Haringey Huskies 9, Lee Valley Lions 1
Saturday 7th February
By Tom Pink
That’s it! Haringey storm to the final of the Eddie Joseph Memorial Cup.
We needed the win over Lee Valley Lions on Saturday to confirm it, but it’s played five won five in this competition for us and it would have taken an egregious change of circumstances for Haringey not to have qualified, in all honesty.
The last cup final we made was the 2021/22 Wilkinson Cup final. We faced Guildford Phoenix back then and I remember a raucous 4-4 tie in the second leg at the Spectrum as we strove to overturn a deficit from the first leg.
That was then, this is now, and it represents the first tangible opportunity for silverware this year.
We were without many of our junior players on Saturday, who were tied playing for the Haringey Hounds. Fortunately, the same was true for Lee Valley who also have several Hounds’ players on their books.
Huskies shoot liberally throughout the first. Robby Rejna bursts through into the slot and sees his shot blocked. Courtney Grant hammers one from the point. Conner Smith sends a slapshot over the bar. Shoot hard and shoot often.
The performance from Ruskin Springer Hughes throughout the whole thing was astounding. A seven-point game with a ten-minute hat-trick in the first period, a goal in each of the second and third periods and a couple of assists thrown in for good measure. He offers something in that power forward mould that Haringey haven’t really had, combining physicality and goal scoring prowess.
His first is a well worked, patient goal on the powerplay. They work the puck around the Lee Valley goal, back out to the blue line and Ruskin sends a wrister into the top of the net. 1-0 after three minutes.
Matt Ganas steals the puck but it eludes him at the crease. Jaden Boolkah’s gloved from the boards. There’s a lovely move between Marton Szasz, Stuart Appleby, and Jaden but it’s shot wide from the side of the crease. Haringey look dangerous all the time.
Ryan Payne has a couple of looks from the point and Conner’s gloved from the left. The second comes from a faceoff in the Haringey D-zone, it’s shifted across centre ice, Ruskin drives through, heads to the net and finishes across goal for his second of the night.
Marton’s busy on the forecheck, turns over possession and finds Stu who finds Conner whose backhand attempt from the slot is held. Matt France blasts from the point, but it’s blocked.
Ruskin’s third is brilliant. It’s a delayed penalty, he cuts in from the right, takes his time and finishes low across goal. Less than a minute later he turns provider as he finds Robby across the slot, fading away as he shoots and it’s deflected in nearside. Total domination.
Ryan McFarlane stands his ground and faces-up the Lee Valley forward on the breakaway. No way through. Courtney does well along the boards, cuts in to the hashmarks but his backhander sails over the bar. Dylan Phillips makes a save from a rare Lee Valley shot on net, and he’s there again with Pete Toth to snuff out another breakaway.
It’s a slower start to the second. Matt Ganas doesn’t return and looked to take a nasty knock before being helped off the ice. A huge shame as he’d only just returned. Dylan shuts the door nearside under pressure early on.
Haringey get their fifth of the night after five minutes. Robby picks out Conner on the blue line who drifts right and slides the puck into the net beyond the Lee Valley goaltender. Great goal and assist.
We continue to press and keep Lee Valley at arm’s length. Pete shoots from the blue line sending it whistling past the post. Mac makes a block at the crease, and a Lee Valley interception in the O-zone is quickly dealt with.
Marton adds the sixth with five left in the period, a shorthanded goal which came straight after some sustained pressure on the Haringey net. It’s seven moments later and another shorty, as Robby gets possession in the offensive zone, waits and waits for support and finds Ruskin who dekes round the goalie, sits him down and slots from the doorstep. A. Ma. Zing. Lee Valley call timeout with moments left in the second.
Whatever was discussed seems to have had an effect, as the Lions come out in the third and score within a minute. It’s picked up in the slot, drifts left and rips across goal into the righthand side of the net. Thirty seconds later the seven-goal cushion is restored as Ruskin races off on the breakaway into the O-zone and finds Courtney at the backdoor for a tap-in.
There’s a plethora of chances across the rest of the period. Jaden, Marton, and Conner all come close, but it’s Ruskin who has the final say. I missed the initial shot, but it looked like it was held by the netminder who drops or loses it, and it trickles in. 9-1 all done. Unsurprisingly Ruskin is awarded Player of the Match for a statement performance.
On Sunday the Huskies travelled to Gosport to face the Solent Junior Devils in the league, and they ran out 1-9 winners in another dominant display. Marton joined the Centurions club and got on the scoresheet, as is tradition.
Looking ahead, it’s another double-header this weekend, and it’s Peterborough yet again. Their loss against MK Thunder last Saturday means their perfect record is scratched. We’ll definitely be playing them at least three more times this season in the Eddie Joseph Memorial Cup, and it could be more depending on how the Playoffs pan out.
Sixth to 3rd in the league table is so close at the moment, and those final places are anyone’s guess. The focus now must be to finish as high up as possible.
On Sunday it’s Cardiff on the road who sit just one point behind us. Veteran Steve Osman and former Haringey forward Joe Tearall have been powering them to some impressive results this year. They knocked us out of the playoffs last year too, so we know how difficult they can be to play against.
I’m expecting another barn burner on Saturday. A sold-out game, Saturday night, at the Palace. It doesn’t get much better. I can’t decide whether it’s a good thing we get these two games against Peterborough before we meet in the Eddie Joseph final. Better the devil you know I suppose. See you on Saturday.
Let’s Go Huskies.
Solent Junior Devils 1, Haringey Huskies 9
Sunday 8th February
By James Pheney
Solent – one of the toughest rinks to adapt to and play at in my opinion. Some of the fans were hoping for a full match after last season’s issues with the Zamboni caused the game to be ended 2 periods through.
Haringey made the trip down with a team of 12+2, with the juniors making a very welcome return after losing Ganas and Conner to injuries against Lee Valley, and Leo De Souza a couple of weeks ago. Who I’d like to wish a speedy recovery to.
The first period saw Will Nowik join Stu and Marton on the first line, along with a D pairing of Boolkah and Pow, and Cech between the pipes.
It was a very disruptive period with the officials being incredibly strict, calling everything that was seen whilst both teams tried to figure each other out and make a breakthrough.
Chances were plenty at both ends with a great show of physicality from Toth and Payne at the back, and attacking efforts from Stu, Ruskin, Reijna, Nowik and Moose.
I thought we did a great job forcing Solent wide, with Cech making some decent saves throughout the game.
Haringey had the puck in the net but it was under review for reasons unknown to me, and the decision was no goal. I liked our grit and determination that followed, with the fans urging on the team throughout.
And after 17 minutes Carl Etuazim scored with a lovely wrap-around that the Solent goalie couldn’t react to in time. A sigh of relief that the deadlock had finally been broken.
The first period ended 0-1 and I felt that this would be a potentially back and forth score, but boy I was wrong!
Period 2 started with the exact same tempo as the first, with a handful of penalties on both sides, elbows, interference, high sticks and boarding.
Reina has a chance to get through on goal but was sandwiched between 2 Solent players. Ruskin had a few attempts from wide to force some decent saves from the Solent keeper.
Cameron “Ka-Pow” put on physical game, which was noticed and gained the approval of the fans with a cracking reverse hit and good hustling of the Solent forwards when they had the puck. I think he’s really excelling his game playing alongside a wealth of experience from Mac, Toth, Payne and Jaden.
Solent change their netminder halfway through period 2, I’m not entirely sure if it was due to injury or another reason.
Haringey spend little time getting to work and with the first shot faced, Nowik shoots and the puck somehow trickles through and across the line to extend Huskies’ lead to 2.
The pressure is turned up by Haringey and a few minutes later Marton takes the puck from the blue line and slots home the third goal with a superb wrist shot off the post.
The fourth goal was scored by McFarlane, shooting from the blue line through lots of traffic in front of the goalie.
That was 3 goals in 5 minutes. Were we looking at a potential cricket score? Quite possibly as at 38.40 the Mayor of Haringey, and birthday boy, “one of our own.” Stuart Appleby scores our fifth with assists coming from Boolkah and Payne.
A fitting response of the fans chanting “Stu” during celebrations.
Period 3 was more of the same. Although I think it was our “sloppy” period. With some tired legs showing. We noticed Boolkah not return to the ice who had taken a knock.
Haringey’s penalty kill was superb with a 5 on 3 silenced and multiple attempts from Solent throughout being very well defended.
Goals from Nowik, Ruskin and Marton extended our lead to in a rather one-sided affair. There was a questionable tripping call which did give Solent their one and only goal of the game, a quick shot following a faceoff in our end getting past Cech.
Haringey put the nail in the coffin with goal number 9 scored by Etuazim with less than a minute remaining.
The game comes to an end, and Stuart gets POTM. Although it could’ve gone to anyone as they all showed a determined performance.
I’ve never seen the juniors smile so much during a game, and I’m encouraged by how much their game is improving. The future is Haringey, the future is very bright!
We move on to a home game against Peterborough in the league next on Valentines Day, who will look to restart their winning streak in the league after a shock loss against MK. However, we have shown that we are more than capable of grinding out a victory regardless of opponent!
Let’s Go Huskies.
Photo: Phil Hutchinson
