend particularly tasty must be the clash between Sheffield Senators at home to the Solihull Barons. The Lions are away to the Kingston Stingrays on Sunday and that could be a real test after last week's loss to Deeside. Kingston are the only other team, to date, to take maximum points from the Lions first visit to Humberside. They are quite a handful at home so the guys better be up for this one and that's for sure. A few tricky old games to come over the next few weeks. Good luck guys.
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Post by humbucker on Feb 16, 2013 22:17:05 GMT
Sheffield Senators leap over both the Lions and Deeside to head the league after a 1-12 away win at the coast over Fylde Flyers. This league gets more interesting by the day. On paper Deeside should have a relatively easy game against the bottom club, Blackburn Eagles, at home tomorrow whilst Sheffield will hope to turn over the Barons and hold on to top spot.
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Post by humbucker on Feb 17, 2013 21:47:43 GMT
Solid win against a tricky Kingston Stingrays 0-6 with a returning Sam Gospel earning a 33 shot shut out and MOM. The Barons were shot down by the Senators up in Sheffield earlier today going down 4-2 to the home side. This might seriously dent the Barons push for promotion and with Deeside and the Lions still to play they have really got to pull something out of the bag if they are to remain contenders. The Senators are getting a real head of steam going as they move into this crucial part of the season but still have Deeside to meet so a quite tough run in for them but they are very capable of beating any of the top three on any given day. Fortunately the Lions won their four game series against the Sheffield Senators. Deeside rattled 19 goals against a hapless Blackburn Hawks who only managed 3 in return adding to the Dragons a massive goal tally this season. All still to play for but well done the Lions and the Panthers who completed a double win this weekend.
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Post by humbucker on Feb 18, 2013 16:50:33 GMT
Noticed on the Barons site that they were taking an interest in the Deeside and Lions scores last night and feel pretty sure that, for them, it made depressing reading and more downcast following their result in Sheffield. Head Coach Bradbury commented on Lions TV that teams should look to their own game plans and put things right there rather than look to the Lions form dipping to achieve their aims. The comments from the Deeside coach, after their narrow win in Nottingham, believing that the Lions were due a dip in form, and fully expected this to happen will be looking at the Lions result in Humberside and reflecting. More to come and more twists and turns to come I feel sure. Deeside are at Solihull next Sunday with the Barons needing this one or their aspirations to move up will just go up in smoke. Deeside are deperate for this one as well given the Sheffield v Barons result yesterday. It could be all out war down at the Hobs Moat rink with lots of big hits in store and a real spectacle for the loyal and very vocal Solihull fans. The Lions have the return game at home against the Kingston Stingrays this coming Sunday and should be a good game because although losing 6-0 last night they did put pressure on the Lions and cracked in 33 shots that were kicked aside by Gospel. You just cannot take any team for granted as complacency is the companion of failure therefore the Lions must ensure they stay focussed on the job in hand as their priority first and foremost.
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Post by humbucker on Feb 22, 2013 21:14:30 GMT
Noticed on the Deeside website that Tom King is looking at the battle for second spot in the league as he feels that the Lions have too many games in hand therefore the league may be lost already. Their coach, Steve Fellows, has been giving big for a few weeks saying that Deeside were certs for moving up. Well it is still there to be won by four teams although the Barons may have blown it unless they, as it said on their site, 'unleash hell' on Deeside this coming Sunday so that one might prove interesting? The Barons have apparently parted company with one of their imports (Chris Allen) today so they will be heading into this game short of a very experienced, ex NHL, player. Deeside should be somewhat relieved by that news. Lions v Kingston is no walk over because they can play a bit and have inflicted defeat on the home side before. Sheffield Senators have a weekend off before thinking about their final run in games two of which are against Deeside. The Senators have beaten the Dragons in their past two meetings but the Deeside team have strengthened significantly since those earlier setbacks. Still a lot of hockey to come before the close of the 2012/13 season.
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Shaggy
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Post by Shaggy on Feb 23, 2013 0:20:01 GMT
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Post by ripleypanthergirl on Feb 23, 2013 11:13:47 GMT
For a change I'm not working |
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Post by humbucker on Feb 24, 2013 22:10:50 GMT
A fierce game down at the Hobs Moat tonight as the Solihull Barons took on the Lions biggest rivals Deeside Dragons. The Barons needed this game desperately as their season looked doomed if they went down in this crucial game. In the first period Perry Doyle (Captain) received his marching orders and Deeside took the lead. The game got livelier and began to swing Barons way with Deeside playing catch up until they gave up. Barons 7-5 taking the fire out of the Dragons. Deeside have still two big games to play against Sheffield who are holding a 2-0 in the four game series so the Dragons season might be on a knife edge. The Lions took on Kingston Stingrays tonight in a game that could see the Nottingham team return to the top of the league. They did not disappoint with a cracking 8-0 win and that top spot regained. A quite feisty game in parts and dropped gloves in the final two minutes as Rose of the Lions took on Chapman of Kingston. Hunty was back, scored and sat a 2+10min so had a good rest! A good spread of goals between the more experienced players and some of the boys coming through from the juniors. Well six games to go four of which are against the so called weaker teams, according to their stats, but these teams will be wanting to play their part in deciding the league standings at the end of the season. Big scalps still to be had for those not taking these teams seriously. Well done the Nottingham Lions back where you were a couple of weeks ago, heading the pack.
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Post by humbucker on Feb 24, 2013 22:20:03 GMT
Towards the end of the Lions game tonight Alan Levers (nerminder) took a nasty shot in a very delicate part of the anatomy and went down injured. He had to leave the game and Sam Gospel came on to cover the last 1.58 of the game. Alan had done a great job keeping the shut out up to the point he left the ice. We hope that he will quickly recover from the injury and back on the ice to see out a season in which he has played a big part since returning to the Lions.
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Post by Nottingham Lions on Feb 27, 2013 22:55:43 GMT
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Post by humbucker on Feb 28, 2013 15:50:55 GMT
Interesting league stats following last weekends games. Deeside could drop to fourth on goal difference as Solihull take on Blackburn at the Hobs Moat on Sunday. Deeside and Solihull have played each other four times and shared the points, and they will have both played 21 of their 24 games this season but the Barons lead on goal difference in the head to head with Deeside 20-19. The Barons, after Sundays game, have to play the Lions twice and Blackburn so that looks interesting as the Lions might have a say in how the league pans out at the end of the season. Sheffield Senators have to play Hull and Deeside twice and they are presently 1 point ahead of Deeside and have a 2-0 lead on the head to head games against the Dragons. the Deeside Dragons do not have a game until 10 March against the Senators at home hence potentially being in fourth position at the close of the weekend should the games go to form with the top 3. The Lions travel to Blackburn Eagles on Saturday. Now the Eagles have had a tough old season and are seeking their first win so the Lions better be on their guard because these are the games that can really trip you up. They will be determined to get something out of the season and what better than an opportunity to take out the Lions? The Eagles travel to Solihull on Sunday and there is little chance of them getting any joy there so I would think that all of their effort will be put into securing the home result as a priority. Interesting times on the knife edge that is this league this season.
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Post by humbucker on Mar 1, 2013 10:50:28 GMT
I note from the Barons website that their former captain and import Chris Allen is back as the Barons push for a return to NIHL1 next season. He has returned until the end of this season and will then retire. The Barons know that to gain the chance of promotion they need all available experienced players especially as they have home and away games against the Lions. These two games are this season's finale for both the Lions and the Barons so a battle royal in prospect I'm sure. Getting back to the Barons I wonder if they will take the captaincy away from Perry Doyle and give it back to Chris Allen and if that is the case who is going to tell Perry??
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Post by humbucker on Mar 1, 2013 21:40:32 GMT
It would appear that confusion reigns supreme with the Barons website as they have had to put in place a retraction regarding Chris Allen's retirement plans because the said plans maybe a figment of someone's imagination. The writer of the article appears to have seen a piece in the Chairman's section of last week's programme mentioning retirement the problem is no date or time was given for said hanging up of skates and a rather miffed Chris Allen may have had a few words on the subject hence the fierce back pedalling taking place on the website.
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