Welcome to Issue #1 of STORM BLITZ, the new News By E-mail service provided by Inter The Storm. If you have any comments on Storm Blitz, please feel free to e-mail simon.sm@zetnet.co.uk any time. In this issue : * Storm beat Blackburn 19-6 at Nynex * Dave Biggar - the new Jon Hammond? * 2 new signings as Marc Gronau leaves * Great Britain win in Holland * Bracknell beat Manitoba University * Cardiff draw with Manitoba University * Chad Penney photo arrives * Who's next at the Nynex? * Skate with the Storm * GB to play Manitoba at Blackburn * Forthcoming Storm & GB fixtures * Next on TV & Radio * Inter The Storm launches new front page * Another new Storm Web page goes online * Bracknell Bees Prediction League * Coming soon on Inter The Storm * Latest changes to Inter The Storm * How to unsubscribe to Storm Blitz ------------------------- > STORM BEAT BLACKBURN 19-6 AT NYNEX Storm put 19 goals past a patched up Blackburn team in a tame game. John Lawless was again playing for Blackburn and Storm only iced 12 players plus Finnie. The first period saw six Storm goals and six different scorers. Dale Jago, Mike Morin, Chad Penney, Eric Calder (it was announced as Rubachuk's, but Calder scored it), David Smith and Brad Zavisha. One of Blackburn's three goals were scored by John Lawless, which didn't go down too well with the crowd! The first period ended 6-3. The second period saw Storm race away with the game with eight unanswered goals from Storm. Jago scored his second, as did Mike Morin, Chad Penney, Eric Calder and Brad Zavisha. Craig Woodcroft scored twice, while the other goals were from Nick Poole and Shawn Byram - now back from injury. The score at the end of the second period was 14-3 to Storm. The third period got a bit more lively as Eric Calder and Dale Jago completed their hat-tricks, Shawn Byram and Mike Morin scored their second goals, Martin Smith scored the 19th and final goal and John Lawless scored again for Blackburn, as they scored three goals in the final period. Brad Rubachuk was living dangerously as he knocked Lawless after he scored Blackburn's third goal to get a 2 minute penalty. Blackburn were also awarded a penalty shot that was taken by Alan Hough and saved by John Finnie. > DAVE BIGGAR - THE NEW JON HAMMOND? For some reason, Dave Biggar, the Marketing Manager of the Nynex Arena, was doing the announcing at the Blackburn Hawks game instead of Jon Hammond. I can only assume that the hastily arranged challenge games must have coincided with a holiday for the owner of those wonderful jackets. > 2 NEW SIGNINGS AS MARC GRONAU LEAVES Storm have signed two new players in a bid to relaunch their Superleague season. Netminder Eric Raymond and forward Mike Maurice are waiting for their work permits to come through. The players are expected to arrive in Manchester in time for the game against Ayr Scottish Eagles on Saturday 21 December. Eric Raymond is 24 and French-Canadian who has played for ECHL sides Huntington and Rochester. He was signed from Team Canada. His arrival has meant the departure of Marc Gronau who has left to join a team in the German Hockey League. Mike Maurice (that should cause confusion with Mike Morin - lets hope he gets an obvious number like 87 or something) is 30 and has played for Houston in the IHL. He is very experienced and should do well and add to Storm's offensive play. John Lawless said that he wanted the players who make mistakes to have to sit it out and so he needed more options. He also hopes to bring in yet another player before the 31 December transfer deadline. > GREAT BRITAIN WIN IN HOLLAND Great Britain look set to win their group as they defeated Holland away on Thursday. It will all be down to the battle of the top two, GB and Switzerland, next week at Sheffield Arena. The 8-2 victory was a good performance against the bottom side in the Olympic Qualyfying group. GB's goals were scored by Scott, Moria (2), Ian Cooper (NOT Stephen as it was announced at the Nynex during the Blackburn game), Strachan, Cranston, Little and Conway. > BRACKNELL BEAT MANITOBA UNIVERSITY Bracknell Bees defeated the touring Canadian team, Manitoba University, on Thursday 8-5. This will mean that there should be a good victory for Great Britain in their challenge match with Manitoba at Blackburn on Sunday 15 December. > CARDIFF DRAW WITH MANITOBA UNIVERSITY Cardiff Devils drew 3-3 with Manitoba University on Friday night in Wales. No further details to hand yet. > CHAD PENNEY PHOTO ARRIVES The photographs of the players that people sponsoring the grid in the programme get seem to have finally arrived! Here at Inter The Storm, I was in receipt of my Chad Penney just in time to turn it into a "sign" and wave it around a lot at the Blackburn game! I was the only one that seemed interested that Penney was on a hat-trick! > WHO'S NEXT AT THE NYNEX? Manchester Storm v Telford Tigers - Monday 20 December 1996 - Friendly. Telford Tigers are in the Premier League, the level below the Super League for southern based clubs. Telford are struggling a bit and so storm should have no real troubles beating them. Telford Tigers were the first ever visitors to the Nynex Arena last season and will have Mark Pallister back playing for them after his recent transfer. The prediction for this game is... Manchester Storm 9 - 2 Telford Tigers. Manchester Storm v Ayr Scottish Eagles - Saturday 21 December 1996 - Superleague. Since the last time Storm played Ayr Scottish Eagles at home, Eagles have got to the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup and subsequently lost out to Nottingham Panthers. There was also the infamous Ruggles v Kummu fight when the teams met in Scotland live on SKY. This game is also on SKY and Storm should have their new signing in the team for this game. The prediction for this game is...Manchester Storm 4 - 3 Ayr Scottish Eagles. > SKATE WITH THE STORM The Stormforce Christmas Fun Night is at Altrincham Ice Rink at 5.30 until 8.00pm on Sunday 29 December. There are games, videos and prizes planned. The rink is reserved solely for Stormforce and all members are welcome. Tickets include skate hire and if you have your own skates, you can continue skating after 8.00. The price has yet to be announced, but I am assured that it is nominal. > GB TO PLAY MANITOBA AT BLACKBURN Great Britain are playing a friendly challenge match against Canadian team University Of Manitoba on Sunday 15 December (face off 6.00pm - doors open 5.00pm). The game takes place at Blackburn Arena. > FORTHCOMING STORM & GB FIXTURES SUN 15 DEC - Great Britain v University of Manitoba (at Blackburn), Friendly, 6.00 face off. MON 16 DEC - Manchester Storm v Telford Tigers, Friendly, 7.30 face off. WED 18 DEC - Great Britain v Switzerland (at Sheffield), Olympic Qualifier, 7.30 face off. SAT 21 DEC - Manchester Storm v Ayr Scottish Eagles, Superleague, 6.40 face off. SUN 22 DEC - Cardiff Devils v Manchester Storm, Superleague, 6.30 face off. FRI 27 DEC - Manchester Storm v Cardiff Devils, Superleague, 7.30 face off. SAT 28 DEC - Bracknell Bees v Manchester Storm, Superleague, 6.00 face off. > NEXT ON TV & RADIO MON 16 DEC - GRANADA TV - SPORTSNET - Brief highlights of Storm v Blackburn (expected) - 5.10 - 5.40pm WED 18 DEC - BBC RADIO SHEFFIELD - Great Britain v Switzerland LIVE - 7.00 - 10.00pm WED 18 DEC - HTV WALES - Cardiff games featured plus briefly highlighted - 10.40 - 11.40pm SAT 21 DEC - SKY SPORTS - Manchester Storm v Ayr Scottish Eagles LIVE - 6.00 - 9.00pm MON 23 DEC - GRANADA TV - SPORTSNET - Brief highlights of Manchester Storm v Ayr & Cardiff v Storm - 5.10 - 5.40pm. SAT 28 DEC - SKY SPORTS - Sheffield Steelers v Nottingham Panthers - 6.00 - 9.00pm > INTER THE STORM LAUNCHES NEW FRONT PAGE If you haven't visited Inter The Storm's new front page yet, please have a look and give me your feedback. I have simply tidied it up a bit and changed the font. You can e-mail me direct on simon.sm@zetnet.co.uk or leave a message on the Guestbook. > ANOTHER NEW STORM WEB PAGE GOES ONLINE The family of Manchester Storm-related Web pages grows once again as another new page is launched. Euphoria's Storm page is very well designed (I'm jealous!). There isn't actually any information there just yet, but I'm sure that will change. There's also a generous link to Inter The Storm so it must be good! You can visit the page on http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/3242. > BRACKNELL BEES PREDICTION LEAGUE Beewicthed is the name of the recent addition to Bracknell Bees Internet Web sites, and from there you can join the Bracknell Bees Prediction League. It may surprise nobody that under the really disguising pseudonym of Mr S&M, I am bottom of the league. All you have to do is predict forthcoming Bracknell Bees game. All is explained on Beewicthed at http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/9063. > COMING SOON ON INTER THE STORM Soon to be launched on ITS are a look at sport in and around Manchester and a "Fan's View" page with the recently appointed "featured fan" to be announced soon. > LATEST CHANGES TO INTER THE STORM The news and archived news pages have been updated as well as the challenge match page and the Guestbook page. The December Guestbook copy has been updated as of Friday 13th afternoon. A match report is now available for the Storm v Blackburn game on 12 December and all the players info has been updated in the light of the changes to the team. > HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE TO STORM BLITZ Easy! Send an e-mail to simon.sm@zetnet.co.uk telling me that you don't want Storm Blitz any more. Also use this address if you wish to change e-mail addresses or if you have any comments. *** END OF STORM BLITZ ISSUE #1 *** INTER THE STORM can be accessed at: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/3859/storm.html