Half term review...

So, we are just slightly over the halfway point in the fixture list for our inaugural season in the EPL, and I have to say, things are looking good.

The team is sitting quite comfortably in 2nd palce as I write (although, with no games for ourselves this next weekend, this may change), and look to be a serious contender for all 3 pieces of silverware come the seasons end. Which is nice.

Tonys new recruits seem to have settled in nicely, with even the controversial addition Mr Payette winning folks over, mostly by not being the waste of space many assumed he would be (remember this folks, assumption is the mother of all fuck ups), and instead contributing on the ice by making plays and space for the 'skill' players on his line. Oh yeah, scarring the shit out of the majority of the opposition probably helps.

'Sir' Tony and 'Big' Ed are easily the most potent pairing in the league (probably in the EIHL too), scoring points seemingly for fun ('Big' Ed currently has a massive 73 points to his name, and 'Sir' Tony has 60, for a combined 133...gulp!), and everyone seems to know it. Close down the Hand/Courtenay line, close down the team, right? Wrong! Points are coming from all over the squad. Jakko and Walks have 43 points a piece. Ian Bowie and Greg Wood ahve 20 and 21 points respectively. So we actually have 3 productive lines.

And big, big kudos to young Adam Summerfield who has stepped up to the plate and filled in for Steve Fone with some stunning displays. Growing in coinfidence everygame, even after a couple of heavy defeats. This young man has a damned bright future ahead of him.

And the D have finally settled. Mattsson is one of the best positional player I have seen for years, and now he has adapted to the pace of the EPL is fast becoming a defensive rock. Boothroyd was abit unsettled early doors, which I put down to being given the 'C', but has settled down, and is usually very assured on the ice.

So, what else to report on?

Well, the rink management seem to not really want us. Firstly taking the bar out of the clubs control, meaning no more post game drinkies with the players. Then they seem to be unable to give us anything like consistent ice over any given run of games. Oh yeah, and far too often the rink just looks like a shithole. Untidy, dirty, and ignored are words which spring to mind.

And the league?

I'm loving it. Any team is capable of taking the points on any given night (eg: We battered Romford in our barn, yet have lost both road games to them). The pace is certainly faster than I thought it would be, and even though the 'skill level' isnt as high as the EIHL, the games themselves are far, far more entertaining. I guarantee we won't see too many (any?) ground out 1-0 games in the remainder of the season.

Indeed, me and my good buddies Russ, Caz, and Ang have already booked rooms in Coventry for the end of season playoffs, we are that impressed.

Bring on January and the resumption of our games. I need my fucking fix!

Oh yeah, Merry Xmas, Happy Hannukah, and the like. Now, wheres the beer...