TAKING FLIGHT
COMING IN TO LAND
So last post I looked at the returning members of the 18/19 Streatham Redhawks. This post I will look at the new faces landing at the High Road for this coming season. And where I think they will fit in the established line up of the Hawks
Damien King
So in a recent press release Jeremy Cornish stated, he was building the team from the net out. So we shall do much the same here as we welcome former Invicta Dynamo's net minder Damien King to Streatham for his debut season as a Redhawk.
“He's capable of winning games on his own and is very excited to be joining the RedHawks. Every team needs strong goal tending and I'm really looking forward to seeing how Damien plays in front of a stronger defence this year.
He is very athletic, takes his hockey seriously and wants to win. He is another player we have signed this year that has experience of winning trophies and we're hoping he contributes to helping us achieve our goals this year.”
One thing Coach Cornish has said when building this seasons team is he wants experience. In Damien King he gets just that, bringing in a net minder experienced at both EPIHL and NIHL level. On the surface to casual observer this may seem a strange signing, trading Matt Colclough for the goalie of a team that finished second from bottom, and who regularly conceded a lot of goals. But even the greats like Brodeur and Roy would be hard pushed to put up dominant figures with the kind of defense King had last year(to be fair the Mo's were often short benched, and no D will hold forever against being tired and worn down) King brings a winners mentality with his experience, having back stopped the Dynamos to victory over the all conquering Chelmsoford Chieftains in the play offs 2 seasons ago. He has also been a Southern NIHL All Star twice. With the Defense that is being built in front of him I can see King doing well in Streatham
Rupert Quiney
Along with this posts main event signing, Rupert Quiney is a player I am very excited to see line up in Streatham. And in his own words he's excited to be doing so as well as its his homecoming. The 28 year old started out in the Streatham Scorpions at the old rink, and since then has gone on to play in Canada and the Elite League. He brings a high experience and ability level, not only that Quiney brings size which he uses so well, aside from size he'll provide a winning pedigree having been part of the double winning Telford side of 14/15 and the double winning Guildford Flames of 15/16.
“He has family ties to the club and has played here before. For those fans that aren't familiar with Rupe, they will enjoy his no nonsense approach to the game. Rupe is a big defenceman that can move the puck well and is very good in his own end.
We need to make improvements all over the ice this year and signing Rupe is one of the first moves we have made to better our team. Rupe has iced in the top level of the game here in the UK and won a number of trophies throughout his career. His experience will be welcomed as we look to improve on last season.”
Another utility player that will help give Cornish flexibility in the event of injuries(something his team badly needed last season) on the tight ice of Streatham he's going to be right at home, was always a pain both in the corners and in front of the net when I saw him play in Guildford against Bison. To go with these should any thing blow up in the corner Quiney will have no problem sticking up for himself and team mates,having gone toe to toe with some of the EPL's biggest enforcers. His canon of a shot, should provide a third option for the power play offensively to go along with Farn and Jamieson on the blue line.
Ben Russell
To look at the Ben Russell's career stats, you would not believe he is only 24 years old. Already with 312 games under his belt, and 100 or so of those having been spent in Canadian and American junior leagues, Ben brings a nice mixture of youth to the defensive corpse while also providing a quality skill set gained from his time in Canada's Ontario Hockey Academy.Which means he also brings the experience of playing against tough opposition overseas. Giving his game a bit of an extra edge
“Ben is another player we have signed to help strengthen our defence and from all of the reports I have had, he should be able to do that said Coach Jeremy Cornish.
Ben gives 100 percent every time he's on the ice and has a very blue-collar approach to his game. He was part of a Peterborough team that went right to the last weekend of games last year competing for the league title and even though he's not old, I'm hoping that experience he's had will help our team this year.
Ben will have an opportunity to log some big minutes for our team and face some of the best players in our league week in and week out. I'm excited to get him in a RedHawk's shirt and I know he feels the same way.”
As Coach Cornish states above, Ben has been signed to strengthen the D and he will do just that. His no nonsense, do every thing a defense man should do right style will blend well with the rest of whats been assembled on the Hawks blue line. Russell also chips in some more of that vital experience factor that Jeremy Cornish wants in this team, at 24 he's very much a veteran player with experience of being part of a title contender, and of various different leagues and styles of play as well as having been part of the GB junior set up, so he knows how to adapt his game, and be a role player on the team. While not an enforcer Russell is used to the rough stuff and will drop the gloves if he needs to. I'd expect Russell to be used more defensively than offensively, most likely he'll be used in a stay at home D role.
Joshua Condren
A large part of July in England had folks sinGing its coming home. But for Josh Condren it was more a case of I'm coming home. The Croydon native, and product of the vaunted Guildford Junior system makes his debut for his boyhood team. At 22 Condren provides youth and energy in a team that coach Cornish has said by design is older and more experienced
“Josh is a type of player you hate to play against, he works extremely hard and is looking forward to pulling on a RedHawks jersey” said Head Coach Jeremy Cornish.
I’ve had the pleasure of coaching and playing against Josh in the past and I know I exactly what he’s going to bring to the table. He’s looking for a fresh start and bringing in another local lad is fantastic. I can’t wait to see how Josh progresses throughout this season.”
Despite his youth Condren is already very experienced, at over a 100 games in the NIHL system, and was part of the Dynamo'splay off winning team of 2016/17. Though he doesn't put up huge numbers, that isn't the be all and end all of a player contribution. Like Ranson he's more of a 2-way defensive forward who works hard at both ends of the ice. He plays a 200ft game as coaches are known to say. At 6ft 1 and 185lbs according to Elite Prospects Josh will provide muscle, with a work horse attitude on the depth end of the team, id expect him to also see time on the penalty kill, using his size, and work ethic to win the puck battles.
Scott Bailey
Bringing another dose of youth and energy Bailey, at 21 though Bailey already has a lot of experience for such a young player. Having come up through Guildford and Slough jr ranks as a prolific points gatherer, he then headed to North America to play in several Junior leagues in both Canada and the US. Before joining up with the Manchester Phoenix during their final season. Quoted as having a Good hockey brain, his education and experience reflect this.
He's got good size, skates well and can put the puck in the net when given the opportunity. Scott will have the opportunity to play with better players this year and I hope this translates into Scott being extra motivated to help our team win. Scott is looking forward to joining us this year and I'm hoping he becomes a fan favorite on the High Road.”
Bailey is someone Cornish says he has been after for some time, though his numbers are not huge I would say that has more to do with the way he's been used and the line mates he has had, as everyone knows in the old EPIHL anyone 21 and under was usually riding the pine unless they stood out like Vanya Antonov. Also you only have to look at his numbers in North America, to see that if put with the right pairing he has the potential to up his productivity.
Thomas Beesley
All the size in the team means not a lot of speed. Size means corner wars in both ends, but its all well and good playing it to the corner but if you havent got someone to beat the opposition to that corner its pointless. Thomas Ziggy Beesley, along with Webb, Siagris and Ranson provides that element. Beesley spent last season with The Raiders, but before that was in the EPIHL with Bracknell. So though young he's already had plenty of game experience.
“Ziggy is a player I have been impressed with over the last couple of seasons” said Head Coach Jeremy Cornish.
He’s quick, loves playing and can slot in anywhere in the line-up. The reports I have on Ziggy is that he’s an intelligent player and can play systems effectively. It didn’t take long for Ziggy and I to reach an agreement and I think he’s looking forward to a fresh start in Streatham.”
Thomas Soar
Size and experience, that was the blue print for this seasons team. But all the size and experience will mean zero if you can not put the puck in the net. with the addition of Thomas Soar the team secures all 3 of those requirements. At 25 Soar has already amassed 325 games of pro experience, for a total of 335 points. Despite playing last season in the new NIHL north with power houses like Telford, Hull and Sheffield Soar was still able to keep point production to a high level, ending the season inside the top 20 for goal scoring both in the North and across the NIHL as a whole .
“We are very lucky to have secured the services of Tom this season” said Head Coach Jeremy Cornish.
He’s working and living in the city now and lives fairly local to our rink. He’s put up some decent numbers over the last couple years up in the North. He’s also looking to test himself this season playing in a new league and seeing what our club has to offer.
Tom has excellent size and will give us the offensive punch we were lacking at times last season. Tom will also give us more leadership and experience and that will be beneficial for our younger players.”
As I said, Soar meets the blue print, and now provides me with a bit of a head ache drawing up my projected lines for the season. No doubt he will feature on the top 2 lines, as well as providing another potent weapon on the power play. He most certainly provides that extra scoring punch and depth the Hawks were lacking last season, as in some games that extra guy outside the first line who could score any time was missing. Soar fills that gap in the line up.
Having looked at video of Alex Roberts I am very excited by this signing. While Albertan junior hockey is a different world to NIHL 1,it is in my opinion a league of a higher caliber. Roberts as Cornish states has incredible speed for a player of his size. He also has a nose for the net, the majority of his goals are from a few feet out. Something that frustrated me last season was the inability of the team to stuff home rebounds and cross crease passes, so its good to see a player who can convert these to goals. Roberts adds a utility dimension as his size will be useful both on PK and PP. He reminds me to a degree of former Bison player Joe Greener. If that's any indication then Streatham have signed a great import.
Alex Roberts
Behind a lack of experience, the biggest flaw in the 2017/18 Streatham Redhawks was the absence of a second import. Certainly the mid season arrival of Andreas Siagris added a new dimension to the teams play. Sadly the team was not in a position to add another import last season. However Jeremy Cornish realized this coming season that he would need to add this extra dimension. The signing of Alex Roberts ticks boxes in the columns of size,skill and experience.
“He has excellent size that will add to the much larger team we will have this season. Alex has good hands and speed from the reports I have had back and it’s tough to find players that have that unique skill set.
He will be able to play in all situations and I’m looking forward to seeing how he links up with our returning faces and the new signings we have made this summer. I would also like to thank Graham and Dawn for making this signing possible, they have been instrumental in helping me improve the team from a year ago.”
Leigh Jamieson
So my life as a hockey fan comes full circle. In 2008 I began watching hockey at the Coventry Skydome with the Coventry Blaze. Part of that Blaze line up, one Leigh Jamieson. It was a jaw dropping announcement for me when I saw it, that Jaimo as my friends from MK refer to him was coming to the High Road, increasing the size of the Redhawks I like to refer to as "THE MK CONNECTION"
“I always liked his size and the skill he possesses and I'm really looking forward to seeing him in a RedHawks shirt.
He's won a number of trophies throughout his career and I know we lacked a bit of experience last year, so this signing should help with our veteran presence on the ice and in the locker room.
Leigh played for a strong Peterborough side last year that was in the title hunt right until the last weekend of the year and that experience should help us moving forward in the new-look league.”
Experience, experience, experience is the mantra of this off season from Jeremy Cornish(its a point I have probably made way too often in these past 2 blogs) but Jamieson brings so much more than experience, he brings additional leadership,flexibility of position being able to play both defense and as a forward(though he has mostly been used as a forward in recent years) but also he brings the experience of a champion. Having won multiple league and play off trophies with Belfast, and Milton Keynes, the last being the final EPIHL Play off final in 16/17. What Cornish has landed is a strong all round player he can look to, to lead both on the ice and off, while also generating plenty of offence, while also adding another offensive option on the blue line for the power play. Alongside Adam Carr and Farn the team now has an incredible on ice leadership core.
So that's both the returning Hawks and the new faces all signed up and ready to go. The Hawks are most definately stronger than they were last season. I dare say if the Hawks had, had this line up last season a play off push beyond the semi final may have been on the cards. But the league has strengthened with them, however I certainly think this Redhawks team has a chance to be in the mix If everything clicks. Its obvious to me that Cornish has adopted a sort of siege mentality, by building a team to repel all invaders at the high road. While hopefully picking up a few points away from home. A strong home record can really be the difference in a title race and hopes for play off seeding so I can see the sense in this approach. Only a few more weeks till were underway,so I'll see you all at the arena.
Conclusion
So that's both the returning Hawks and the new faces all signed up and ready to go. The Hawks are most definately stronger than they were last season. I dare say if the Hawks had, had this line up last season a play off push beyond the semi final may have been on the cards. But the league has strengthened with them, however I certainly think this Redhawks team has a chance to be in the mix If everything clicks. Its obvious to me that Cornish has adopted a sort of siege mentality, by building a team to repel all invaders at the high road. While hopefully picking up a few points away from home. A strong home record can really be the difference in a title race and hopes for play off seeding so I can see the sense in this approach. Only a few more weeks till were underway,so I'll see you all at the arena.
