Ice hockey season is starting to wind down. Thunder played their last games in Christchurch over the weekend, the Southern U16s have their last games this weekend, U13s, U19s and women all finished their rep season at nationals earlier this month, and practices wind down in a few weeks.

Have no fear, we’re going right through Spring with the DIHL starting in two weeks, and a great way for everyone in the club to get out and play some fun hockey. More information below. The results of our club and rep teams speak to the high quality that we are instilling in our players and the structures and facilities that the club has built up over the past six years, and are very pleasing.

News

Southern League Results

Both Dunedin teams in the Southern league have won their grades. Dunedin U13s finished the season with an 8-1-1 record, Dunedin U16s also won their grade with a 9-1 record, the first time in many years that Dunedin has taken out the midgets trophy. Fantastic effort by our youth players to dominate the region.

Rep Teams

A heap of Dunedin players have made Southern rep teams this year, pulling out strong performances. Southern U19s defended their gold medal at nationals, congrats to Tom Wilson, Regan Wilson, and Tristan Darling for a big effort. Southern U13s and Women, both with a heap of Dunedin players took home silver medals losing out to strong Auckland teams.

In addition Dunedin players Josh Hubbard, Ben Roth, and Geordie Wheeler have been named to the NZ U16 Development Team to tour Australia later this year. Anna Goulding, Kate Strain, Mallory Handcock, Megan Gilchrist, Olivia MacDonald, Steph Patchett, and Jaimee Wood have all been named to NZ Ice Fernz Squad, and are working towards making the team to go to Iceland next year. Regan Wilson and Tom Wilson have been named to the NZ U18 Squad, Regan Bakker-Connell, Regan Wilson, Tom Wilson, Robbie Coslett, Heath Dunlop and Dane Dunlop have been named to the NZ U20 Squad.

Coming Up

Spring Dunedin Ice Hockey League

The club’s end of year social league kicks off in 11 days. Entries need to be in by next Wednesday 1 September. The league will be in two grades – A grade for the better, more competitive players, and B grade for beginners, social players, and those who don’t want to chase the Thunder players up and down the ice!

The league consists of 7 games, costs $80. To sign up simply sign back into club hub and add the subsequent fee ‘Spring DIHL’. If you’re having problems email us back and we can help.
If anyone wants to assist with organising either grade, email dihl@dunedinicehockey.co.nz and let us know.

Please note, any players that owe money to the club won’t be able to play in the DIHL until they’ve paid these debts. An email will be coming out this afternoon detailing old debts. To pay them drop off a cheque at the club gear room or to the scorebox when it’s manned, or make a direct credit to the club bank account:
Dunedin Ice Hockey Association (Inc)

National Bank of NZ, South Dunedin Branch
060911 0025989 00

Upcoming games to Watch

The National League final sadly is an all-Auckland affair, but will be shown on Sky sports: The games will be broadcast on Sky Sport 2 on 14 September 5:00pm, Sky Sport 2 on 16 September 9:00am and Sky Sport 3 – 16th September at 10:30pm. Great to see NZ ice hockey getting on TV more.
Also coming up is the Skate of Origin North vs South clash, which will be in Queenstown on September 18th, 7pm. This all-stars game brings together all the top national league players, playing for the island for which they first played ice hockey and is well worth going to see.

Girl’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Development Sessions

The club is running six sessions for beginners and intermediate female players to learn skills and play games with other female players. A great opportunity to get a female friend or family member involved in ice hockey without having to deal with smelly boys! For more information: http://dunedinicehockey.co.nz/2010/08/girls-and-womens-ice-hockey-development-sessions/

NZIHF U13 and U16 Development Camps 2011

Both these camps will be held in Auckland next year, and are a good opportunity to get intensive hockey education with lots of coaches in a skills based environment. For more information and registration forms: http://dunedinicehockey.co.nz/2010/08/nzihf-u13-u16-development-camps/

2010 Rick Parry Goalie Camp

Thunder/Ice Blacks goaltender, and DIHA goalie coach Rick Parry will be holding a goalie camp in Dunedin 25 – 26 September. For more information: http://dunedinicehockey.co.nz/2010/08/2010-rick-parry-goalie-camp-25-26-september/.

Got Club Gear or Tops?

If you have any club gear or tops that you should have given back, please return these to the club gear room, as we need these for the DIHL and our youth and adult beginners sessions. We’re having a general amnesty, this won’t apply if we find members holding onto gear they’re not supposed to have, so return it now before you get caught. The club puts tremendous effort into raising funds to make ice hockey accessible for all players, but particularly new members who grow our sport, and won’t hesitate to punish anyone who is found holding club gear that they’re not supposed to have. You have been warned!

Upcoming Holiday Break

SNC: no practice next week, Thursday 2 September. Next practice Thursday 9 September.

Adult Beginners: last practice this Sunday (no practice this week). Start up again on 12 September.

Girls/Womens Beginners: Last practice this Sunday 4 July. More practices to be discussed after considering the first five.

Oldtimers League

While DIHL really finishes the season off, Oldtimers will start up again afterwards and play their way right through to Christmas. So don’t hang up your skates yet old fellas!

DIHA AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the club, and prizegiving and dinner will be held in November. More information will come out in October, but now is a good time to think about what you are keen to see in ice hockey in 2011, and how you can help make that happen.

As the season comes near to a close, the hockey only gets bigger. Lots of our players will be travelling up to Auckland over the next month to compete in the national finals, the whole club wishes them the best of luck and we hope Southern comes back with a swag of gold medals.

The quality of our ice rink is also seeing us hosting another international event this weekend. Australia, like the Ice Blacks (who just won promotion) will be playing in Division II next year, so they should be great competition for our team in a double header on Saturday and Sunday night.

I am currently distributing a survey around our club members at practices. If you do not attend practices, or do not receive one, please get it from http://dunedinicehockey.co.nz/survey/. This survey will help the 2010 Board of Directors drive the direction and focus of their work, professional coaching, number of games, practices, etc. We would appreciate it if youth players who are financially supported by their parents, complete it together with their parents.

Lastly, below you will find some information on the upcoming DIHL. This will be a great set of games to finish off your hockey season in style, so I encourage you all to sign up.

Kyle Matthews
President
president@dunedinicehockey.co.nz

News

Dunedin Thunder

Dunedin Thunder’s season finished last weekend with a very competitive game against defending champions Botany Swarm. Despite their limited success on the ice this year, I know the Thunder team and the off-ice support crew have worked very hard this year in a tremendously difficult competition.

Later this year DIHA will be talking with Thunder about both organisations having stronger links, particularly given that our goals are about the promotion and playing of the sport of hockey. I hope that Thunder can take a greater involvement in the coaching of up-and-coming ice hockey players, and in return DIHA can help the players out by taking a bigger role in promoting Thunder and our sport. If anyone is keen to be involved in supporting Thunder next year, please let me know.

DIHA Equipment Bonanza

The club has recently been very successful with grant applications, and is spending a considerable amount of money investing in our equipment room and the gear in it. More safety equipment for beginners, particularly Kiwihockey kids, more goalie gear, more sticks, and more storage space to fit it all. One thing we’re becoming aware of it the tendency of members to just wander in and out of the room and take stuff. Unfortunately this situation is not satisfactory, gear is not being returned in a satisfactory state, and our volunteers are tired of cleaning up after members. Members should only be in the room when a manager or coach is there.

The buy up means that we can now equip a full ice load of forty kids in full gear. So encourage your friends to try out kiwihockey (Thursday afternoon, subsidised by the rink), adult beginners (Sunday night) and introduce them to this great game.

Congratulations

To the DIHL Juniors team who beat the PE team to win the Autumn 2009 DIHL in a shootout. A tremendous effort from the Juniors to step up and beat the senior teams.

To the Dunedin Peewees who have again been unbeaten this season, and are Southern Ice Hockey League Champions for the third year running. The team has a 48-0-0 record over that three years, and are graduating tremendous young ice hockey players up the age grades.

To all the DIHA members that have been selected by the Southern Ice Hockey League to represent the region at nationals in Auckland. Dunedin continues to provide a healthy number of players who form strong Southern teams. Last year we brought home two gold medals (U16s and Women) and a silver (U13s), we hope for a similarly strong showing this year from the teams.

End of Season

Practices for all grades should be finished by 17 September, except for Kiwihockey and Adult beginners which continue on.

Peewees and Midgets are fully paid up for the year. Juniors and SNC will have a second half bill for their practices which you should receive soon.

Costs for practices are kept down by the club applying for grants to help cover the cost of ice time. For all grades this year the club has successfully received grants of between $1000 and $1500. This is directly funneled into the grades to keep members’ costs down.

There will also be an end of season function in late September or early October, to which all members are invited.

Coming Up

Australia vs Ice Blacks

As part of the New Zealand Winter Games, the Australian Ice Hockey team is here this weekend to take on the New Zealand Ice Blacks. Games are 7pm Saturday, 5pm Sunday, tickets available from the door from between $10 (children) and $25 (adults).

This is a terrific chance to get see top level ice hockey again in Dunedin. There should be a decent crowd so we recommend getting there half an hour early to make sure that you can get in on time.

Both games are also being shown on Sky Sport 3 on Sunday (game one delayed at noon, game two live). Encourage your family and friends to tune in and watch, it’s a fantastic opportunity to promote our great sport.

Dunedin Ice Hockey League Spring 2009

The next round of the Dunedin Ice Hockey League will be starting in mid-September. The competition will be run in two grades, with the better players in an A grade, and the B grade having a more relaxed social element to it. For more information, including registration forms, see http://www.dunedinicehockey.co.nz/dihl/.

Southern Cross Womens Tournament 12 – 13 September Tekapo

All female players of all levels are invited to participate in this tournament. For more information contact Megan Gilchrist, megan.gilchrist@hotmail.com.

Annual General Meeting

The AGM for the DIHA will take place in November. All board positions will be up for election, and we are always looking for people to stand for the board or help organise the many tasks that is involved in running a successful hockey club. All members will be emailed with further details closer to the time.