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Chelmsford Chieftains Ice Hockey Club

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 Chelmsford Chieftains Ice Hockey

 

The Chelmsford Chieftains are Essex's premier ice hockey team who compete in the third tier of British ice hockey, the English National League 1 (South).

Starting out in the mid-80s when the Riverside ice rink first opened in Chelmsford, the Chieftains enjoyed a good few seasons mixing with the top sides in the British Hockey League and and later the English League. In 1999 the club completed an historic treble while playing in the English League.

Chelmsford Chieftains, copyright of Ian Snoding (Club Photographer)The club continued in the English league, now renamed the English Premier League until the end of the 2007-08 season when finances dictated that the club would have to drop to the ENL and were forced into League 2.

The club used this drop to 'wipe the slate clean' and start from scratch with a new coach and a new look side, made up primarily of local players who had come through the vast junior system in Chelmsford. The array of talent on offer allowed the team to demolish every side they came up against in division 2 and ended the season with just 1 draw and the rest victories. The average scoreline was an incredible 9-2 and needless to say head coach Dean Birrell was keen to keep the core of the team together for last season's assault on division 1.

Chelmsford Chieftains, copyright of Ian Snoding (Club Photographer)Icing 2 non-British players under EIHA rules, the bulk of the team in division 1 again was made up of local Chelmsford players. The club gave a solid account of themselves throughout the season and ended the season in a respectable 4th place. Then came the play-offs and the club were place in the tougher group with Cardiff ENL Devils and Wightlink Raiders being the opponents. A loss in a controversy-filled game in Cardiff saw the club on the back foot, but they responded in an incredible manner with a 10-1 thrashing of the Welsh side the following night in another incident packed game.

The following weekend the club headed to the Isle of Wight and came away with a hard-fought 2-2 draw, despite missing key players. This meant that the final group game at home to the Raiders would be a 'winner take all' game effectively and the Chieftains had a lead up until 4 minutes from time when the Raiders equalised. This meant the Chieftains would be in the final, but on goal difference only. Then the club's heart was broken as the Raiders netted twice more to end the game 3-5 and they went onto the final where the Bracknell Hornets took home the spoils.

This coming season, 2010-11, the Chieftains have strengthened their team and early indications show that the team are likely to be in the mix for silverware come the end of the season in April 2011.

Most Chieftains home games are on a Sunday night facing off at £6:30 with ticket prices starting at £3:50 for kids, rising to £8 for adults. The first home game is expected to in September and then most weeks right through to March when the play-offs start.

Chieftains opponents for 2010-11 - Bracknell Hornets, Bristol Pitbulls, Cardiff ENL Devils, Invicta Dynamos, Milton Keynes Thunder, Oxford City Stars, Romford Raiders, Streatham Redskins, Swindon ENL Wildcats, Wightlink Raiders.

Squad so far: N/M - Euan King, Ben Clements. D - Sean Easton, Danny Wright, Richard Gunn, Alex Green, Alex Staples. F - Tom Long, Danny Hammond, Jaroslav "Jerry" Pavlus, Matt Turner, Aaron Connolly, Blaho Novak, Ross Brears, Nathanael "BT" Williams, Darren Brown, James Ayling.

For more information please visit the Chelmsford Chieftains website.

 

Chelmsford Chieftains, copyright of Ian Snoding (Club Photographer)

All photographs on this page are copyrighted to Ian Snoding, Club Photographer of the Chelmsford Chieftains.

 


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