Season 2017-18: Streatham IHC (Saturday 23rd September 2017)

Peterborough Phantoms 5 Streatham IHC 2

Robbie Ferrara and Owen Griffiths

After an inauspicious performance on Humberside last Sunday that saw the Phantoms drop points to the Hull Pirates in the National Cup, eyes turned to Bretton for the Phantoms’ first league encounter with one of the former NIHL teams, the Streatham Redhawks.

Streatham have a long history in British hockey but for most supporters at the game it would have been the first time that they had seen an encounter between the two sides, and despite the fact that there are some very familiar faces in the Streatham line up (Messrs Carr, Farn and Watt) it was always going to be difficult to predict the nature of the game, if not the outcome itself.

I’ll be honest here – whilst I anticipated a victory for the Phantoms in this one, I had thought that Streatham would provide a challenge to a Phantoms team that have rarely got out of second gear yet this season.

And so it proved to be.

A scrappy first period saw the Phantoms dominate the shots on goal, though the Redhawks exerted concerted pressure on the Phantoms’ zone in the closing stages.  With 1 25 remaining and somewhat against the run of play Michael Farn hauled down an advancing Ales Padelek and Darius Pliskauskas scored on the resulting powerplay with 17 seconds remaining.

If the first period was characterised by Phantoms’ pressure and an outstanding performance from Streatham netminder Matt Colclough, in the second frame the home side put the game out of the Redhawks’ reach with goals from Billing (a redirection off a Streatham skate), White (batted in with what was a suspiciously high stick) and Robbie Ferrara with the goal of the period, firing in from the point through traffic.  Brandon Miles was credited with the Streatham consolation marker which surprisingly went through Adam Long as he went to freeze the puck.

The final period saw Nathan Salem fire a rocket into Colclough’s net, and Adam Carr spring the Phantoms’ defence and score through Long’s five whole to conclude the scoring.

There has been a recurring narrative with the league this year that goes something like ‘the former EPL sides have greater depth and greater quality than the former National League sides, and consequently will vie for the top places and silverware amongst themselves, while the likes of Cardiff, London Raiders, Streatham, Invicta and Milton Keynes will need to play the role of spoilers in their attempts to steal the odd point here or there from the big boys’.

Of course, things aren’t always as they predicted to be, as we have seen with an Invicta victory over the Wildcats, and whilst it is almost inevitable that over the course of the season that Basingstoke, Bracknell, Peterborough and Swindon will be chasing down the title in the South, there will nights where the endeavour of the former NIHL teams and the sheer fact that on any given night teams will just end up being pretty even an upset will ensue.  The Phantoms will need to be on their mettle do avoid this happening to them in some of these games this year.

Contrary to what a number of commentators would have you expect from the former NIHL sides, Streatham didn’t come to Peterborough to ‘goon it up’ and though at times they played with a physicality that caught the Phantoms’ off guard, they were well drilled and played to their stengths, with Webb, Colclough and MoM Samford standing out, and Carr, Farn and Watt showing exactly why Jeremy Cornish has signed them up.  Experience tells; Carr took his goal well, while Ryan Watt gave a composed performance too.

MoM James White, Owen Griffiths and Robbie Ferrara were the pick of the Phantoms who secured what ended up being a routine win without playing particularly fluently.  The victory was sealed in the second period as the Phantoms took a commanding lead which they protected in the last frame, but the Redhawks battled throughout, leaving this observer to wonder what things would look like if the away team had a little more depth.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

Looking forward to the new season with James Ferrara

It gives me great pleasure to present another ‘Beyond the Blue Line’ player Q&A, and this time round it’s captain James Ferrara in the spotlight.  Since first playing for the Phantoms in 2002-03 James has racked up something in the region of 500 games for the club, is the leading appearance maker and top of the assists charts too.

This is our captain’s FIFTH piece in Beyond the Blue Line, and as ever I’d like to express my thanks to James for taking time out to pen a few words.  If you are interested in the previous pieces, you’ll find them here:  2013-14  http://wp.me/p3I8ZK-2i, 2014-15 http://wp.me/p3I8ZK-7F 2015-16 here http://wp.me/p3I8ZK-cU ), and finally 2016-17  http://wp.me/p3I8ZK-gq

BTBL:  The 2016-17 campaign is now well behind us, and for a second successive year the Phantoms acquitted themselves really well but fell just short on lifting silverware.  How do you reflect on last season with the Phantoms from a club and personal point of view? 

Overall, I was pleased with the competitiveness of the team in all competitions.  Making two cup finals in a row is not easy, but it was maybe even tougher to have lost a second time, especially given the circumstances with it being a shootout and against MK.  A top 4 finish and cup final were good achievements, but the playoffs were disappointing.  We had a couple of good games but fell short in some of the big games as a result of losing the cup final a week earlier. These are things we’ll have to be stronger with if we want to win silverware this year!

BTBL:  Whilst the Phantoms have kept a large proportion of their roster, in truth it’s been a case of ‘all change’ with the second tier of British hockey.  Obviously we have a new league format this year, new competitions to play for, new teams and rinks to visit, and we can’t forget that there’ll be restrictions on the import rule (including on import netminders).  What are your thoughts on the changes that have been implemented and what do you think that the supporters will have to look forward to in the coming season?

I understand why some of the changes have taken place, but it will maybe take some time before we fully understand the effects of those changes.  I’m excited, as always for the season ahead with new cup competitions and new opponents.  It will take a little getting used to but as athletes it’s something we have to be ready for.  I think the new setup should allow British players to develop further and gain more confidence with increased ice time.  I just hope that the style of play doesn’t drop any levels it terms of the technical/ tactical aspect of hockey and in terms of referee standards. It will be good if we can keep making progress, as a league, in terms of the way the game is played.

BTBL:  We have a number of new signings this year – with some big hitters in Nathan Salem and Leigh Jamieson amongst them, and two exciting players on two way contracts with Milton Keynes in Knaggs and Billing.  What do you expect from the new look Phantoms this year?

I like the look of the new guys brought in, I think they will add a mixture of qualities to our team and have fitted in very well straight away on and off the ice. I’m looking forward to seeing how our team gels and performs every week.  I think we will have a hard working, fast style of play with a lot of attacking potential, whilst keeping the majority of defence intact means we should be stable at the back, as long as we work as units of 5 on the ice.

BTBL:  What will a successful season for the Phantoms and for yourself look like this year?

I don’t look at success individual, my sole goal is to help the Phantoms be successful in as many competitions as possible. There’s no reason why we can’t challenge in all formats and win silverware as long as we remain consistent and play as a team.

BTBL:  Finally – do you have a message for the Phantoms’ fans on the eve of the season?

Thank you for your support so far, believe in what we are trying to build and be loud every night!

We hope to create exciting games for you to watch whilst winning as many games as possible.

 

Thanks again James; without a doubt it’ll be interesting to see how the new look NIHL South pans out, with silverware an absolute must from the Phantoms’ perspective.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

 

Season 2017-18: Swindon Wildcats (Sunday 10th September 2017)

Peterborough Phantoms 7 Swindon Wildcats 4

Two goals for Nathan Salem

The Phantoms’ pre-season programme wound up with a victory against a Swindon team that are predicted to do big things this year in an entertaining affair that saw the teams trade penalties and goals, bemoan decisions that should (an in some cases maybe shouldn’t) have been given, and which saw enough turnovers to fill a baker’s shop window.

Though the Phantoms started slowly they took the lead with a pinpoint shot from Nathan Salem that hit the top shelf above Renny Marr’s glove with twelve minutes on the clock for the only goal of a first period that saw the ‘Cats Whitfield, Birbraer (twice) and Stone all take a seat in the penalty box.

Despite being given these opportunities to punish the visitors the Phantoms’ powerplay flattered to deceive, and despite starting the second frame with a man advantage it would be the Wildcats who would strike next as former Cardiff Devil Chris Jones capitalised on the Phantoms failure to clear their zone, to tie things at one after twenty two minutes.

The Phantoms responded well to conceding, with Tom Norton scoring on Marr’s short side on 24 24 after good interplay with James Ferrara, and though Toms Rutkiss squared things on 27 18, Owen Griffiths would restore the Phantom’s lead in controversial circumstances with twenty nine minutes in the book.

With Chris Jones sitting a slashing call Tom Norton did well to feed an advancing Griffiths from the bottom of the right face-off circle.  The puck hit Griffith’s’ skate as he advanced on the back post and ended up in the net, and whilst the Phantoms’ forward may have been impeded by Jan Kostal there appeared to be a kicking motion after the puck’s initial contact with Griffiths’ skate.  Put it this way – if I’d have been the video ref I’d have washed that one out.

It wouldn’t be the first or last time the Wildcats would have a sense of injustice over the stripey’s decision making.

Ed Knaggs scored the goal of the game to make the score 4-2 on 32 54, dancing through the Swindon defence before placing a shot low past Marr’s left hand.

Just as had been the case in the second period, Swindon started the final stanza sharply.  Jan Kostal narrowed the arrears with barely a minute of the third period played, but Nathan Salem silenced the Swindon recovery as he restored the Phantoms’ two goal advantage just three minutes later.

Aaron Nell gave the ‘Cats a brief glimmer of hope with a bullet of a shot that beat Adam Long over his right shoulder to make the score 5-4, but two empty net goals, firstly from Ales Padelek who tipped a Will Weldon shot from point, and secondly, to great applause, from Jack Escott who found the net from just over the red line for his first senior goal sealed the Phantoms’ victory.

Takeaways

1. Though Scott Robson was Man of the Match and certainly had a good game, my tip would’ve been Nathan Salem. Nathan has fitted into the team from the off and I am sure will be up there when the votes for player of the season are counted.  Goals, aggressive checking and a willingness to get in the dirty areas.  What else can we ask for?

2.  Netminding duties were shared between Dan Lane and Jack Peacock in Swindon on Saturday, but normal service was resumed with a solid performance from Adam Long between the pipes on Sunday. Sure, Adam would’ve liked to have stopped Nell’s late third period strike, but that tracer would’ve beaten most netminders and no blame could be put on  the Phantoms’ stopper for that one.

3.  Ed Knaggs scored my favourite goal of pre-season. A shimmy took the puck round Kostal and the sublime finish was worth the entrance fee alone.

4.  Both teams were guilty of turning the puck over too cheaply and the both invited pressure which in turn led to mistakes and goals. The Phantoms’ coaches will want their zone cleared more rapidly and transition from defence to attack to be executed more rapidly and more accurately.

5.  The Phantoms’ powerplay stuttered all evening. Griffiths bagged a fortuitous PP marker, and though there was improvement in the third period, the Phantoms struggled to exert the pressure they would’ve wanted.

6.  I thought Chris Jones had an excellent game for Swindon, with a great deal of the visitor’s offence coming through the Welsh forward.  Kostal was a real asset too, and Aaron Nell will be like a new signing for the Wildcats after missing all but 16 games last season.  The ‘Cats have plenty of weapons up front and for long periods of this encounter their defence kept the Phantoms at bay.  Ultimately Swindon took too many penalties, and whilst I felt they were harshly done by on at least one occasion (when Phil Hill was called for netminder interference), skating for so long with a man down took its toll.

Pre-season is over.  Next up, the Bracknell Bees who have started their league season already.

Bring it on!

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

 

Looking forward to the 2017-2018 season with Will Weldon

It gives me great pleasure to present another 2017-18 season preview with the help of Will Weldon.  Will is a part of the furniture in these parts; at the age of 24 he is already embarking on his seventh season as a Phantom, having made over 325 appearances for the club and ranking fourth in the all-time Phantoms’ appearance list.

All you need to know is that Will Weldon would run through a brick wall for the team, and of course, is the King of the Face-Off Circle.

‘Beyond the Blue Line’ caught up with Will last week to reflect on the 2016-17 season and to cast an eye over what we might be in store for this year ….

(and for those of you who like these things you can check out Will’s last Q&A from July 2016 here: http://wp.me/p3I8ZK-ga)

BTBL:  The 2016-17 campaign is now well behind us, and for a second successive year the Phantoms acquitted themselves really well but fell just short on lifting silverware.  How do you reflect on last season with the Phantoms from a club and personal point of view? 

WW:  It was a tough one last year as we once again probably quieted quite a few critics but ultimately fell short on lifting any silverware.  I think with hindsight we can be proud of our achievements but it was certainly a tough pill to swallow in losing the cup final and then not making Coventry in the space of a few weeks. From a personal point of view last year was a real struggle, I was playing a slightly different role to the previous season and in turn struggled offensively before picking up an injury on Boxing Day which turned out to be a tear in my ACL as well as bruising to the bone.  In 5 seasons I had only had to sit out 2 games so being on the side-lines was tough, so I was pleased to be able to come back to finish the year, although I was pretty much playing on one leg.

BTBL:  Whilst the Phantoms have kept a large proportion of their roster, in truth it’s been a case of ‘all change’ with the second tier of British hockey.  Obviously we have a new league format this year, new competitions to play for, new teams and rinks to visit, and we can’t forget that there’ll be restrictions on the import rule (including on import netminders).  What are your thoughts on the changes that have been implemented and what do you think that the supporters will have to look forward to in the coming season?

WW:  With the circumstances that have led to the EPL folding it has meant that teams like ours were put in a very difficult position.  To step up to EIHL is of course not even an option for a team with the financial constraints we have worked within, so we seemingly were left with little choice.  I hope that the league will be entertaining and I would expect that teams that may not be quite to the same standard as ourselves will look to outwork and intimidate us, so on the whole hopefully all of our games will have something to them.

With Padi and Darius back we have two of the best imports at this level and although it is a shame to lose somebody of Janis’ standard I won’t miss his psycho ways in practice!!

BTBL:  We have a number of new signings this year – with some big hitters in Nathan Salem and Leigh Jamieson amongst them, and two exciting players on two way contracts with Milton Keynes in Knaggs and Billing.  What do you expect from the new look Phantoms this year?

WW:  There has been quite a turn around on the personnel front but it certainly looks like we have put a team together that can compete on all fronts.  Having seen a couple of the new guys down at summer skates it is clear that everyone is ready to get started. We will look to play the same disciplined hockey that we have been known for but I think you can expect a little more flair from us on the whole.

BTBL:  What will a successful season for the Phantoms and for yourself look like this year?

WW:  Put quite simply, anything less than trophies will be a failure this year.

BTBL:  Finally – do you have a message for the Phantoms’ fans on the eve of the season?

WW:  We are all looking forward to getting started in September and ask that you come down to offer your support.  There are going to be ups and downs along the way as we take on an unknown challenge but we will never cheat you on effort.  We really do appreciate the support you always give us so please keep on coming down as we look to add to the trophy cabinet. See you all soon.

 

Off the bench … which of your teammates:

is the best trainer?
Jimmy Ferrara

is the worst trainer?
Probably between myself and Greg Pick, we are always good for messing a drill up.

is the most skilful?
Padi

is the quickest?
Whitey

is the slowest?
Robbie Ferrara (but has iron lungs so can skate for days)

is the toughest?
Got to be Picky!

is the funniest?
I’ll go with Norts but it is more laughing at him rather than with him!

is the best dressed?
Darius/Griff

has the worst dress sense?
Robbo (flip flops and shorts no matter the occasion)

is the most intelligent?
Of the guys I know it would have to be between the two Ferrara’s but from what I’ve been told Leigh Jamieson is right up there.

is the biggest moaner?
Possibly myself…although Darius is a contender too!

Grandpa Levers (according to Weldon)

And finally  – a word about Marc Levers, one of the Nottingham lads who contributed so much to the Phantoms in recent years and who left in the summer to rejoin the Nottingham Lions …
On a serious note about Leves he has obviously formed a huge part of the Notts car over the last 4 years or so and he will be greatly missed in the car this year, as well as in the dressing room and on the ice.  I think there are a lot of players on our young team that have learnt a lot from Grandpa Leves.

Many thanks to Will for taking the time to answer our questions – I’m just wondering if any of the lads want the right of reply (you know where to find me on match night)!

The Phantoms are at home on Sunday 10^th September in a Challenge Fixtures against Swindon before the season proper starts on Saturday 16^th September with a home fixture against the Bracknell Bees.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

 

 

 

 

Season 2017-18: Basingstoke Bison (Sunday 3rd September 2017)

Peterborough Phantoms 6 (6) Basingstoke Bison 5 (10)

Leigh Jamieson – a goal and MoM on home debut

A first home fixture of the season saw the Phantoms prevail by the odd goal in 11 but lose on aggregate to the Bison who lifted the Billy Glover Memorial Trophy in a combative challenge contest.

Scores were level after 20 minutes, with Dan Lackey equalising Ales Padelek’s first minute strike on 12 41 in a first period that also saw Tomas Karpov leave the game with what appeared to be a facial injury and a coming together between Tom Norton and Aaron Connolly following a play on the boards as Karpov made his way to the bench.  Though the Phantoms started brightly the Bison’s passing game looked crisper as they skated through the neutral zone and over the Phantoms’ blue line on a number of occasions without adding to the score.

The second period saw the teams trade three more goals, with the Phantoms taking the lead on two further occasions, through Leigh Jamieson with his first for the club, followed by a Padelek’s second of the evening on a powerplay, and Basingstoke replying through a Kurt Reynolds floater that found its way to the net from the point at the end of a period of concerted pressure for the visitors.

The final frame saw a terrific one timer finish from Joe Baird after Connolly had worked his magic in the Phantoms’ zone to tie the game at three before Will Weldon restored the Phantoms’ lead with a powerplay tally on the doorstep, beating Dan Weller-Evans who had replaced Dean Skinns in the Basingstoke goal.

Four goals in the last four minutes, from Padelek with his hat-trick marker and a picture book goal from Darius Pliskauskas in the slot split by an Antonov strike made the game 6-4, with Grant Rounding finishing over Adam Long’s left shoulder in the postage stamp between post and cross-bar to conclude the scoring at 6-5, amid uncertainty as to whether the tie would be decided on aggregate or by overtime as a result of each team winning a game.

Takeaways

1.       We know it is pre-season, and there was a suggestion that the Bison are a week ahead of the Phantoms in their preparation, but it was nice to see the Phantoms take the game having been defeated in Hampshire the night before.  Whilst it’s all about game fitness, lines and new teammates at this stage, it’s also nice to get the season under way with some positives too.

2.       Padelek knew the way to goal from the off, finishing with precision, and there was also a pretty strike from Darius Pliskauskas.  This pair have bags of experience and I suspect will be amongst the highest scoring imports in the league this year.

3.       Leigh Jamieson and Nathan Salem had excellent home debuts and will be hugely popular with the Phantoms’ fans.  Jamieson’s endeavours were rewarded with a goal and the MoM decision, and his strength and leadership will be invaluable.  Salem skates well, is aggressive and will pick up plenty of points down the stretch.

4.       Of the other new recruits Glenn Billing showed some good work, whilst Will Weldon shone in a 1+3 performance.

5.       For the Bison Aaron Connolly was a worthy candidate for the MoM beers, though Kurt Reynolds also had a strong game, as did former Phantoms Jaroslav Cesky, and Dean Skinns, who showed again that he’ll be a top netminder this year.

6.       Conceding 10 goals in the two games over the weekend will be something that the coaching staff will want to address, pre-season or not.  Both sides turned the puck over to give the other opportunities and there were some tidy finishes for both the Phantoms and the Bison, but we wouldn’t expect this scoreline once the season proper has started.

All in all this was an enjoyable encounter that had enough of an edge to make it feel competitive and worth watching.

Next week, another of the bigger guns in the NIHL south, the Swindon Wildcats.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at   ‏@phil_smith66  and Instagram its_phil_smith and follow for regular Phantoms updates.