SWINDON FLAMES EUROPACUP 2008 

 

Swindon Skater Hockey Club’s Junior squad, the Junior Flames, returned home this week after competing for honours in the 2008 IISHF Junior European Championships held over the 24^th/25^th May in Essen, Germany. The Flames returned to Swindon battered and bruised but justifiably proud of themselves as, despite winning only one of their games, the team cemented their ranking as one of the top teams in the country. 

 The Flames’ Championship kicked-off with the competition’s opening game when they faced-off against the current German Champions, and tournament favourites, TV Augsburg in the vast Eissporthalle in Essen West. Determined to get off to a good start and hopping to catch Germany’s top team on the hop the Flames took to the rink unfazed by either the size of the arena or the reputation of their opponents and battled competitively throughout the first period conceding only once and coming close themselves on several occasions. With the Flames having given notice that they were not there to make up the numbers and that any team wishing to pick up points against them would have to work for them the German team responded by stepping up a gear and within three minutes of the restart doubled their lead. The Flames remained defiant and determined, however, as the size of the rink began to tell Augsburg again stepped on the gas to go 3-0 in front. With only minutes of the game remaining the Flames were reduced to three outfield players through a minor penalty call and the German Champions were quick to take advantage as they scored their fourth and final goal of the game. 

With their first game out of the way the Flames next faced the no less daunting task of taking on Germany’s number two team, the Crefelder Skating Bears. Narrowly beaten in the German National finals by Augsburg the Bears were fielding a full squad of top aged, experienced players determined to outdo their German rivals. Again the Flames seemed unfazed by the Bears formidable reputation and for the first period held their own conceding a solitary goal only 55 seconds shy of the safety of half time. Strung into action by the Flames stubborn resistance the Skating Bears took to the rink with avengance and a superb single-handed goal 29 seconds into the second period saw the Flames trailing by two. As with the first game the efforts of competing on a melted ice rink began to tell and as the Flames began to flag the German team began to dominate and within minutes, again found the back of the net to give themselves a 3 goal lead. Seven minutes from the final whistle the Flames were given the advantage of an extra player as the Bears conceded a minor penalty but the well drilled German side snuffed out any chance of a late Flames comeback with an efficient penalty kill that resulted in a short handed goal and when restored to full strength the German side completed the game with another strike to give them a 5- nil victory over the Flames. 

 Despite back to back defeats the Flames went into the next game knowing that picking up some points in their remaining fixtures could be enough to see them through to the quarter-finals and having already played those considered to be the best two teams in the group the Flames faced-off against Swiss qualifiers SHC Buix eager to break their duck and bag some points. In a close fought first period the two closely matched teams competed for every loose ball in an exciting end-to-end tussle but it was Buix who gained the upper-hand scoring mid way through the period. Seconds after conceding The Flames were reduced to three following a minor penalty call but the Swindon side’s defence closed ranks to kill off the penalty and see the Flames to the halftime whistle trailing, yet again, by a solitary goal. Determined not to let the game slip away from them the Flames hit the rink for the second period with fresh resolve and 86 seconds into the restart the Flames at last found the back of the net and scored their first European goal through Miles Bailey. With the scores levelled at 1 all the game became more frantic with each side desperate for the win. A rash of penalty decisions against the Flames gave Buix the advantage and 4 minutes from the final whistle they  took the lead 2-1. As the pace of the game began to tell on both sides the Swiss side gained the advantage when the Flames where again handicapped by a minor penalty call which left them short-handed and making the most of the opportunity Buix again scored with only 12 seconds remaining to take the game 3-1. 

 The Flames’ last game of the day saw them squaring up to IHC La Broye of Switzerland in what was the Swindon side’s last opportunity to make the quarter-finals. Needing a win to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages the Flames found themselves facing at team in a similar position, which resulted in a frenetic and somewhat spiky encounter with both teams being heavily penalised by the referees. Despite either or both teams playing short-handed throughout the period neither side were able to establish any advantage in the game with both teams coming close on several occasions, Craig Davies hitting the post for the Flames. With 41 seconds of the first period remaining and all the players on the rink a goalmouth scramble lead to the game’s first goal when the ball slipped passed the unsighted Flames keeper, Rebecca Lewis, to give La Broye the lead going into the period break.

The second period opened with La Broye looking to capitalise on their advantage and within two minutes the Flames succumbed to the pressure and the Swiss side extended their lead to two. Again both sides began to take penalties and when the Flames were reduced to two outfield players against a full strength line the Swiss team again made the Flames pay by snatching another power-play goal midway through the period. Despite their best efforts the Flames were unable to claw their way back into the match and upon the final whistle found themselves 3-1 down and out of the knockout stages and in a play-off for 9^th and 10^th position with the German team, Bissendorfer Panthers. 

 The second day of the championships saw the Flames determined to avoid the “wooden spoon” as they faced off for the first of a two-leg play-off against the German side from Bissendorf, the Bissendorfer Panthers.

The Flames took to the rink looking for a change in fortunes but soon found themselves under the cosh as, in the first minute, they were reduced to three through a minor penalty. The German side immediately sought to take advantage and were only denied by the crossbar but even when the Flames were back to full strength the Panthers continued to pressure the Flames goalmouth and three minutes into the game they were rewarded with a goal. Buoyed by their success the German team launched into another attack on the Flames from the face-off and less than sixty seconds later the Panthers again put the ball into the net following a goalmouth scramble to give them a 2-0 advantage with 8 minutes of period time left to play. The Flames sought to claw their way back into the game but found themselves on the defensive for much of the remaining period but when the Flames where again a man down through a minor penalty 3 minutes from the end of first half the Panthers failed to exploit the advantage and, with one eye on the clock, seemed content to take their 2-0 lead into the break. Returned to full strength and sensing their opponents complacency the Flames launched an attack from deep inside their own half which resulted in defender Luke Vincent scoring a magnificent goal with only 40 seconds left on the clock, to give the Flames a glimmer of hope going into the second period.

In a bruising opening two minute spell of the second period both teams took minor penalties as they sought to dominate each other but as both teams returned to full lines they both settled and despite the best efforts of both teams they were unable to break the deadlock and the game ended with the Panthers taking a 2-1 advantage into the next leg. 

Game two of the play-off proved to be one of the most entertaining games of the entire tournament as the Flames took to the rink determined to reverse the result of their first tie with the Panthers. From the off the German side opted to take the game to the Flames and within two minutes the Panthers managed to slip in behind the Flames defence and claim their first goal of the game to give them a 2 goal aggregate lead. Things went from bad to worse for the Flames minutes later when the Panthers were awarded a penalty shot through a dubious hooking call and team captain Shaun Davies was sent to the penalty bin. However, the Panthers were denied by a fantastic save by Flames netminder Rebecca Lewis. From the restart the Panthers again stormed the Flames goals and again despite the best efforts of the defence and netminder the team from Bissendorf managed to snatch another goal to give themselves a 2-0 lead in the game and an aggregate score of 4-1. The Flames responded immediately with a quick fire goal from Chris Adamson to half the deficit but a yellow card for Shaun Davies kept the Flames on the back foot for the remainder of the period.

The second period opened with a blistering shot from the half way line which left the Flames keeper no chance of a save and left the Swindon side 3-1 down within 12 seconds of the restart but the goal which should have sounded the death knell for the Flames hopes, now trailing 5-2 on aggregate, served only to strengthen the teams resolve and they began to mount a remarkable comeback. Following a Flames’ called time-out the team retook the rink with a steely determination and within seconds launched an all out assault on the Panther ‘s goal-line. The Panther’s netminder was forced to stop repeated shots on goal as the Flames set up camp in the Bissendorf half and despite his best efforts the Flames were only denied when Luke Swaby’s shot ricocheted of the cross bar to give the Panthers possession. The Flames defence, however, were determined that the Panthers would not cross the line and outstanding contributions from Miles Bailey, James Bayliss, Luke Vincent and Luke Swaby meant that the door was effectively closed and the Flames were quickly returned to the offensive. As the pressure began to mount the cracks in the German defence began to show and making the most of an opportunity Flames forward Will Crowder rifled the ball into the back of the net to bring the score to 3-2 (5-3 agg.). However the Flames were in no mood for celebrations and from the face off again began to mount concerted pressure on the German side. Time after time the Flames forwards, Craig Davies, Tom Poole, Tom Ireland and Drew Satchell mounted a barrage of attacks on the opposition,s goals hitting everything but the back of the net and likewise the Flames defence stood firm in the face of the Panther’s repeated efforts to breakout of their own half. In desperate need of a break the Bissendorf side called for a time out but when play resumed the Flames were give a fantastic lift from the partisan crowd who were, by now, willing the Flames to a win. With the clock ticking down the Flames threw caution to the wind an launched yet another all out assault on the Panthers and when Will Crowder’s shot found the net with only 70 second left to play the noise of the crowd was deafening. From the off the Flames stormed the Panther’s goals in a last ditch attempt to score the goal which would force extra time and with 49 second left to play Flames forward Tom Ireland found the space to shoot and when his scorching shot crossed the line to give the Flames the game at 4-3 (agg.5-5) to entire arena stood as one to applaud a great comeback from the Flames. 

Having clawed themselves back from the brink the Flames set about extra time determined not to slip at the last hurdle and again the Flames defence closed ranks to deny the Panthers any opportunity to score. The shell-shocked Panthers however seemed to be content to let the clock run down to the, by now, inevitable penalty shoot-out.

Going first in the shoot-out Craig Davies beat the Panthers keeper to give the Flames the advantage and their position was strengthened when Flames netminder Rebecca Lewis saved the Panther’s first attempt. Tom Ireland and Will Crowder were both denied by the Bissendorf netminder but the Flames retained the upper hand as Lewis saved the Panthers second and third attempts. The Flames then edged closer to the win when team captain Shaun Davies slotted his penalty home but Bissendorf stuck back when they scored for the first time in the shoot-out which meant that the Flames’ Chris Adamson was now taking his penalty for the game. The Panther’s goalie made the save and the pressure reverted to Swindon’s netminder who needed to make the save to win the match. Lewis, who had already saved 3 out of 4, was equal to the task and the Flames won their first European game 7-6 on penalties and finished the competition ranked 9^th in Europe. 

Speaking after the tournament, club deputy chairman, Nigel Davies, said “ To be ranked in the European top ten is a magnificent achievement for our club. We are all really proud of the whole team not only because of their achievements but also because of the character, determination and spirit they’ve all shown throughout the competition. Coming to Germany and competing with the best teams on the continent has been a fantastic experience and the team can be right fully proud of their efforts “.

Swindon Flames Europacup 2008