The sides comprised of serving and retired personnel from both emergency forces and the match was hosted in aid of the British Heart Foundation and the Joe Ellis Trust. In front of a 500 strong crowd at the Spectrum, there was still time at the end of the game for Firefighters’ player Nicky Chinn (as nominated by the fans) to receive the Ice Bucket Challenge, as well as match referee Steve Tyson; all for a charitable cause.

Here’s a roundup of what happened from face-off to close in each period:

1st period:
11:03 – GB Police Lions start the scoring off thanks to AJ Kelham in the Powerplay.
16:54 – Police score again to go 2-0 up and this time the scorer is J Paxman.
17:45 – UK Firefighters score their first goal of the game which soon extinguished the shutout for Greg Blais. Goal scored by Paul Gurevitch in the powerplay.

2nd Period:
22:06 – Firefighters level at 2-2 with Perry Whitlock as the goal scorer.
28:23 – Lead for the UK Firefighters, Whitlock again with a Powerplay goal.
32:34 – And yet again, that man Whitlock scores to make it 4-2 Firefighters.

3rd Period:
41:18 – Goal. Police goal. Mark Hollam.
48:20 – Nicky Chinn of the Firefighters and of Basingstoke Bison gives his team a 2 point advantage again.
53:26 – Kelham scores for the Police again, his 2nd goal of the night and the 4th for the Lions.
53:40 – Goal 6 for the Firefighters scored by number 74.
55:59 – And the final goal of the game brings the Police within one and gives Kelham his hat-trick.

Daniella West

Images provided by Dave Steadman

The post GB Police Lions 5 – UK Firefighters 6 @ Guildford Spectrum (16.08.14) appeared first on Guildford.

They certainly did have an eye for goal as the team notched up a staggering 93 goals in the 18 matches played. Becky Davidson led the way with 19 goals, but Anna Fisher and Amanda Alkema were determined not to let Becky have all the fun by notching up 18 and 16 goals respectively. At the other end of the pitch, a miserly defence ended the season after conceding just 15 goals.

The performance of the ladies was even more impressive considering that half of the squad were new to the club this year. Hannah Lea, one of the new members, said “It wasn’t a surprise that it didn’t take us long to find our feet as the group were so friendly. They made me feel like part of the team straight away. The ladies section of the club has seen a huge transformation over the past few seasons, doubling in size and winning two league titles and promotions in the process, so I have joined at a really exciting time.”

The growth of the club and the ladies section in particular, is testament to the hard work that the club has put in to creating an accessible, friendly and affordable place for players of all abilities to play hockey. Novice players have been able to transition seamlessly from dedicated ‘back to hockey’ sessions into the men’s and ladies development sides, whilst more experienced players have been encouraged to push themselves in the first XIs.

The Spartan’s heavy involvement with hockey engagement activities over the past four years at the University of Surrey and Guildford College has also been key to their success. They have seen an increase in the number of 18-25’s playing hockey in the area and this large group of young members has also provided the club with bags of energy, both on and off the pitch (much to the relief of those who don’t quite have the legs anymore!).

The club chairman, Lowell Lewis, has made it clear that the club is still looking to develop even more. “It’s been great to see so many people take up hockey, but there is still a lot for us to do. There are still very few schools offering hockey in Guildford and many people are still priced out of the sport or feel they can’t commit to playing every week. We will carry on trying to tackle this and make hockey more accessible.”

The domestic hockey leagues may be taking a well-earned break but it is far from quiet at Spartans HQ this summer! The Surrey Spartans Hockey Club is hard at work pulling together plans for the season ahead as the Guildford-based club looks to build on a promising 2013/14 season.

The club is running open pay&play sessions at the Surrey Sports Park throughout July and August to allow people to take part in the sport without the commitment of joining a club. The club are even providing all the equipment so there has never been a better opportunity to give hockey a go.

The club is also working hard this summer to find ways of providing the support needed for their five teams to build on last year’s achievements, whilst still maintaining their focus on the community engagement activities. Surrey Spartans are therefore reaching out to local companies who may be able to support them as they look to grow the participation in the sport even further. To find out about the many ways in which you can support the club please contact the club Chairs, Charlotte Pennels and Lowell Lewis ([email protected]) or download the Sponsorship Proposal Pack from their website HERE.

Good luck Spartan’s for next season!

The post Surrey Spartans Ladies Win League Title! appeared first on Guildford.

It was a great game and both teams played very well, but the superior strength of the league leaders shone through eventually. Bracknell were already 0-1 up in the very first few minutes of the game, thanks to a strike from Jess Curtis and the Lightning struggled to get back level on the score sheet after that.

The Queen Bees took a 2-0 lead at the halfway point of the game before Guildford’s Kirsty Lake scored the first goal of the game for the home team in the second period. In the final third, Guildford were 1-3 down before Lake scored her second of the game minutes from time to earn herself a brace, despite it not being enough for the home team to clinch victory.

The final score was thus Guildford 2 – Bracknell 3 and so the two points from this Cup game were taken back to Bracknell’s end of the A322. However, Guildford shouldn’t feel too disheartened as they put up a great fight, despite having all of the following players missing: Alex Von Haselberg, Amy Lack, Alexandra Ronai, Laura Price, Anna-Marie Baisden and Laura Foot.

It was good to see some new faces supporting women’s ice hockey this weekend, although it would have been better to see more Guildford Flames fans at the game as well. In the more popular men’s game, the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL), English Premier League (EPL) and Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) teams will be going on their summer break soon. If you cannot wait for the new season to start once this one is over, how about heading to Guildford Spectrum to watch your local women’s team play instead?

If you are sitting there thinking ‘women’s ice hockey runs until April as well’ whilst reading this, you are wrong, it actually runs until May! So if you enjoyed watching some of the women’s ice hockey during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics recently, perhaps it is time you get down to your local ice rink to watch a game for yourself.

Finally, welcome back to Spectrum Ice Louise Adams!

Daniella West

The post Guildford Lightning 2 – Bracknell Queen Bees 3 @ Guildford Spectrum (15.03.14) appeared first on Guildford.

Guildford Lightning 4 – Solihull Vixens 2 (19.01.14)
Stars of the show this weekend were Jordan Wilshire and Alexandra Ronai who contributed to a 4-2 win against Solihull at home which made it a four point weekend after beating Milton Keynes Falcons 4-1 away the night before.

• Back at the Spectrum on the Sunday night, Jordon Wilshire fired in her first of another hat trick within 11:14 as Guildford raced into the lead
• Before Solihull’s Emma Hindmarch evened it up at 16:22.
• Solihull’s GB ace Saffron Allen put her team in the lead just after the start of the second period with a great finish on 21:50.
• But the Lightning struck back quickly as Alexandra Ronai put the puck behind Solihull’s net minder on 25:37.
• On 31:20, Wilshire scored unassisted prior to adding her hat trick goal on the 51 minute mark.

Guildford Lightning 9 – Milton Keynes Falcons 0 (01.02.14)
On February 1, Guildford Lightning faced off against Milton Keynes Falcons for the second time in a matter of days, but this time on home ice. Unfortunately, the Lightning were missing key players Laura Foot, Amy Lack, Laura Price and Alanna Byrne from their line-up, but the Falcons had former Lightning Hannah Perkins also missing from their team. Congratulations to Samantha Bolwell and Kristin Hissong who secured a combined shutout between them.

• The game was already 6 minutes and 15 seconds in before Alex Ronai started the scoring off, with Paige Parker and Lydia Zaprihacova crashing the net.
• In the second period, Guildford scored five unanswered points as they took total control of the match.
• Ronai scored her second at 22:38, before Kirsty England scored the third goal at 25:23 and Ronai’s hat trick marker came on 26:51.
• Ronai bagged her fourth of the night on 27:48 and less than a minute later, Charmaine Easton kept the puck going behind Alex Barrow on 28:35.
• The third period saw a change of net minder as defender Kristin Hissong had to replace the injured Samantha Bolwell for the final 20 minutes.
• 45:49 saw Guildford’s seventh goal scored by Jordan Wilshire and Easton scored again to put the home side 8-0 up at 51:54.
• The final goal went in on 55:46 as captain Lucy Johnson finished the scoring.

Daniella West

The post Guildford Lightning win their two home games appeared first on Guildford.

You’ve been playing for Guildford since last season. What do you like about playing for them?
“I think the girls are fantastic, they make training late on a Friday and travelling the long distance for games worthwhile! They work hard during training sessions and always come to games with the passion to win.”

The Lightning lost some good players over the summer. Do you think it will be a difficult season this year?
“I think losing some very talented and effective forwards have left us with weaker forward power, however, we have some very good players still here in the team that are training hard and making the Guildford team just as strong.”

What has been one of the best teams you have been on and why?
“One of the best teams has to be Guildford Lightning. These girls are brilliant ”

What has been one of your greatest accomplishment as an ice hockey player?
“I have played for GB under 18s and England women’s. It’s always an achievement to play for your country!”

Do you have any game day rituals or superstitions?
“I have little rituals, which I guess most players have… I always have to listen to some music whether it’s on the journey up or while warming up. I put my right side of my kit on first i.e. right skate.”

If you could pick any players for a dream starting line-up, who would you pick?
“Patrick Roy, Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, Alex Ovechkin, Kris Letang and P K Subban”

Thanks again Jordan for your time and good luck tomorrow!

Daniella West

The post Interview with Guildford Lightning superstar: Jordan Wilshire appeared first on Guildford.

This uptake in participation has not happened by accident. Surrey Spartans Hockey Club has been very active in encouraging both new players to have a go at the sport and former players to return to the game they once loved. The club has worked hard to make hockey as affordable and accessible as possible, offering activities throughout the year ranging from free taster sessions through to discounted beginner and refresher courses. These activities have seen the number of ladies regularly playing competitively or socially with the club rise from 13 to over 40 in the past couple of years.

With GB securing bronze at last year’s Olympics and major international hockey tournaments taking place in the UK over the next 5 years culminating in the Women’s World Cup in 2018, it really is a bright era for Ladies Hockey!

The Surrey Spartans are continually looking to find ways of bringing the sport to more people in Guildford and is pleased to support the “Back to Hockey” initiative that encourages mums to get active by offering light-hearted pay&play hockey sessions suitable for the complete novice or social player. The club is currently delivering these sessions at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford on Wednesday mornings from 10.30-11.30am. These supplement the normal club training sessions that take place on a Thursday evening so whether you are looking to play competitively, socially or just wanting to add something active to your week there are plenty of opportunities.

To find out more about the various ways you can have a go at playing hockey for Surrey Spartans, have a look at our dedicated ‘Get Into Hockey’ page on our website HERE.

Lowell Lewis

The post Ladies hockey on the up in Guildford! appeared first on Guildford.

Spartan Ladies 5 – 1 Wanderers Ladies
The Surrey Spartans Ladies 1st XI’s took to the pitch at Surrey Sports Park looking to maintain an unbeaten record at home. The first challenge of the weekend was the torrential rain, which meant they started the match soaked through! Three debutants were in the team this week as coach Taj Dogra looked to give game time to the whole of the strong ladies squad. From the whistle they started strongly, pushing up the pitch in search of an early goal. Unfortunately, during a brief lack of concentration, the Spartans found themselves on the back foot and facing a Wanderers attack, which resulted in them conceding their first goal of the season. Taken slightly aback, the Spartans quickly regrouped and started to play their own game again, passing well and moving forward together as a unit.

The pressure and perseverance paid off with a swift equaliser after 15mins. The Spartans kept the pressure on and their continued dominance was rewarded with a further two goals before half time. Returning to the pitch after half time, the Spartans put on a great performance, moving the ball around well, advancing and supporting each other up the pitch. The team repeatedly worked the ball from left to right probing the Wanderers defence resulting in two more goals in quick succession. There could have been a few more goals to add to the tally if it wasn’t for the magnificent exploits of the Wanderers goalie. The final whistle drew the game to a close with a well-deserved 5-1 win to make it two wins in a row and the perfect start to the 2013/14 season for the Ladies 1st XI.

Epsom 1 – 3 Surrey Spartans Men’s 1st XI
Away from home the Surrey Spartans Men’s 1st XI were looking to get their season back on track by bouncing back from the previous week’s defeat on the road. With numerous new players joining the club over the past month the team is still finding its form. Multiple changes to the starting line-up meant that things didn’t quite click in the early stages of the match against Epsom with little reward coming from lots of endeavour. The sandy pitch hampered the fast style of play that Spartans liked to play but the Epsom defence was finally unpicked by a quick turn and strike from Left Back turned Centre Forward Aristidis Tsiamis. A well worked short corner narrowly missed out on doubling the lead on the stroke of half-time.

The Spartans were very slow out of the blocks at the start of the second half and had to resist wave after wave of Epsom attacks. Finally the Spartans snapped out of their lull and got back to playing the hockey they had in the first half. Two fast and sweeping attacking moves saw Will Hams and Andrew Jurd score in quick succession to settle the game. One moment of indiscipline in defence saw Epsom grab a late consolation goal with a couple minutes to go but the result had already been settled. The Spartans ended the victors with the score at 3-1 and can look forward to continuing to climb the table as they return to playing at home next week.

In other fixtures the Ladies 2nd XI narrowly lost 2-1 to Mitcham, the Mens 2nd XI lost 4-1 to Sunbury and Walton Hawks and the Mens 3rd XI lost 3-1 to Old Georgians.

Match Summary
Ladies 1s: Home vs Wanderers 6s – Win 5-1
Ladies 2s: Away vs Mitcham 2s – Lose 1-2
Mens 1s: Away vs Epsom 2s – Win 3-1
Mens 2s: Home vs Sunbury & Walton Hawks 2s – Lose 1-4
Mens 3s: Away vs Old Georgians 3s – Lose 1-3
Mens 4s: No Game

Next Week’s Fixtures
Ladies 1s: Away vs London Edwardians 3s
Ladies 2s: Home vs Barnes 6s
Mens 1s: Home vs EUHC Gamblers
Mens 2s: Away vs Kenley 1s
Mens 3s: Home vs Aldershot & Farnham Cannons
Mens 4s: Away vs Surbiton Sparticians

Lezanne Denton

The post Surrey Spartans Men’s and Ladies both win over the weekend appeared first on Guildford.

The goals came in many different ways, showing the versatility and various strategies that the Ladies have at their disposal. With 5 different names on the scoresheet and many more providing the assists, the strength and depth of the team was plain to see. A hat-trick from Amanda Alkema showed why she had picked up player of the season last year, whilst Becky Davidson and Anna Fisher put in an early bid for top goal scorer, scoring four and five goals respectively! Jessie Devers, chairlady of the University of Surrey Hockey Club, also started her goal tally for the season.

Keep an eye out for the Ladies 1st XI this season as it promises to be an exciting one!

The Ladies 2nd XI, a developmental side giving new players the chance to play competitively, also got their season underway although in a less successful fashion losing 4-0 away to an in-form Wimbledon development side. The Men’s sides were also in action however a rather large injury list hampered them seeing only the Men’s 3rd and 4th XI managing to pick up points in week 2.

Club Results Summary
Ladies 1s: Home vs Horley – Win 14-0
Ladies 2s: Away vs Wimbledon 4s – Lose 0-4
Mens 1s: Away vs Woking 2s – Lose 0-3
Mens 2s: Home vs Old Georgians 2s – Lose 2-4
Mens 3s: Home vs Surbiton 8s – Draw 2-2
Mens 4s: Away vs Old Kingstonians 3s – Draw 1-1

Next Week’s Fixtures
Ladies 1s: Home vs Wanderers 6s
Ladies 2s: Away vs Mitcham 2s
Mens 1s: Away vs Epsom 2s
Mens 2s: Home vs Sunbury & Walton Hawks 2s
Mens 3s: Home vs Old Georgians 3s
Mens 4s: Away vs Addiscombe 5s

Juliette Ferrari-McComb

The post Surrey Spartan Ladies thrash Horley on opening day of the season appeared first on Guildford.