Swindon Flames Match Reports

 

2007 BISHA BRITISH NATIONAL YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS

Virtual Ice, Rotherham, Yorkshire – 3^rd/4^th November. 

The Swindon Skater Hockey Club’s Flames Youth team (U-15s) took part, this weekend, in the prestigious 2007 British Inline Skater Hockey Association (BISHA) National Championships held at Virtual Ice, Rotherham, Yorkshire.

The weekend saw the top 12 skater hockey sides from around the UK battle it out for the title and the honour of representing Great Britain at next year’s IIHSF European Championships. 

The Flames qualified for the Championship weekend by finishing in the top three of the Southern Area Skater Hockey (SASH) Youth league and went to the competition seeking to retain a national top ten placing and hopefully improve on the 6^th place that they achieved in last year’s finals. 

The Flames Youth started the weekend with, perhaps, the toughest of all the first round group games as they faced off against tournament hosts and this year’s undefeated Northern Champions, Norton Cyclones, who had already secured their first championship points earlier in the day by beating their other group opponents Havering Liberators 8-1. With the Cyclones enjoying the home advantage, topping the group and tipped as early competition favourites the young Flames side took to the rink determined to not to give the home team an easy passage to the next round.

The Flames started brightly, unintimidated by the physical size of the Northern Champions, however it was Norton who struck first scoring in the seventh minute of the game. The Flames immediately countered and when Flames assistant captain Matt Baxter found one of his forwards with an inch perfect pass the scores where levelled at 1-1 as Connor Mackenzie rifled the ball past the Norton keeper. Rattled by the Flames’ comeback the Cyclones sought to establish dominance of the game through their strength and size but as they conceded a series of minor penalties the Flames maintained the pressure on the Norton defence. Despite this the Swindon side were unable to convert their one man advantage into points and as the Cyclones were restored to full strength five minutes from the half time break they began to wrestle back the initiative and in a blistering 90 second spell the Northern Champions managed to find the back of the Flames net three times in quick succession to establish a 4-1 lead at halftime.

The second period began with The Flames defiantly trying to get back into the game but again the Cyclones size, strength and experience allowed them to resist the Flames best efforts and when the Swindon side was reduced, through a minor penalty, to three outfield players the Cyclones were able to take advantage and increase their lead to 5-1. As the Swindon side began to tire the Norton team began to increase the pressure and in the closing 4 minutes of the game managed to score 4 more times to give them a convincing 9-1 victory and a place in the knockout round of the championships. 

The Flames next faced off against Havering Liberators, runners-up in this year’s London and Eastern league, in what was effectively a knockout game with the winners claiming second spot in the group and proceeding to the quarterfinal stages of the championship.

The Flames took to the rink and immediately unleashed a ferocious assault on the Havering netminder, twice hitting the metalwork in the opening seconds, and within minutes the Flames were rewarded for their efforts when forward Jamie Baker’s blistering shot beat the shell-shocked Havering goalkeeper to give the Swindon side a 1-0 lead. The Flames continued to pound the Liberator’s goal but as the game went on the Havering team began to find their feet and managed to reach the halftime break without conceding another goal.

The second half saw the Flames trying to increase their slender lead and the Havering Liberators doggedly resisting. As the game went on the Liberators began to increase in confidence and in the final few minutes of the contest it was the Flames who had to dig deep and desperately defend their lead as the Liberators launched a last ditch effort to snatch an equaliser and take the game into extra time. The Flames defence were given some respite when the Liberators conceded a minor penalty and were reduced to three men in the last three minutes of game time, which enabled the Flames to hold out for the win and a place in the quarterfinals. 

The quarterfinals saw the Swindon Flames facing off against SASH league rivals, Reading Rhinos. Having lost to the Rhino’s three times in this year’s league (11-0, 10-1, 8-2) The Flames went into the game as underdogs and despite their best efforts an early goal from the Rhinos put the Flames on the back foot for the entire game and by the end of the first period they trailed the Reading side 3-0.

The second period followed much the same pattern with Reading establishing their dominance from the off and despite a late goal from Flames captain, Hannah Archer, the Rhinos eventually ran out convincing winner with a final score of 9-1. 

Day two of the Championships found the Flames in defiant mood and determined to retain a national top ten position. Their first opponents for the day were BISHA North’s West Coast Wasps. After a tense opening spell it was the Wasps who had the first real opportunity of the game when they were awarded a penalty shot 10 minutes into the contest. Flames netminder Adam Rose was equal to the task and denied the Wasps with an outstanding save, however, reduced to three men the Flames conceded in open play seconds later and from there the West Coast team confidently took control of the game reaching the half-time whistle 4 –0 up. A further 3 goals from the Wasps followed in the second period to give them a deserved, if slightly flattering, 7-0 victory and left the Flames with a 7^th/8^th place play-off with the Brighton Street Stormers. 

The Flames last game of the Championship proved to be one of the most exciting and competitive games of the tournament as the Swindon team faced-off against South East league Champions Brighton Street Stormers. The Flames started brightly and after hitting the post several times and forcing save after save from the Brighton netminder the Swindon side at last broke through to score with forward Jamie Baker finding the back of the net to take the Flames to the break one goal in front.

The second period saw the Brighton side taking the game to the Flames and they were rewarded with an equaliser in the 7^th minute of the period. Following the equaliser the teams engaged in a ten-minute period of thrilling end-to-end hockey but as the pressure increased the Flames began to concede unforced penalties and were at one point down to only 2 outfield players. The Stormers however were unable to make their numerical advantage count and the period ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

The first 5 minute period of extra time started off were regular game time had finished and the frenetic pace of the game continued with The Flames hitting the metalwork in the opening seconds of the period and then having a Connor Mackenzie goal controversially disallowed.Period two of extra time was another action packed affair and just as it seemed that the game was headed to a penalty shoot out The Stormers managed to mount a last ditch attack and slip in behind the Flames defence to score what was to be the winning goal with 53 seconds of time remaining.

Although narrowly defeat 2-1 The Flames had achieved their aim of retaining a place in the top ten by finishing 8^th and after the final game Flames Youth manager, Chris Rose, said “ It’s been a great Championship and we’re all really proud of our team,s performance throughout the tournament. The standard of this year’s competition has been really high so just to have qualified to take part in the Championship is quite an achievement in itself and to finish in the country’s top ten is something that the players, coaches and everybody at the club can be very proud of.”

The 2007 BISHA Youth Championships were won by Killamarsh Khaos who beat Oxford Tornadoes 6-3 in the finals. 

The Flames’ quest for national honours continues next weekend when the Junior Flames (U-18s) travel to Bisley, Surrey, to compete in the 2007 BISHA National Junior Championships.

Back L-R - Kyle Coupe, Jamie Baker, Matthew Baxter (A/C),Chris Weymouth,Hannah Archer (C), Ryan Martin, Mike Weymouth, Connor Mackenzie
Front L-R - Liam McGuire, Alex Baker, Oliver Thompson, Terry Silvester, Anthony Bayliss, Adam Rose