Haringey Huskies 2, Bristol Pitbulls 3 (after overtime)
National Ice Hockey League – South 2
29th October 2022
By Tom Pink
It’s fine margins, and it’s fine margins all over the ice. A Ryan McFarlane interception at the crease; a Leo de Souza shot off the iron; a Péter Tóth sliding block; a Luke Clark triple save.
We’re at that time of year again when the Palace comes into its own. The clocks go back. The Saturday nights are sellouts. The Saturday nights are alive and are life. Eight-hundred people desperate for release. Desperate for those margins to be broader, to be obvious, to not be so fine this time, for that needle to swing their way.
We’re a third into this league season already. Eight games down, 16 left. It would be fair to say that that needle has done its fair share of swinging, lurching back and forth for and against the Huskies, across this first 8. The highs of Invicta and Oxford; the lows of Bristol and Streatham.
Bristol netminder John Dibble showed us exactly why he was playing for the Bristol Pitbulls in the NIHL1 last year. This could quite easily be 1,000 words on both netminders. I’d love to see the shot count. Both players make a string of huge, vital saves to keep it down to 2-2 in a game that could easily have run into double-figures with less proficient goalies between the pipes.
A lot of the time I think Luke Clark is our best player. If John Dibble showed why he has been playing at NIHL1 level, Luke showed why he almost certainly will play at NIHL1 level. Whether that’s in the white, black, and grey of the Huskies is another question.
And that’s fine. That’s good. You need and want good players across your team. But if your best player is more often than not your netminder, then you have a problem. On Saturday night John Dibble made a great shout for the Pitbulls’ best player. A truly great shout. But so did Steve Osman. His was a deafening bellow.
I was worried about Oliver Shone going into the game, who has been scoring for fun recently. That trio of Shone, Osman, and Dibble who have all dropped down from NIHL1 this season made a big difference. From memory I think Pitbulls 2 had a fairly unremarkable season last year, ending up midtable. That won’t be the case this year.
My word that needle had its work cut out. It must have been exhausted. As is becoming familiar now, Haringey blitzed the first minute or so after puck drop. Tom Avery had the first shot from his favoured left slot, and Ryan Gadeke weaved his way into the centre of the offensive zone for a good scoring opportunity. The Huskies were up for this with some very early pressure.
But Bristol took the next 5. There was a deflected shot that zipped just over Haringey’s crossbar and the Pitbulls had the Huskies penned into their defensive zone. Back the other way, and Stuart Appleby made his way into a great position to test John Dibble, only to scuff his shot. Chances from Leo, Matt Hepburn, Sam Roberts were all saved by the imperious John Dibble.
Bristol came again. An important block by Ryan McFarlane stopped an almost certain goal for Bristol. That experience and nous to be in the right place at the right time paying dividends. Now the Huskies turn, with Marton Szasz collecting a delightful flipped puck from Tom only to find no-one supporting him with the cutback.
Ryan Payne battles through 2 or 3 Bristol players and comes away with the puck. Luke makes another impressive 1-on-1 save. Leo gets beyond the goal line. Matt France creates a chance for himself, carrying the puck from neutral. The needle swings.
That first period was hugely encouraging and the Huskies showed some really nice build-up play, slick in transitions. It ends 0-0 and there’s a feeling that if they keep crafting, one of them is going to go in. Surely.
Immediately Bristol are on the front foot. Bradley Taylor’s caught in possession and the Pitbulls get the turnover. Another 1-on-1 save for Luke. The needle swings again.
Breakthrough. The most bizarre Huskies goal I’ve yet to see. The puck comes back to John Dibble, I can only assume from Sam Roberts but I didn’t see a shot. He thinks he has it under control with his stick. But he doesn’t. In no sense of the word does he have it under control. He fumbles it and ends up knocking it into his own net with his skate. Big, big, big swing.
The Pitbulls respond. Luke is forced into a triple and then a double save to deny Bristol’s forward line. Tom comes close with a really well disguised shot, and soon after Leo sees his wrister ping off the iron. Margins.
But that NIHL1 experience eventually pays off. Steve Osman jams the puck in through a crowded Huskies’ crease for 1-1. A stoppage for blood on the ice does us absolutely no favours. Bradley had gone close with a shot just before, and any momentum we had been building was completely drained, the needle well and truly over to Bristol.
It was disjointed from Haringey at the restart and Bristol score almost straight away. Luke nearly gets a glove to it but the shot sails just over and into the net. Steve Osman has his second. Huskies rally and Marton has a backhand shot go over the bar, and Ryan Gadeke’s slapshot is saved. End of second, 2-1 Bristol.
More and more chances in the third, with some great pressure from Haringey in the first five minutes. Marton has two good shots gloved, Péter’s shot nestles in John Dibbles midriff, Matt France shoots wide. James Hepburn has a great chance on a delayed penalty but can’t craft a good shot. More and more great play between Matt and Tom. I thought all of our D-men played outstandingly all game, Matt and Tom in particular, but Ryan Payne, Péter, Bradley, Ian Germanier-Torrado, and Ryan McFarlane were immense to a man.
It was Matt and Tom’s hardwork and creativity that lead to the breakthrough though. On the power play, Tom slides the puck to Matt waiting at the backdoor who lifts the puck into the roof of the net with a one-timer. Well, well-deserved.
For the last 8 minutes of the game, the needle has lost its bearings, its haywire, it’s a compass in a magnetic field. It’s end to end, all out ice hockey. Péter makes a sliding block to deny a Bristol goal, hurting himself in the process; Luke makes a glove save with 40 seconds remaining; my knuckles are white from gripping the seat.
It goes to overtime. I can barely watch. Luke makes a 1-on-1 save from the get-go with his legs, sitting on the puck. With less than a minute elapsed, Steve Osman gets his hattrick. Bristol get the 2 points, we get the 1, and the Huskies get beaten at home for the first time this season.
Every single Huskies player plays well. Sam is a one man army at times; I’m convinced Matt Hepburn wants it more than anyone on the ice; Stu harries and hurries and rushes Bristol. This isn’t a question of desire. This isn’t a question of Bristol wanting it more than us. It’s a question of putting the puck in the net more times than they can. It’s a question of execution. It’s a question of brick walls between the pipes at either end.
For his hattrick Steve Osman is awarded player of the match for Bristol, and it was a mere formality that Luke was ours. As much as I rate him, as good as he is, I don’t want to see Luke being handed a crate of beer too many more times this season. It’s now a busy month with games every weekend. It’s Swindon on the road and then Basingstoke at home. It’s 16 more opportunities for the Huskies to take. It’s a needle we need to swing our way more than theirs. Let’s go Huskies.
