STORM BLITZ ISSUE #20 Saturday 28 January 1997 If you have any comments on Storm Blitz, please feel free to e-mail inter.the.storm@poboxes.com any time. In this issue : * Cardiff, Nottingham & Sheffield all win * Great Storm performance at Sheffield * Southern derby & Japan tour * Telford Tigers docked 4 points * Radio 5 Live * Latest Superleague table * Forthcoming Storm fixtures * Next on TV & Radio * Get back issues of Storm Blitz * How to unsubscribe to Storm Blitz --------------------------------------------------- > CARDIFF, NOTTINGHAM & SHEFFIELD ALL WIN On Saturday, results went pretty much as expected with a 4-0 victory for Cardiff Devils at home to Ayr Scottish Eagles, a 3-0 victory for Sheffield Steelers against Bracknell Bees, and a 7-2 victory for Nottingham Panthers at home to bottom club Basingstoke Bison. > GREAT STORM PERFORMANCE AT SHEFFIELD Despite an 8-4 defeat, Storm played the best I've seen them for ages in Sheffield on Friday night. It was the final period that turned the game in Sheffield's favour with four unanswered goals. Storm were reported to be so upset at the final period that Jeff Lindsay smashed his stick to pieces as he walked off the ice. For the majority of the match, Storm looked like they were going to record their first ever victory against Sheffield Steelers as they led 1-0 after just four minutes with a great Craig Woodcroft goal. Steelers equalised from Jamie Leach and then a Jago mistake let in Nicky Chinn with just 3 seconds on the clock. That could have been the point that Steelers took a hold on the game, but Storm came out in the second period and equalised from Nick Poole. Steelers regained the lead with a goal from Jason Lafreniere, but Storm came back again with two more goals to give them 4-3 lead from Brad Rubachuk and Brad Zavisha. Steelers got out of jail just before the end of the second period with the equaliser from Tim Cranston. Up to that point, Storm had been excellent and had missed a number of chances also. Sheffield looked uninterested and Storm's defence easily coped with everything else Sheffield shot at them. But then came the third period. Steelers decided to go for the win that they so desperately needed. A powerplay goal from Jamie Leach gave them the lead again before Jamie Leach ended his penalty and then got straight on the end of a Sheffield attacking move to put them 6-4 up. Nicky Chinn scored the 7th as Storm began to revert to old defensive habits. The eighth and final goal was scored with a long distance shot by Ron Shudra on the empty net with 90 seconds remaining. > SOUTHERN DERBY & JAPAN TOUR Basingstoke couldn't move off the bottom of the league on Thursday as Southern rivals Bracknell went back above Storm after a 9-6 win in Basingstoke. Japan continued their tour with a 1-1 draw at Newcastle. I don't know the result of Wednesday's Japan game at Ayr - I'll pass on the result as soon as I find out. > TELFORD TIGERS DOCKED 4 POINTS Premier League side Telford Tigers have been docked 4 points for fielding Phil Butler illegally. The BIHA say he was still registered with Peterborough Pirates. The games against Medway Bears and Swindon Ice Lords have been awarded 5-0 but the scorers and netminder stats will remain. > RADIO 5 LIVE In the match programme from Friday's Steelers v Storm game, Bob Ballard, the Radio Sheffield commentator for Sheffield Steelers and other sporting events, announces that he is to move permanently to BBC Radio 5 Live in two weeks. He says that he thinks he'll be covering the play-off semi-finals and final in Manchester and possibly be going to Poland in April with the GB team for the Pool B World Championships. Bob says that the bosses at BBC Sport have been watching the Superleague this season with a view to extensive coverage next season. There should be an announcement over the coming weeks as to the result of their decision. > LATEST SUPERLEAGUE TABLE Pl W D OL NL +/- Points Cardiff Devils 34 24 3 0 7 +63 51 Sheffield Steelers 34 22 3 2 7 +38 49 Newcastle Cobras 32 15 2 5 10 +9 37 Ayr Scottish E 33 14 6 0 13 -9 34 Nottingham Panths 34 15 1 2 16 -2 33 Bracknell Bees 32 12 2 0 18 -22 26 Manchester Storm 32 11 2 1 18 -40 25 Basingstoke Bison 35 9 3 2 21 -37 23 Up to and including games on 1 February > FORTHCOMING STORM FIXTURES SUN 02 FEB - Manchester Storm v Cardiff Devils, Superleague, 6.00 face off. WED 05 FEB - Manchester Storm v Newcastle Cobras, Superleague, 7.30 face off. THU 06 FEB - Basingstoke Bison v Manchester Storm, Superleague, 8.00 face off. SUN 09 FEB - Manchester Storm v Nottingham Panthers, Superleague, 6.00 face off. THU 13 FEB - Manchester Storm v Sheffield Steelers, Superleague, 7.30 face off. > NEXT ON TV & RADIO MON 03 FEB - BBC GMR TALK 95.1/104.6FM - Drivetime - Interview with John Lawless or other big name - 5.55pm MON 03 FEB - HTV WALES - Ice Hockey Superleague - Extended highlights of Cardiff Devils v Ayr Scottish Eagles and brief highlights of Manchester Storm v Cardiff Devils - 11.35pm-12.35 WED 05 JAN - BBC RADIO SHEFFIELD 104.1FM - The Ice Line - Sheffield Steelers phone-on - 7.00-8.00pm THU 06 JAN - BBC RADIO LANCASHIRE 95.5/103.9FM - Grass Roots - Feature on Blackburn Hawks - approx 7.45pm FRI 07 JAN - BBC GMR 95.1/104.6FM - Friday Sport - Interview/Feature on Manchester Storm along with main coverage of Bristol City v Stockport County - 7.00-10.00pm SAT 08 JAN - SKY SPORTS - Ice Hockey LIVE - Live coverage of a Superleague game - not sure which yet - 6.30-9.00pm SAT 08 JAN - SKY SPORTS - Ice Hockey - Recorded coverage of the Superleague game shown live earlier in the evening - not sure which yet - 11.00-1.30pm SAT 08 JAN - BBC RADIO 5 LIVE 693/909AM - Night Extra - results and round-up of the night's games along with all the day's other sports results - 11.30pm-12.00 SUN 09 JAN - GRANADA TV - Manchester Storm - Programme on Storm featuring game highlights of Storm v Cardiff Devils (2 Feb) - time to be confirmed MON 10 JAN - BBC GMR 95.1/104.6FM - Drivetime - Interview with Storm representative - 5.55pm MON 11 JAN - HTV WALES - Ice Hockey Superleague - Extensive highlights of one of the weekend's games involving Cardiff Devils and brief highlights of any other Cardiff games that weekend - 11.35pm-12.35 > GET BACK ISSUES OF STORM BLITZ All previous issues of Storm Blitz are still available. If you didn't get them, or want them again, send an e-mail to inter.the.storm@poboxes.com and let me know which you want and I'll forward them on to you. > HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE TO STORM BLITZ Easy! Send an e-mail to inter.the.storm@poboxes.com 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 #20 *** INTER THE STORM can be accessed at: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/3859/storm.html ------------------------------ This space could be yours! If you're interested in having your advert here, send an e-mail to simon.sm@zetnet.co.uk ------------------------------