Round the Rinks: September 11th

"Well, I don't know where I'm going, but I sure am getting there..."
Five For Fighting: "Easy Tonight"


It's still early in the season, but the EIHL is now properly off and running, and with the other leagues starting this weekend, it's not just EIHL fans that can finally say that hockey is, officially, back...the doors are closed, the seat-belt signs are off and we're settled in for the long ride to either Nottingham or Coventry in April.


It seems I've still got a bit of summer rust to get rid of, though, as the errors keep continuing...Cardiff v Newcastle was in fact a double-header at the Metro Radio/Telewest/whoever the sponsor is this week Arena, rather than one at each rink...

Let's hope that I get this preview a bit better, shall we? Checked, re-checked and then checked again for luck (much like a player meeting Jason Robinson in front of the opposition net) it's time for this week's lightning skate Round the Rinks...

DOUBLE-HEADERS

Hull v Cardiff: Two teams who both hope to reach the next level this season meet in an early battle for position on the greasy pole which teams have to climb to the top of the EIHL-with the Stingrays starting with a loss and the Devils splitting a pair of one-goal games up in Newcastle, both need that little extra boost, even this early in the season, that a win will give. People say that early-season results aren't a barometer of success as a whole, with many a side starting well and dropping off (or starting badly and roaring back into contention late on) but try telling the players that-this pair of games could be looked back on as making the difference in position between the two sides come April, and so you can bet that two evenly-matched teams will go at it hammer and tongs on both nights...

Sheffield v Belfast: For fear of being compared to Dave Simms, I'm not going to use the "clash of the titans" angle on this double-header...however, it can't be denied that these two teams will expect to be challenging for the title come April. For that reason, games like this take on a special importance this early in the season-no matter what the competition, the psychological boost that can be gained by beating one of your major rivals is valuable whatever point in the season it comes-a four-point weekend for either of these teams will go a long way to reducing any apprehension they may feel playing the other, as well as putting doubt into the minds of their vanquished opponents...

SATURDAY

Nottingham v Coventry: Speaking of doubt-the Blaze will be heading to Nottingham in a combative frame of mind, looking to avenge the loss at the Skydome last Sunday-they need to bounce back quickly otherwise, even this early in the season, the whispers will begin among the Skydome crowd. Nottingham, meanwhile, are on something of a run at the moment and will be hoping that their four-pointer last weekend can be built on in front of their home crowd-beating two of your major rivals, one of them twice, in the space of a week has to be a good way to start the season and stop the butterflies...

SUNDAY

Newcastle v Nottingham: This game, meanwhile, is one that has traditionally been exactly the type of game the Panthers will stumble in. The Vipers are a different team to any that have previously come out of the Geordie homeland in the past few years, and the question is whether Nottingham (who somehow rehabilitated Michel Robinson's career last season) can win these games as well as the big ones-something which has held them back in recent seasons. This game won't go a long way to finding out, but if they win it may allay a few more of the doubts among the more cynical of the Nottingham faithful...

And there's your weekend preview...