STORM BLITZ ISSUE #29 Tuesday 11 March 1997 This issue is sponsored by W.H. Davies Private Investigations. For more details see foot of message. If you have any comments on Storm Blitz, please feel free to e-mail inter.the.storm@poboxes.com any time. --------------------------------------------------- In this issue : * Storm can still qualify * Cardiff beat Cobras 6-4 & Panthers win * Storm beaten 3-1 by Cobras at Nynex * Cardiff win in Ayr & Steelerls beat Bees * Ayr win in Newcastle and Group B results (Sat) * Shirt signing * Ruggles back on Sunday * Cardiff parade trophy * Solihull Blaze withdraw from play-offs * Coventry for the Premier League * Latest ISL Play-Offs Group A table * Forthcoming Storm fixtures * Next on TV & Radio * Get back issues of Storm Blitz * How to unsubscribe to Storm Blitz --------------------------------------------------- > STORM CAN STILL QUALIFY Unlikley maybe, but still possible. For Storm to qualify for the semi-finals, the following MUST happen: Storm MUST beat Ayr in Scotland by at least 2 goals with NO overtime Storm MUST beat Cardiff with overtime if necessary Ayr MUST beat Newcastle with NO overtime Storm MUST beat Ayr at home by at least 2 goals with NO overtime If my calculations are correct then Cardiff will win the group and Storm, Ayr and Newcastle will be all on 4 points and the same number of wins meaning that goal difference will decide qualification. Storm would qualify above Ayr and Newcastle on goal difference. Well it IS possible (just). > CARDIFF BEAT COBRAS 6-4 & PANTHERS WIN Cardiff Devils beat Newcastle Cobras 6-4 on Tuesday night in Group A, while in Group B, Nottingham Panthers dented Basingstoke's hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals by beating them 4-3. > STORM BEATEN 3-1 BY COBRAS AT NYNEX This could have been the match that saw Storm finish off their season on a high with a victory over Newcastle, a team that the previous night had lost 5-0 at home to Ayr. It isn't quite over yet, but the 3-1 victory for Cobras surely makes Storm's appearance in Play-off semi-finals very unlikely. In front of 9985 fans Newcastle Cobras opened the scoring after just 5 minutes with a goal from MacLeod. It took just 14 more seconds for Suomalainen to double the lead before Chad Penney scored for Storm three minutes later. There were a few incidents in the game with Mathieson being ejected from the game with a 2+5+Game for cross-checking and roughing. Storm never really looked like equalising and the crowd could not seem to get worked up enough either. I thought we needed Hilton Ruggles, who was out of the game suspended. The rest of the game was pretty dull until the final minute when Storm pulled Eric Raymond and Duberman scored in the empty net. Eric Raymond got Storm's Man of the Match and I didn't think he deserved it, but then who else could you give it to. The forwards were pretty useless on the night and the defence made mistakes. Raymond made two mistakes and two goals went in in the first period, but that's the way it goes when your luck's down. Some might say that it shows that the victory against Steelers was a flash in the pan, and after that game it was difficult to argue. > CARDIFF WIN IN AYR & STEELERS BEAT BEES Also on Sunday, Cardiff Devils won 5-3 in Scotland against Ayr Scottish Eagles. In Group B, Sheffield Steelers virtally ended Bracknell Bees chances of qualifying by winning 3-1 in Bracknell. > AYR WIN IN NEWCASTLE AND GROUP B RESULTS (SAT) Ayr Scottish Eagles looked like they could be the team to qualify with Cardiff for the semi-finals after they comprehensively won 5-0 in Newcastle. Meanwhile in the Group B games, Nottingham Panthers virtually sealed their place in the semis with a 6-3 defeat of Sheffield Steelers. Basingstoke Bison beat Bracknell Bees 3-2 after overtime to set up the chance to qualify above Sheffield. You can hear live coverage of the important Group B game between Steelers and Panthers in Sheffield on BBC Radio Sheffield 104.1FM on Wednesday night. > SHIRT SIGNING The Storm players will be signing fans shirts in the Nynex concourse after the game against Ayr Scottish Eagles on Sunday 16 March. > RUGGLES BACK ON SUNDAY Hilton Ruggles, banned for three games after the play-off game at Newcastle Cobras, fined 50 pounds and given 15 penalty points, will be back in action for what may be Storm's final competitive game of the season at home to Ayr on Sunday. > CARDIFF PARADE TROPHY Cardiff Devils, who won the Superleague after their victory over Storm a couple of weeks ago, will parade their trophy on an open-topped bus in Cardiff on Saturday 15 March. > SOLIHULL BLAZE WITHDRAW FROM PLAY-OFFS Solihull Blaze have withdrawn from the Premier League Play-offs at the last minute. They blame a player revolt as they are refusing to turn out after not being paid for recent matches. The remaining teams in the Play-offs are Kingston Hawks, Telford Tigers, Slough Jets, Swindon Ice Lords and Guildford Flames. > COVENTRY FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE Work will start on a new 3000 capacity ice rink in Coventry next month with a team expected to join the Premier League (or equlivalent) for the 1998/89 season. > LATEST ISL PLAY-OFFS GROUP A TABLE Pl W D OL NL +/- Points Cardiff Devils 5 5 0 0 0 +14 10 Newcastle Cobras 5 2 0 0 3 -5 4 Ayr Scottish E 3 1 0 0 2 -1 2 Manchester Storm 3 0 0 0 3 -8 0 Up to and including games on 11 March > FORTHCOMING STORM FIXTURES WED 12 MAR - Ayr Scottish E v Manchester Storm (7.00) - Superleague Play-offs THU 13 MAR - Manchester Storm v Cardiff Devils (7.30) - Superleague Play-offs SUN 16 MAR - Manchester Storm v Ayr Scottish E (6.00) - Superleague Play-offs TUE 18 MAR - Altrincham Aces v Manchester Storm (7.30) - Friendly > NEXT ON TV & RADIO WED 12 MAR - BBC RADIO SHEFFIELD 104.1FM - LIVE coverage of Sheffield Steelers v Nottingham Panthers - coverage to be confirmed but it is expected that there will be reports on Period 1 and then full commentary on the rest of the game (face off 7.30) - 7.00-10.00pm WED 12 MAR - SKY SPORTS 3 - Ice Hockey Live - Live coverage of a play-off game - expected to be Sheffield Steelers v Nottingham Panthers - 7.00-9.30pm THU 13 MAR - SKY SPORTS 3 - Ice Hockey - Recorded coverage of the play-off game shown the previous night - 12.00-2.30pm THU 13 MAR - KISS 102FM - Reports on Storm v Cardiff Devils in normal Thursday dance music programmes - 7.30-10.00pm THU 13 MAR - BBC RADIO LANCASHIRE 95.5/103.9FM - Grass Roots - Feature on Blackburn Hawks - approx 7.45pm FRI 14 MAR - BBC GMR 95.1/104.6FM - Friday Sport - Interview/Feature on Manchester Storm around the commentary rugby league game : Bradford Bulls v Warrington Wolves - 7.00-10.00pm FRI 14 MAR - BBC RADIO SHEFFIELD 104.1FM - Weekend Preview programme features a preview of Sheffield Steelers final play-off group games - approx 7.55pm SAT 15 MAR - GRANADA TV - Battles On Ice - Hour-long programme featuring highlights of recent Storm game - expected to be Storm v Cardiff - timing to be confirmed, expected 2.50-3.50pm SAT 15 MAR - SKY SPORTS - Ice Hockey Live - LIVE coverage of Sheffield Steelers v Basingstoke Bison (expected) - 6.30-9.00pm SAT 15 MAR - 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 16 MAR - KISS 102FM - Reports on Storm v Ayr Scottish Eagles in normal Sunday dance music programmes - 6.00-8.30pm MON 17 MAR - BBC GMR 95.1/104.6FM - Drivetime - Interview with Storm representative - 5.55pm MON 17 MAR - HTV WALES - Ice Hockey Superleague - Extensive highlights of the conclusion of Cardiff Devils play-off group games - 11.35pm-12.35 > DOWNLOAD BACK ISSUES OF STORM BLITZ All previous issues of Storm Blitz are still available. If you didn't get them, or want them again, you can now download them from the Internet in a .zip file. The URL of these will be confirmed soon. > 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 #29 *** INTER THE STORM can be accessed at: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/3859/storm.html ------------------------------ This issue of Storm Blitz is sponsored by: W.H. DAVIES PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS LTD A member of the Association of British Investigators. Based in North Manchester, WH Davies is ideally placed to serve the North West area for private investigations. Summons serving is one of many areas dealt with. For more information, send us an e-mail : wh.davies@poboxes.com ------------------------------ To sponsor Storm Blitz, e-mail simon.sm@zetnet.co.uk