Home of the Lee Valley Lions Ice Hockey Team
This Saturday’s game away to Chelmsford has now been moved to Sunday 19/03.
Face off will be at 18:30pm at Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre.
We are still awaiting confirmation from the league regarding a second fixture, initially scheduled for January 7th. We will share more news as soon as we hear from the league.
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.
Having already been eliminated from the NIHL 2 Cup competition, Lee Valley headed to Swindon to complete their schedule in the group stage. The first meeting between the two sides opened the Lions’ season and ended with a 5-2 win for the Wildcats.
Injuries and other commitments meant the Lions arrived with a short bench. Missing were James Gosling, Oliver Glover, Henry Aiken, Ben Duffy, James Andrew, Ronnie O’Connor, Simon Geldart, Jordan Turner & Robin Young. George Alley returned to the goal in Andrew’s absence.
1st Period: Lee Valley got on the front foot early, cutting out Swindon’s efforts to break out of the zone but a penalty to James Hepburn for Delay of Game, gave the Wildcat’s an early advantage. A screen in front of the goal allowed Deakan Fielder (PP goal 4:00, assists Widdows, Smith) to score from long range, and quickly after when Daniel Pettitt (4:12, assists Coakley, Chillcott) saw his shot deflect in off a Lions player’s stick. Simon Jones was then called for hooking and the resulting powerplay saw Swindon stretch their lead through Jordan Smith (PP goal 6:40, assists Robson, Taylor). Lee Valley responded when Ben Gillingham (10:25, assists Fox, Matt Hepburn) bundled home his own rebound, but Swindon’s fourth was added when Jordan Smith (10:58, assists Widdows, Taylor) was given too much room in front of the Lions’ goal before scoring passed a scrambling Alley. The Lions replied again through James Hepburn (17:23, assists Fox, Matt Hepburn) who blasted a slap-shot from the blue line, before Swindon added a fifth when Loris Taylor (17:41, assist Fielder) was allowed to skate end-to-end, giving the Wildcats a three goal lead at the end of a forgettable period for the visitors.
2nd Period: Lions got off to a better start but the rebounds weren’t falling to them. Swindon created good opportunities as well but Alley made some scrambling saves. After a period of dominance, they got their sixth when Loris Taylor (27:03, assist Pettitt) chased down his own shot off the boards to score. Lee Valley struggled to get a foot hold but, were able to close out the period without conceding again, Lee Hounslow clearing off the line and Alley making a glove save towards the end of the stanza.
3rd Period: Lions had the perfect start to the period when Nick Alley (40:14, assist Jones) fired a wrist shot high that was dropped into the goal by Wildcats’ goalie, Bird. Lee Valley continued to pressure Swindon’s goal but Bird was holding firm, and the Lions couldn’t get to their rebounds. Despite out-shooting their hosts for two of the three periods, they weren’t able to add to their tally and the game ended 6-3 to Swindon.
The result sees Swindon go through to the finals weekend, along with Peterborough Islanders, Cardiff Fire and one other team to be confirmed from Group A.
GAME STATS
Final Score: Swindon Wildcats 6-3 Lee Valley Lions
Period Scores: 5-2/1-0/0-1
Shots: Swindon 42-41 Lee Valley
Penalties in Minutes: Swindon 10-8 Lee Valley
Scorers: Lee Valley – Matt Hepburn & Chris Fox (0+2), Nick Alley, James Hepburn & Ben Gillingham (1+0), Simon Jones (0+1)
Swindon – Loris Taylor (2+2), Jordan Smith (2+1), Deakan Fielder & Daniel Pettitt (1+1), Stuart Widdows (0+2), Adam Coakley & Nathan Chilcott (0+1)
Goaltenders: Lee Valley – George Alley 42 shots/6 goals, 85.71%
Swindon – Graeme Bird 41 shots/3 goals, 92.68%
The Lions now face three games against league leaders Peterborough Islanders, starting with a trip to Mallard Rd this Saturday (04/03) before a double header the following week, away on Saturday 11/03 before returning to East London on Sunday 12/03.
Face off in Peterborough is at 5:00pm.
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.
Following a tough defeat at the hands of Peterborough the previous week, Lee Valley welcomed Slough Jets to Lee Valley for the second time this season, the third meeting between the sides. The Jets have been homeless since both sides last met when the Lions walked away with a 5-3 win, only playing away games since October.
Lee Valley were missing James Gosling, Ronnie O’Connor, Sam Awoyemi, Joe Weare, Ben Duffy & goalie James Andrew. The latters’ absence meant there was a return to the net for head coach, George Alley, his first appearance in a Lions’ shirt since 2014.
1st Period: The game got off to a quick start but Lee Valley were first on the scoreboard when good work in Slough’s zone allowed Chris Fox (1:45, assist James Hepburn) to give the Lions the lead. This was short-lived however as poor marking saw the Jets an immediate response, and Kirkland Rhys-Evans (2:29, assists Webb, Barker) went through on a breakaway to equalise. Lee Valley responded well, putting shot after shot on Chris Douglas in the Jets’ goal and eventually the pressure told. Nathan Darmanin was penalised for Cross Checking and the resulting powerplay saw Chris Fox (PP goal 8:58, assist Jones) go end to end to restore the Lions’ lead. Both teams had chances but Douglas in particular was keeping the visitors in the game, and despite his team taking several penalties the period ended 2-1 to the Lions with no further goals.
2nd Period: Neither side could keep momentum in the early going and despite Slough’s Luke Dreelan sitting for High Sticking, it was the visitors who got the equaliser when Nathan Darmanin (SH goal, 26:32, unassisted) pounced on a loose pass for a second Jets’ breakaway goal. The Lions protested with the referee over whether the puck had actually crossed the line but the decision stood. This seemed to give the hosts the spark they needed as they began to pelt Douglas’ goal and two minutes later they were back in front when Nick Alley (28:32, assists Sin-Hidge, Horter) batted a backhand shot into the goal. The Lions had found a groove and doubled their lead when James Hepburn (31:50, assist Geldart) found the roof of the net from a tight angle. It was only thirty eight seconds before the lead was tripled, Hepburn (32:28, assist Geldart) scoring a second time in the same shift to send them into the third period with a three goal cushion.
3rd Period: Both teams found chances early on in this period but both goalies held firm, and from there Lee Valley were the team able to maintain control of the possession, without gaining reward for it. An early penalty to Slough’s Flynn Cunningham was followed by a Jets’ timeout. Near misses for Ross Sin-Hidge, Matt Hepburn and Jordan Turner were the story of the first ten minutes. As the period wore on, the Lions’ frustration boiled over when Nick Alley’s big hit saw him called for Boarding, before his protests resulted in him being given a misconduct penalty. There were no more goals for either side as the game finished 5-2 to Lee Valley, their first win in three.
GAME STATS
Final Score: Lee Valley Lions 5-2 Slough Jets
Period Scores: 2-1/3-1/0-0
Shots: Lee Valley 63-32 Slough
Penalties: Lee Valley 22-16 Slough
Scorers: Lee Valley – James Hepburn (2+1), Chris Fox (2+0), Simon Geldart (0+2), Nick Alley (1+0), Ross Sin-Hidge, Simon Jones & Oskar Horter (0+1)
Slough – Nathan Darmanin & Kirkland Rhys-Evans (1+0), Matt Webb & Cameron Barker (0+1)
Goaltenders: Lee Valley – George Alley 32 shots/2 goals, 93.75%
Slough – Chris Douglas 63 shots/5 goals, 92.06%
Man of the Match: Lee Valley – George Alley, Slough – Chris Hocquigny
The Lions’ next game sees them complete their NIHL 2 Cup schedule away to Swindon NIHL Wildcats this Sunday (26/02). The season opening meeting saw the Wildcats win 5-2 but the Lions will be looking to keep momentum before three straight games with league leaders Peterborough.
Face off in Peterborough is at 5:00pm.
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.
With the final stretch of the season approaching, a short benched Lee Valley took on league leaders Peterborough Islanders, who were yet to lose in the league this season.
Lee Valley welcomed back Chris Fox from GB Universities duty, but were missing from the Lions’ line-up were Lee Hounslow, Sam Awoyemi, Ben Duffy, Robin Young, Oskar Horter, Joe Weare and Ross Sin-Hidge.
1st Period: Peterborough took off at a fast pace and were constantly in the Lions’ zone. Lee Valley’s lack of coverage in the neutral zone saw the Islanders go in front through Shaun Yardley (5:41, assist Hunter), an soon after Connor Stokes (6:11, assist Cetvertak) doubled for the guests, seeing George Alley call an early timeout for his team. It failed to stem the flow of Peterborough’s play though, James Pentecost (6:47, assists Connor Pollard, Nathan Pollard) then Connor Stokes (11:37, assist Bavin) added further goals before the Lions could respond. Good work by Jordan Turner allowed James Hepburn (13:00, assist Turner) to pull a goal back, but Peterborough scored twice more through Nathan Pollard (14:05, assists Yardley, Connor Pollard) and Deivid Cetvertak (PP goal 17:42, assists Brammall, Yardley) made it 6 for the Islanders at the break.
2nd Period: The visitors didn’t let off at the start of this period either, taking only 31 seconds to add to their lead when Clint Herring (20:31, assist Sansby) was allowed through on net. Despite some back and forth the Islanders tallied another goal, Herring (26:28, assists Hunter, Stokes) again making it 8-1. Discipline started to slip from both teams as Lee Valley’s frustration began to show, an total of 24 penalty minutes being called the period.
3rd Period: Despite the score-line, neither team let up physically with hits being thrown left, right and centre. A powerplay opportunity saw Lee Valley reduce the score, Nick Alley (PP goal 50:11, assists Matt Hepburn, Fox) but despite Peterborough’s high penalty count, the Lions couldn’t add to the scoreboard. The rest of the period was dominated by penalties to both sides before the game closed at 8-2 to Peterborough.
GAME STATS
Final Score: Lee Valley Lions 2-8 Peterborough Islanders
Period Scores: 1-6/0-2/1-0
Shots: Lee Valley 35-46 Peterborough
Penalties: Lee Valley 18-48 Peterborough
Scorers: Lee Valley – Nick Alley & James Hepburn (1+0), Matt Hepburn, Chris Fox & Jordan Turner (0+1)
Peterborough – Connor Stokes (2+1), Shaun Yardley (1+2), Clint Herring (2+0), Nathan Pollard & Deivid Cetvertak (1+1), Connor Pollard & Connor Hunter (0+2), James Pentecost (1+0), Jack Sansby, Kenny Bavin & Jon Brammall (0+1)
Goaltenders: Lee Valley – James Andrew 46shots/8 goals, 82.61%
Peterborough – Daniel Lane 35 shots/2 goals, 94.29%
Man of the Match – Jordan Turner (LV), Nathan Pollard (Pet)
The Lions are back in action this Sunday (19/02) when Slough Jets visit Lee Valley Ice Centre.
Face off is at 5:30pm.
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.