Author: sidestep

Lions Finally Overcome Racers

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Having come close in two of the previous three meetings with Haringey, Lee Valley travelled to Alexandra Palace looking to end their losing run against their local rivals.

Illness to James Andrew meant coach George Alley stepped in to take up goaltending duties, whilst James Gosling, Jordan Turner, Ben Gillingham and Ronnie O’Connor were also missing from the line-up.

1st Period: Haringey drew first blood when a turnover in their zone saw Daniel Clayton (4:24, assist Abbott) from a 2-on-1, but Lee Valley were taking more shots and soon found their mark as James Hepburn (8:18, unassisted) went around the goal and roofed a backhand shot past Matthew Brown. Lions continued to press and a team break from their own zone saw Nick Alley (11:12, assists Hounslow, Sin-Hidge) rifling a quick wrist shot in off the bar. Both teams exchanged penalties and the hosts went close on a couple of occasions but neither side could add to their tally.

2nd Period: The first half of the period was tight as both goalies were called into action but it was Lee Valley who doubled their lead when Nick Alley (31:19, assist Jones) rounded a defence-man and buried the puck through Brown’s legs. Haringey were quick to respond as Matt Brown (32:02, assists Clayton, Abbott) caught the Lions defence napping to score on the breakaway. With the majority of the play in the period the Racers drew level when Sam Park set up Robin Martinsson (38:04, assist Park, Osborne) with a tip-in, closing the period at 3-3 with Haringey in the ascendancy but with Lee Valley on the power-play after Ryan Payne was called for Tripping.

3rd Period: Payne’s penalty saw the Lions get their first PP goal of the game, Ross Sin-Hidge (PP goal, assists Jones, Nick Alley) tapping in after a passing move around the hosts’ zone. Haringey continued to take penalties and when Stuart Appleby was penalised for Roughing, Sin-Hidge (PP goal, assist Jones) was on hand to double the Lions’ lead, the resulting play saw an injury to Haringey’s goalie Brown. Lee Valley’s dominance was undermined when a third turnover goal saw Matt Brown (51:27, assists Clayton, Ball) knock in his own rebound. Despite the set-back, the Lions controlled possession and with 27 seconds left and Haringey again short-benched, this time for Too Many Men Ross Sin-Hidge (PP goal 59:33, assist Nick Alley) was fed for an easy tap for his hat-trick, sealing the Lions first win over their neighbours since 2015.

GAME STATS

Final Score: Haringey Racers 4-6 Lee Valley Lions

Period Scores: 1-2/2-1/1-3
Shots: Haringey 31-41 Lee Valley (14-19/13-10/4-12)
Penalties: Haringey 16-8 Lee Valley
Scorers: Lee Valley – Ross Sin-Hidge (3+1), Nick Alley (2+2), Simon Jones (0+3), James Hepburn (1+0), Lee Hounslow (0+1)
Haringey – Daniel Clayton (1+2), Matt Brown (2+0), Josh Abbott (0+2), Robin Martinsson (1+0), Ben Osborne, Jack Ball & Sam Park (0+1)
Goaltenders: Lee Valley – George Alley 31 shots/4 goals, 87.10%
Haringey – Matthew Brown 33 shots/5 goals, 84.85%, Aaron Mallet 8 shots/1 goal, 87.50%

Man of the Match – Nick Alley

With a game with Chelmsford originally scheduled for January the 7th being awarded as a 0-0 draw due to no ice time being available, the Lions have one more game left this season when we travel to face Slough Jets in a re-arranged game on Saturday 8th of April.

Face off at Montem Lane is at 6:15pm.

You can follow the Lions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #LeeValleyLions for up to date news and live scores.

Lions’ Discipline Falters in Chelmsford Loss

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After three straight games with new champions Peterborough, the Lions travelled to last season’s league winners Chelmsford Warriors. The previous meeting in January saw the Lions pick up a 6-4 win but Chelmsford were going strong and had qualified for the playoffs.

Lee Valley arrived in the county town of Essex missing Jordan Turner, Ben Gillingham & James Gosling. However, Daniel Tamasauskas made his 2nd appearance for the side in as many weeks.

1st Period: Both sides created chances early as neither team got a foothold, it took a turnover on the Warriors’ blue line to break the deadlock, Brandon Webster (7:34, unassisted) scoring a breakaway goal. Lee Valley responded well, putting Billy Cook in the Chelmsford goal under pressure but their eagerness to get an equaliser boiled over, first Henry Aiken took a boarding penalty, then Matt Hepburn was called for charging. The Lions killed both penalties and then finally got the equaliser when a quick breakout allowed Lee Hounslow (17:34, assists Sin-Hidge, Alley) to race down the right hand side and rifle a wrist shot past Cook, tying the game going into the 2nd.

2nd Period: Lee Valley had the perfect start to the period when Chris Fox (20:49, assist Matt Hepburn) managed to find the net from a tight angle to give the Lions the lead. Had it not been for a couple of close chances and bad bounces, the Lee Valley could’ve doubled their lead but didn’t get the break they needed, and then the Lions’ discipline began to let them down. First Oskar Horter was called for Cross Checking then Henry Aiken was given 10 minutes for illegal equipment. With two D in the box, Chelmsford took their chance when Thomas Wilson (PP goal 33:44, assist Brears). Chelmsford then continued to put pressure on James Andrew’s goal but couldn’t score thanks to some dogged defending, a blocked shot from Nick Alley and a couple of near misses. Lions called a timeout to stem the flow of the Warriors attack, and saw out the period to keep it tied.

3rd Period: Lions’ discipline improved but they were reduced to long range shots on Cook and Chelmsford were keeping better possession of the puck. The visitors got an opportunity to add to their tally when Gary Brown was called for holding, after hitting Cook with a barrage of shots, Chelmsford managed to break free and Ross Brears (SH goal 50:17, assist Campbell) was on hand to nudge the Warriors ahead. Lions killed their only penalty of the period but another Chelmsford goal followed as Lee Valley began to tire, George Gell (53:34, assist Wicks) doubling the home side’s lead. Chelmsford had the final say in the game when Ross Brears (58:23, assists Brown, Dervish) put the result to bed.

GAME STATS

Final Score: Chelmsford Warriors 5-2 Lee Valley Lions

Period Scores: 1-1/1-1/3-0
Shots: Chelmsford 48-42 Lee Valley (16-13/15-15/17-14)
Penalties: Chelmsford 10-20 Lee Valley
Scorers: Lee Valley – Lee Hounslow & Chris Fox (1+0), Nick Alley, Ross Sin-Hidge & Matt Hepburn (0+1)
Chelmsford – Ross Brears (2+1), Thomas Wilson, Brandon Webster & George Gell (1+0), Donald Campbell, Elliot Dervish, Jonathan Wicks & Gary Brown (0+1)
Goaltenders: Lee Valley – James Andrew 48 shots/5 goals,  89.58%
Chelmsford – Billy Cook 42 shots/2 goals, 95.24%

Man of the Match: James Andrew

The Lions next fixture sees them renew acquaintances with local rivals Haringey Racers this Saturday (25/03) at Alexandra Palace. 

Face off is at 5:30pm

You can follow the Lions on Facebook & Twitter with #LeeValleyLions for up to date news and live scores.

Lions End Peterborough Series With Double Loss

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Following the previous week’s trip to new champions Peterborough Islanders, the Lions were looking to bounce back from the 8-3 loss that saw the hosts secure the title. Lee Valley now faced a double header, first visiting Mallard Road on Saturday before returning to Lee Valley for the first time in 4 games to play the same opponent.

SATURDAY

The Lions arrived in the Fens with almost double the players from the previous week. Returning to the team were James & Matt Hepburn, Ben Gillingham, Sam Awoyemi, Chris Fox & Henry Aiken.

1st Period: Lee Valley held off the initial pressure from the hosts but were undone with a loose pass in their opponent’s end allowed Daniel Cetvertak (6:41, assists Conor Pollard, Nathan Pollard), but the Lions responded within two minutes with a tic-tac-toe goal from Ross Sin-Hidge (8:14, assists Alley, Aiken) to tie the game. Peterborough had the edge over the visitors but found James Andrew in fine form, however they broke through again through Jack Escott (17:13, assist Wilson) closing the period at 2-1.

2nd Period: The Islanders retained the majority of possession but were knocked back by a string of outrageous glove saves from Andrew. Lions began to work their way back into the game, but also couldn’t take their chances, despite a couple of powerplay chances. As the period wore on, Lee Valley finally got an equaliser when Ollie (35:00, assists Hounslow, Matt Hepburn) bundled the puck through Dan Lane, leaving the game finely poised at 2-2.

3rd Period: Both teams traded goals early on, first Peterborough’s Nathan Pollard (44:17, assists White, Wallis) put the Islanders in front, before a penalty to Connor Hunter was capitalised on shortly after. Matt Hepburn (PP goal 46:49, assist Glover) forcing home the equaliser. Both teams were going back and forth at this point but it was Peterborough who pounced on a poor turnover on another Lions powerplay, Connor Hunter (SH goal 52:33, assists Bavin, Lane) breaking away to score before Daniel Cetvertak (53:56, assists Conor Pollard, Nathan Pollard) was allowed to skate out of the Lions’ corner to round Andrew to make it 5-3. Lee Valley had a powerplay to close the game but despite good puck possession and pulling their goalie for an extra player, they were unable to find the tying goals.

GAME STATS

Final Score: Peterborough Islanders 5-3 Lee Valley Lions

Period Scores: 2-1/0-1/3-1
Shots: Peterborough 53-31 Lee Valley (18-10/20-10/15-11)
Penalties: Peterborough 18-8 Lee Valley
Scorers: Lee Valley – Ollie Glover & Matt Hepburn (1+1), Ross Sin-Hidge (1+0), Nick Alley, Henry Aiken & Lee Hounslow (0+1)
Peterborough – Nathan Pollard (1+2), Daniel Cetvertak (2+0), Conor Pollard (0+2), Jack Escott & Connor Hunter (1+0), James White, Craig Wallis, Dan Lane, Kenny Bavin & Joe Wilson (0+1)
Goaltenders: Lee Valley – James Andrew 53 shots/5 goals, 90.57%
Peterborough – Dan Lane 31 shots/3 goals, 90.32%

Man of the Match: James Andrew

SUNDAY 

For the return match in East London, Lee Valley welcomed back Simon Geldart, James Joseph, Oskar Horter and gave a debut to Under 18’s defenceman Daniel Tamasauskas, Whilst Robin Young was unavailable for selection.

1st Period: The game didn’t get off to the same pace that both teams played at the previous evening and it took a while for the visitors to find their groove, eventually though they took the lead through Craig Wallis (9:01, assists Long, Stokes), and from there the Islanders got rolling. Setting up well and moving the puck quickly but unable to score, they did double their lead on the powerplay through Nathan Pollard (PP goal 15:07, assist Conor Pollard) but didn’t take their chances, giving the Lions a lifeline heading into the second.

2nd Period: Lee Valley started this stanza at a faster pace that has served them well throughout the season and had a better grip on the game as a result. They were rewarded when Lee Hounslow (34:42, assist Jones) got the puck at neutral ice and rounded two Islanders for a great individual goal. The Lions took their eyes off the ball though and Peterborough doubled their lead again through Sam Barlow (35:22, assists Raynor, Wallis) to close the period at 3-1 to the league winners.

3rd Period: Both sides needed the next goal to determine the swing of momentum but it was Lee Valley’s miss-control on their powerplay that allowed Kenny Bavin (SH goal 46:20, assist Cetvertak) to capitalise on a turnover. And when the referee didn’t blow the whistle when a puck was stuck under James Andrew, Connor Hunter (50:39, assist Romeo) poked the puck from underneath the Lions’ goalie to score Peterborough’s fifth.

GAME STATS

Final Score: Lee Valley Lions 1-5 Peterborough Islanders

Period Scores: 0-2/1-1/0-2
Shots: Lee Valley 32-53 Peterborough (8-25/12-13/12-15)
Penalties: Lee Valley 10-8 Peterborough
Goaltenders: Lee Valley Lions – James Andrew 53 shots/5 goals, 90.57%
Peterborough – Dan Lane 32 shots/1 goal 96.88%

Man of the Match: Henry Aiken

Up next the Lions travel to former champions Chelmsford Warriors in a fixture initially scheduled for Saturday 18/03. This game will now be played this Sunday 19/03.

You can follow the Lions on Facebook & Twitter with #LeeValleyLions for up to date news and live scores.

Eight Man Lions Fall to New Champions Peterborough

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Lee Valley travelled to Peterborough to face an Islanders team who had gone unbeaten all season and could seal the league winners’ title with a win on the day.

Lions arrived short benched and were hit when three players couldn’t make it to the game due to problems on their travels. The 8 players who did make it were Nick Alley, Lee Hounslow, Simon Jones, Robin Young, Ollie Glover, Ben Duffy, James Andrew and coming back to help the team at short notice from university was Matt Eggen.

1st Period: With fresh legs, Lee Valley managed to get a couple of chances on goal and kept Peterborough’s chances to a minimum but soon the Islanders had the lead when scrappy play in the Lions’ zone allowed Sam Barlow (6:07, unassisted) before Connor Stokes (7:12, assists Sansby, Wallis) quickly added a second. Despite the early setback the visitors knuckled down and kept the full strength Islanders at bay, whilst going close on the few occasions. However, Peterborough added two more before the break, first James Pentecost (15:24, assists Herring, McDonald) tripled their lead before Kenny Bavin (16:39, assist Brammall) finished the period’s scoring.

2nd Period: After a much needed breather the Lions were under the kosh again from the hosts but James Andrew was doing well to stifle any rebounds as the held off a Powerplay in the process. Eventually though the Lions’ resistance was broken after Robin Young was called for Hooking, Connor Stokes (PP goal 29:19, assist Lane) adding the Islander’s fifth before Young was penalised again for Interference and Kenny Bavin (PP goal 30:41, assists Herring, Yardley) was on hand score again. Lions were finally rewarded for their efforts when Lee Hounslow (33:17, assists Duffy, Glover) score a slick finish for his first goal in a Lions’ shirt. Peterborough put the result beyond doubt when first Clint Herring (37:50, assists Pentecost, Long) then Nathan Pollard (38:42, assists Wallis, Yardley) scored to close the period at 8-1 to the champions elect.

3rd Period: Despite the exhaustive effort of playing with such a short bench, Lee Valley were determined in their efforts to keep the game respectable and continued to plug away in defence, they also created a couple of chances but saw their efforts go wide or saved by Dan Lane. Peterborough maintained their dominance, controlling possession and keeping the Lions pinned in their own zone, making it difficult for the visitors to get much needed line changes. It was Lee Valley however who scored first when Lee Hounslow’s (49:28, assist Young) long range shot was deflected through Lane’s legs. To the surprise of the home crowd, it was the Lions who got the next goal when Ollie Glover intercepted a pass across the zone, and found the energy to race up ice and set up Ben Duffy (54:01, assist Glover) on the break. George Alley then called a timeout to give his players a well earned breather before they closed out the period without conceding, leaving the Islanders to celebrate winning the league title with five games to spare.

Game Stats

Final Score: Peterborough Islanders 8-3 Lee Valley Lions (Peterborough are crowned NIHL 2 South East Champions)

Period Scores: 4-0/4-1/0-2
Shots: Peterborough 67-19 (21-7/25-7/21-5)
Penalties in Minutes: Peterborough 8-8 Lee Valley
Scorers: Lee Valley – Lee Hounslow (2+0), Ben Duffy (1+1), Oliver Glover (0+2), Robin Young (0+1)
Peterborough – Clint Herring (1+2), Connor Stokes & Kenny Bavin (2+0), James Pentecost (1+1), Craig Wallis & Shaun Yardley (0+2) Nathan Pollard & Sam Barlow (1+0), Jack Sansby, Rob McDonald, Nathan Long, Dan Lane & Jon Brammall (0+1)
Goaltenders: Lee Valley – James Andrew 67 shots/8goals 88.06%
Peterborough – Dan Lane 19 shots/3 goals 84.21%

Although the league has now been decided, the Lions and Peterborough will reacquaint themselves immediately with a double header this weekend. First, the Lions travel up the A1 this Saturday (11/03) before the return game at Lee Valley Ice Centre on Sunday, our last home game of the season.

Face off in Peterborough on Saturday is at 5:00pm.

The return game at Lea Bridge Road starts at 5:30pm on Sunday.

Ticket and travel information can be found in the Game Day section of our website.

You can follow the Lions on Facebook & Twitter with #LeeValleyLions for up to date news and live scores.