With a little over a week to go before the next show-down in the ENL D2 North we look ahead to the Sting v the Sharks.

Sutton Sting have added some size, strength and capability to their ENIHL team to complete a roster that has been six months in the making for Head Coach Ian Johnson.  Johnson has been tasked with getting his relatively new team in to Division 1 North of the English National Ice Hockey league, a task that proved too much for the team last season and some tough lessons had to be learned.

But this season is different and the Ashfield based Club is stronger and better prepared for the challenge which has created a new found belief within the Management Team at Sutton.  Sting Director Gary Apsley knows that the task ahead for Johnson is a tough one, he said. “When we set-out the strategy for this season I knew we need to reinforce the squad if we were to get out of ENL D2.  Ian produced his wish list of players and by and large he has exactly who he wanted.  So far, and with the exception of the two games against Solway Sharks, the team has met our objectives.  I am pleased with the progress the team is making and now things are about to get really interesting.”

With the recent signing of former EPL tough-guy Thomas Jeffrey and the Sayer brothers (Dan and Ben) from Hull Stingrays, along with strengthening-up of the goal tender position with Alex Birch and Ed Begley, the Sting roster looks more accomplished on paper and Johnson’s job of getting the team adjusted to suit the free-skating style of the existing players seems to be a little easier.  Johnson himself is now satisfied with the crop of players at his disposal and added. “I knew we were always a couple of players short and JR told me that I needed to increase the competition for places in the N/M and Defensive positions.  This is what we’ve done and I am happy with what we have.  I can look forward to the next challenge which will be the return visit of Solway Sharks on Sunday 20^th November.”

So far this season the league’s new-comers, Solway Sharks, have been setting the standard on the ice and the two previous encounters between the Sting and Sharks have proved to be the toughest test for both teams.  But it is the Sharks who have the upper-hand and if the Sting are to achieve automatic promotion out of Division 2 then they must bring Solway’s dominance to an end next Sunday.  The Sting’s latest signings have breathed even more confidence in to the squad and in Thomas Jeffrey there is now additional size and additional muscle to call upon when things start looking a little rough out on the ice.

Jeffrey agreed terms with the Sting at the beginning of November following a early departure from the Sheffield Steeldogs due to a clash between work and hockey.  On joining Sutton Jeffrey has found a new lease of life and the GB International has settled right-in alongside his team mates, players he knows all too well from his days at Nottingham and Peterborough.  He said. “I’ve had a great time playing ice hockey and I’ve achieved many things playing league and international hockey.  But this is different because there is so much for this team to do.  We have to work from the bottom-up and we need to bring people with us, not just players but supporters too.  Not only that but the entire junior club is looking up to us and that is something to be proud of.”

It’s not only Apsley and Johnson who are excited at what lies ahead for Sutton Sting, head coach, Rob Saunders is seeing his workload decrease as the senior players take on the role of mentors and assistant coaches too.  Saunders said “Our ENL players have started to engage with our kids on training sessions and that has led to an increase in participation on the extra sessions we have as well as extending our Learn to Skate and Learn to Play initiatives.  Simon Offord is proving to be Mr Popular with our U12 and U10 teams with his power skating and stick handling sessions on Monday nights and last week Ben Lowe, Danny Hutchinson and Matt Jeffcock came down to give the Sutton teams something to think about with some high tempo drills.  And on the tiny rink at Lammas that was something to see I can tell you!”  Apsley added; “There’s a real buzz around the Sting right now and we are really looking forward to knocking Solway off the top spot.  Sure they are a good team but they are spending a lot of money on players and that’s fine if they have it to spend.  We don’t and we need to work harder and smarter if we are going to compete.  I think we now have the tools in our toolkit to undo the Sharks.  When they roll in to ice Sheffield next week we will be ready to launch our title challenge so you might say it could turn-out to be the game of the season?”

Sutton Sting face Solway Sharks at Ice Sheffield on Sunday 20^th November 2011 at 4:30pm.  Tickets available on the door.  Family ticket (2 adults + 2 kids) is £7.  Don’t miss it.