2001–02 Guildford Flames season
The 2001–02 season, was the Guildford Flames' tenth year of ice hockey. The Guildford Flames competed in the British National League.[1]
| Season 2001–02 | |
|---|---|
| League | British National League |
| Coach | Stan Marple |
| Home Ice Rink | Guildford Spectrum |
| League position | 5th out of 12 |
| Findus Challenge Cup | 2nd in Group 2 |
| Playoff Record | Semi-Finalists |
After arguably their most successful season since their formation in 1992, the Guildford Flames shockingly ended up the season empty-handed.
On paper they should have added yet more silverware to their growing trophy cabinet after securing the triple crown in 2000-01, but head coach, Stan Marple, admitted his BNL side, packed with former Superleague stars, under-achieved.
Marple - back for his fifth season in the coaching hot-seat - was up against it from the word go. The fans had been given a taste of success and were expecting more.
But the Surrey side had strong competition, especially the league's new club, Dundee Stars, whose coach, Tony Hand, had recruited many top ISL players.
Coventry Blaze were always going to be tough, too, so Marple set about signing some big name players himself.
Perhaps his key acquisition was Finnish hotshot, Mikko Koivunoro, as Flames benefited from the demise of the ISL's Newcastle Jesters.
But Guildford had lost two veteran players through retirement at the start of the campaign. First was "Mr Guildford", Ryan Campbell, then Wayne (Reggie) Crawford called it a day at the age of 40.
Marple's new crop of players did not live up to expectations and frustrations began to show. Even returning netminder, Mark McArthur, was having a nightmare season after impressing in his debut year.
There were many inconsistent results, with Flames losing at home 4-3 to a rejuvenated Paisley Pirates, 6-4 to the surprising Edinburgh Capitals, and 3-0 to local rivals, Slough Jets.
Marple's cause was not helped when he lost Jason Jennings to a freak domestic accident - while cutting down a tree in his garden, he almost sliced off a finger.
The club's top scorer in the 2000-01 playoffs refused treatment and flew home to Canada. Though not expected back, he recovered in time to return and help Flames secure their best run of the season, reaching the league playoff semifinals.
There, though, Guildford were paired with Dundee, one of their fiercest rivals, who had won the league title. Flames lost 3-2 at home and 3-0 at Camperdown.
Player statistics
| Player | GP | G | A | PTS | PIMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derek DeCosty | 47 | 41 | 24 | 65 | 52 |
| Mikko Koivunoro | 36 | 17 | 47 | 64 | 56 |
| John Haig | 56 | 22 | 39 | 61 | 36 |
| Todd Wetzel | 44 | 25 | 32 | 57 | 60 |
| Nicky Chinn | 50 | 16 | 40 | 56 | 104 |
| Jason Dailey | 56 | 24 | 16 | 40 | 58 |
| David Smith | 56 | 14 | 24 | 38 | 22 |
| Ricky Plant | 54 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 63 |
| Jason Jennings | 24 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 14 |
| Tony Redmond | 51 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 30 |
| Scott Campbell | 32 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 71 |
| Kent Nobes | 22 | 14 | 10 | 24 | 10 |
| Greg Burke | 30 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 72 |
| Paul Dixon | 37 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 22 |
| Stan Marple | 36 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 104 |
| Mitch Grant | 18 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 4 |
| Rob Lamey | 22 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 |
| Regan Stocco | 27 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 26 |
| Ian Defty | 19 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 22 |
| Jason Stone | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 34 |
| Michael Plenty | 32 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Mark Galazzi | 39 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| James Morgan | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Michael Timms | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamie Hepburn | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Netminders
| Netminder | Iced | Mins | SOG | GA | SV % | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark McArthur | 54 | 3277 | 1800 | 156 | 91.33 | 3 | 2.86 |
| Grant King | 3 | 180 | 86 | 14 | 83.72 | 0 | 4.67 |
| Alec Field | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Schedule And Results
Pre-season
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 25 August 2001 | Bracknell Bees | Away | Lost 2-0 | N/A | Baker Tilly Challenge Shield |
| Sunday 26 August 2001 | Bracknell Bees | Home | Lost 6-3 | 1,830 | Baker Tilly Challenge Shield |
British National League (BNL)
Final Standings
| Team | Pld. | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundee Stars | 44 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 289 | 101 | 80 |
| Coventry Blaze | 44 | 33 | 9 | 2 | 227 | 118 | 68 |
| Fife Flyers | 44 | 31 | 12 | 1 | 222 | 110 | 63 |
| Basingstoke Bison | 44 | 24 | 18 | 2 | 201 | 151 | 50 |
| Guildford Flames | 44 | 24 | 19 | 1 | 198 | 144 | 49 |
| Hull Thunder | 44 | 23 | 19 | 2 | 190 | 161 | 48 |
| Edinburgh Capitals | 44 | 20 | 23 | 1 | 180 | 212 | 41 |
| Milton Keynes Kings | 44 | 17 | 23 | 4 | 146 | 160 | 38 |
| Paisley Pirates | 44 | 18 | 25 | 1 | 161 | 259 | 37 |
| Peterborough Pirates | 44 | 11 | 30 | 3 | 136 | 208 | 25 |
| Slough Jets | 44 | 7 | 33 | 4 | 112 | 216 | 18 |
| Cardiff Devils | 44 | 5 | 38 | 1 | 90 | 312 | 11 |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 22 September 2001 | Dundee Stars | Home | Lost 3-1 | - | - |
| Sunday 23 September 2001 | Milton Keynes Kings | Home | Won 7-1 | - | - |
| Saturday 29 September 2001 | Milton Keynes Kings | Away | Lost 3-1 | - | John Haig |
| Sunday 30 September 2001 | Basingstoke Bison | Home | Won 5-3 | 1,588 | David Smith, Nicky Chinn, Jason Jennings, Kent Nobes, Ricky Plant |
| Saturday 6 October 2001 | Slough Jets | Away | Won 6-3 | - | Derek DeCosty (2), Jason Dailey (2), David Smith, John Haig |
| Sunday 7 October 2001 | Edinburgh Capitals | Home | Won 4-2 | - | Tony Redmond (2), Kent Nobes, Todd Wetzel |
| Saturday 13 October 2001 | Coventry Blaze | Home | Won 4-2 | 1,683 | Derek DeCosty (2), Kent Nobes, Jason Dailey |
| Sunday 14 October 2001 | Cardiff Devils | Away | Won 7-2 | 1,953 | Todd Wetzel (2), Kent Nobes, Nicky Chinn, Regan Stocco, Derek DeCosty, Rick Plant |
| Saturday 20 October 2001 | Edinburgh Capitals | Away | Won 7-6 (OT) | - | - |
| Sunday 21 October 2001 | Dundee Stars | Away | Lost 4-2 | - | - |
| Thursday 25 October 2001 | Coventry Blaze | Away | Lost 3-2 (OT) | 1,604 | Rick Plant, Todd Wetzel |
| Saturday 27 October 2001 | Hull Thunder | Away | Lost 3-2 | - | Jason Dailey, Greg Burke |
| Sunday 28 October 2001 | Fife Flyers | Home | Lost 6-3 | - | - |
| Saturday 3 November 2001 | Paisley Pirates | Away | Lost 4-3 (OT) | - | Todd Wetzel, David Smith, Greg Burke |
| Sunday 4 November 2001 | Cardiff Devils | Home | Won 5-0 | - | Derek DeCosty (2), John Haig, Rob Lamey, Greg Burke |
| Saturday 10 November 2001 | Basingstoke Bison | Away | Lost 3-1 | - | - |
| Sunday 11 November 2001 | Slough Jets | Home | Lost 3-0 | - | - |
| Saturday 17 November 2001 | Peterborough Pirates | Away | Won 6-1 | - | - |
| Sunday 18 November 2001 | Peterborough Pirates | Home | Won 5-2 | - | - |
| Saturday 24 November 2001 | Milton Keynes Kings | Away | Tied 3-3 | - | - |
| Saturday 1 December 2001 | Peterborough Pirates | Away | Lost 4-3 | - | Todd Wetzel (2), Derek DeCosty |
| Sunday 2 December 2001 | Paisley Pirates | Home | Won 5-4 | - | Todd Wetzel, Scott Campbell, Mikko Koivunoro, John Haig, Derek DeCosty |
| Saturday 8 December 2001 | Fife Flyers | Away | Lost 7-3 | - | Derek DeCosty, Todd Wetzel, Tony Redmond |
| Sunday 9 December 2001 | Edinburgh Capitals | Away | Won 9-2 | - | Derek DeCosty (3), John Haig (3), David Smith, Todd Wetzel, Mark Galazzi |
| Saturday 15 December 2001 | Paisley Pirates | Away | Won 6-3 | - | - |
| Saturday 22 December 2001 | Dundee Stars | Home | Won 4-3 (OT) | - | - |
| Sunday 23 December 2001 | Milton Keynes Kings | Home | Won 7-0 | - | - |
| Saturday 29 December 2001 | Fife Flyers | Away | Lost 5-2 | - | - |
| Sunday 30 December 2001 | Dundee Stars | Away | Lost 6-3 | - | - |
| Saturday 5 January 2002 | Hull Thunder | Home | Won 4-1 | - | - |
| Sunday 6 January 2002 | Cardiff Devils | Away | Won 9-3 | - | - |
| Sunday 13 January 2002 | Cardiff Devils | Home | Won 10-5 | - | Mike Koivunoro (3), Jason Dailey (2), Todd Wetzel, Stan Marple, Tony Redmond, John Haig, Derek DeCosty |
| Saturday 19 January 2002 | Slough Jets | Away | Won 10-2 | - | - |
| Sunday 20 January 2002 | Edinburgh Capitals | Home | Lost 6-4 | - | - |
| Saturday 26 January 2002 | Basingstoke Bison | Home | Lost 6-4 | - | - |
| Sunday 27 January 2002 | Fife Flyers | Home | Lost 3-2 | - | - |
| Saturday 2 February 2002 | Hull Thunder | Home | Won 3-1 | - | - |
| Sunday 3 February 2002 | Coventry Blaze | Home | Won 4-2 | - | - |
| Saturday 9 February 2002 | Basingstoke Bison | Away | Lost 6-1 | - | - |
| Sunday 10 February 2002 | Slough Jets | Home | Won 9-1 | - | - |
| Saturday 16 February 2002 | Peterborough Pirates | Home | Won 9-1 | 1,620 | Derek DeCosty (2), Mitch Grant (2), John Haig (2), Todd Wetzel, Rick Plant, Mikko Koivunoro |
| Sunday 17 February 2002 | Coventry Blaze | Away | Lost 7-4 | 1,879 | Jason Jennings (2), Derek DeCosty, Mikko Koivunoro |
| Saturday 23 February 2002 | Paisley Pirates | Home | Lost 4-3 (OT) | - | - |
| Sunday 24 February 2002 | Hull Thunder | Away | Won 6-5 | - | - |
British National League Play-Offs
The top eight BNL teams qualified for the playoffs. In the Quarter-Finals the teams were split into two groups of four with the teams finishing 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th in the league going into Group 1 and the others into Group 2. Teams tied on points in the Quarter-Final group stages were separated first by wins in normal time, then by away wins in normal time. The two top teams in each group qualified for the Semi-Finals with the winner of one group playing a home-and-away, aggregate goals series against the runner-up in the other group. The winning semi-finalists competed for the title using the same playing format.
The semi-final with the Coventry Blaze was overshadowed by controversy over ITV's insistence that the second game, rather than the first should be held in Guildford. The change was agreed by the league headquarters to avoid travelling costs (which would fall on the league) for ITV's southern based camera crew who naturally believed the last leg would be the more important one. The fuss was not of Blaze's making and they rode out the politics to beat the Flames by three goals each time.
Quarter-Final Group 1
| Team | Pld. | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dundee Stars | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 12 |
| Guildford Flames | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 6 |
| Basingstoke Bison | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 19 | 5 |
| Milton Keynes Kings | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 21 | 1 |
Quarter-Final Group 2
| Team | Pld. | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry Blaze | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 9 | 10 |
| Fife Flyers | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 20 | 9 |
| Hull Thunder | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 33 | 3 |
| Edinburgh Capitals | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 29 | 2 |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Competition | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 2 March 2002 | Milton Keynes Kings | Away | Won 4-3 | - | Quarter-Final Group 1 | Ricky Plant (2), Jason Jennings (2) |
| Sunday 3 March 2002 | Basingstoke Bison | Home | Lost 3-2 | - | Quarter-Final Group 1 | Jason Dailey, David Smith |
| Saturday 9 March 2002 | Basingstoke Bison | Away | Won 3-0 | 1,148 | Quarter-Final Group 1 | Paul Dixon, Todd Wetzel, Jason Jennings |
| Sunday 10 March 2002 | Milton Keynes Kings | Home | Won 2-1 (OT) | 1,606 | Quarter-Final Group 1 | Todd Wetzel, Jason Dailey |
| Saturday 16 March 2002 | Dundee Stars | Home | Lost 3-2 | - | Quarter-Final Group 1 | - |
| Sunday 17 March 2002 | Dundee Stars | Away | Lost 3-0 | - | Quarter-Final Group 1 | - |
| Saturday 23 March 2002 | Coventry Blaze | Away | Lost 6-3 | - | Semi-Final, First Leg | - |
| Sunday 24 March 2002 | Coventry Blaze | Home | Lost 4-1 (Coventry win 10-4 on aggregate) | - | Semi-Final, Second Leg | - |
Findus Challenge Cup
The new competition, which effectively replaced the Benson and Hedges Plate, involved all the Findus British National League clubs and the English Premier League sides.
The 16 teams in the qualifying round played a round-robin in four regional groupings during September 2001.
The winning team in each group qualified for the final stages at the Nottingham Arena in November 2001.
Guildford suffered their first-ever shutout at the Guildford Spectrum as Coventry won 3-0.
Guildford's game at Milton Keynes on Saturday 29 September 2001 was also played for league points after the standalone Challenge Cup game scheduled for Sunday 2 September 2001 was cancelled due to faults with the ice surface.
Qualifying Round - Group 1
| Team | Pld. | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fife Flyers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 9 | 12 |
| Dundee Stars | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 11 | 8 |
| Paisley Pirates | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 34 | 4 |
| Edinburgh Capitals | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 42 | 0 |
Qualifying Round - Group 2
| Team | Pld. | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry Blaze | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 7 | 10 |
| Guildford Flames | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 14 | 8 |
| Milton Keynes Kings | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 25 | 4 |
| Solihull Barons | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 47 | 2 |
Qualifying Round - Group 3
| Team | Pld. | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peterborough Pirates | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 17 | 12 |
| Hull Thunder | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 22 | 5 |
| Cardiff Devils | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 31 | 4 |
| Swindon Lynx | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 20 | 3 |
Qualifying Round - Group 4
| Team | Pld. | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basingstoke Bison | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 16 | 11 |
| Slough Jets | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 13 | 9 |
| Invicta Dynamos | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 28 | 4 |
| Romford Raiders | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 39 | 0 |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Competition | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 1 September 2001 | Solihull Barons | Home | Won 6-2 | 1,078 | Qualifying Round Group 2 | Kent Nobes (3), Nicky Chinn, Jason Jennings, John Haig |
| Saturday 8 September 2001 | Solihull Barons | Away | Won 9-4 | 247 | Qualifying Round Group 2 | - |
| Sunday 9 September 2001 | Milton Keynes Kings | Home | Won 7-1 | 1,357 | Qualifying Round Group 2 | - |
| Saturday 15 September 2001 | Coventry Blaze | Home | Lost 3-0 | 1,500 | Qualifying Round Group 2 | - |
| Sunday 16 September 2001 | Coventry Blaze | Away | Won 3-1 | 1,560 | Qualifying Round Group 2 | John Haig, Nicky Chinn, Jason Daily |
| Saturday 29 September 2001 | Milton Keynes Kings | Away | Lost 3-1 | - | League/Cup | - |
End Of Season Awards
- Player's Player Of The Year - Paul Dixon
- Best British Trained Player Of The Year - Paul Dixon
- Most Sportsmanlike Player Of The Year - Tony Redmond
- Top Points Scorer - Derek DeCosty
- Supporters' Player Of The Year - Jason Dailey
- Supporters' British Player Of The Year - John Haig
References
- "2001-2002". GuildfordFlames.com. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
