Ice-hockey: Streatham seal back-to-back titles

BY DAVID CARR

After 38 years without a trophy, Streatham added a second league title in consecutive seasons, with an impressive eight games still left to play in the campaign.

The previous league title, won in 2020, was secured in frustrating fashion after a last-minute forfeit on the day of the game by closest title challengers Solent Devils prior to the first national pandemic lockdown.

That decision saw some of the Streatham team turn around their cars en-route to the game and were then unable to celebrate with their own fans.

The league subsequently awarded the RedHawks the Championship but sadly the players were left to celebrate alone on a night out in central London rather than on the ice. It was a source of pain for the fans but also the players, who had built up a large lead at the top of the league and were almost certain to be victorious with lots of games still to play.

Fast forward two years, and by a quirk of fate who should be the opponents in the fixture that would seal that next league title? Perfect for a Netflix style narrative, it was Solent again. This time not challenging for the title, yet still a team keen to frustrate a dominant Streatham team and make them wait at least another week for glory.

At the start of the first period it looked like they may well just do that. Player-coach Alex Murray stunned the large home crowd with an early goal to give the visitors the lead, and then Elliot Lewis doubled their advantage shortly afterwards.

Streatham have yet to lose a game at home all season and tied it up by the end of the first period thanks to goals from Milique Martelly and Josh Ealey-Newman.

The second period saw Streatham build on that momentum with Ealey-Newman bagging a second and brother Ben adding to the tally. With just 20 minutes to go to seal the title, Ealey-Newman made it 5-2 only to see Solent pull a goal back through Mark Pitts.

With the minutes counting down and fans ready to celebrate in the stands, Brandon Miles put the icing on the cake with a beautiful top shelf effort that flew past the blocker of Chico Cole in the Devils net.

At the final buzzer the fans rose to celebrate with the players mobbed around their goal in traditional style.

It capped another memorable night on the High Road and added a third trophy to the cabinet for 2022 after the London Cup and Britton Cup were both won last month.

“This is what we’ve been working so hard for,” said player-coach Michael Farn. “Nights like that are why we all still play hockey and to win the league on home ice is always the best way to do it.

“We said at the start of the season that we are aiming to win every trophy available and this is number three of the five available.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the efforts the lads put in. It’s well-deserved, not only for them, but also for our owners Dawn and Graham [D’Anger] who put their hearts and soul into making this a great club for all of us to be at.”

The team will be presented with the silverware at tomorrow’s home game against Oxford City Stars, when celebrations will continue and the team will finally get the chance to lift the league title on the ice.

PICTURES: ROB AVIS