SATURDAY 12TH APRIL 2025
Streatham secure a Semi spot.
Match Report by Chris Beal
Streatham RedHawks hopes of ending 24/25 with any silverware were ended Saturday by the Slough Jets. The RedHawks falling 6-0 to the Jets in the NIHL 1 South play off final at the NIHL 1 National play offs in Sheffield.
Penalties and inability to find space for shots would be the story of the game for the RedHawks as Matt Smital shut them out. As Streatham had no answer for the aggressive high energy forecheck of the Jets that closed off any passing and shooting lanes. Connor Redmond would open the scoring for the Jets at 827 unassisted after a broken play released the Jets forward Infront of the net. To put the Jets up 1-0 heading into the first interval.
Streatham would need to score next to get back in the game, but it would be the Jets who struck quickly in the second. Ollie Hemmings Maher scoring just 37 seconds into the 2nd period. 2-0 Jets. 10 minutes later at 3056 Hemmings-Maher would extend the lead making it 3-0 Jets as the RedHawks struggled both with penalty trouble and being able to find a way through the Jets defence and Smital in net.
Captain Ryan Watt would try to spark his team to life and arrest the Jets momentum by fighting Brandon Miles in a heavy weight bought many UK hockey fans have been asking for since Miles departed Streatham. The two would trade bombs before eventually having to be separated by officials. Leading to a humorous moment in the game as it transpired Watt had somehow come into possession of both his own elbow pads and Miles during the post-fight clean up.
Shortly after the fight the RedHawks also opted to change netminders. Danny Milton heading to the bench. Having possibly tweaked the injury incurred in the very first meeting between the 2 sides in preseason. With Brett Shepherd taking over in net for Streatham. The change in netminder would not arrest the advance of the Jets however as more penalties to Sam Waller and JJ Pitchley at 35 and 38 minutes put the Streatham bench under pressure. Before Seb Mohr would convert a powerplay at 3914, to put the Jets 4 goals ahead at 4-0.
The Jets would continue to dominate in the 3rd period and would add two more to their tally. At 50 minutes Ben Paynter would be called for high sticks, leading to Christian Mohr converting on the powerplay at 52 minutes. Then another penalty at 53 minutes to Danny Ingoldsby for holding be converted by the Jets at 54 minutes. To close out the scoring 6-0 to the Jets.
Following the game, coach Paynter was understandably disappointed. But tried to take the positives from the season overall.
“Now the dust has settled on the weekend, and we have had some time to reflect I
just wanted to share some of my thoughts from the weekend and the season in
general. I think it’s fair to say that it has been a season of some good highs but
some pretty low, lows. On the ice we always aim to win every trophy, something in
recent years we have accomplished, unfortunately this year we fell short and didn’t
manage to do it, something myself and the boys are disappointed about.
On the surface it’s a disappointment but there are lots of positives from this year to
take from it all, such as some great cup performances, finishing 1 point shy in the
league and reaching the play off final. It has been a season where we will take the
positives and hopefully learn from the negatives going forward and hopefully come
back stronger next season in a league that is improving year on year.”
The following day the Jets would fall in Overtime 4-3 to the Northern division champions the Billingham Stars.
Streatham’s season is now over, with the clubs awards night set for 3rd of May (see club social media for details) with the new season set to pick up in September.