48 NAVY NEWS, JANUARY 2011 Next month


Strong Lynx – how 815 NAS stays ahead of the game


ys he


nx 5


Ard going on the bikes


● Mne Hubbs chases the puck during the Destroyers’ heavy away defeat to the Milton Keynes Jesters Pictures: Chris Dickens, mjdphoto.biz No laughing matter


the Defence Diving School


Taking the plunge at


ki th


DESPITE their names, the Basingstoke Hyenas and Milton Keynes Jesters proved


opposition for a depleted RN Destroyers ice hockey team.


The Senior Service entertained the Hyenas on home ‘turf’


the


Final fl ight – the Harrier makes its last


Fi l fli ht appearance


deadlock when Lt Lappin (HMS Nelson) fi red a slapshot from the neutral zone past the Hyenas goalkeeper. This served as the catalyst for the visitors and after the award of a penalty shot (quite rare these days), Basingstoke went in at the end of the fi rst period leading 3-1. The second period saw the teams evenly-matched with the visitors scoring early on in the period before LS(CIS) D Smalley (Illustrious) pulled a goal back with a shot straight from the face- off to the left of the Basingstoke goalkeeper sailing past his glove to light the lamp behind the net. The third period opened with the Hyenas scoring after 55 seconds to make the score 5-2 in their favour, which left the Navy having to dig deep to stop the


high on but end dea Nel n g


Planet Ice in Gosport – and, in keeping with recent fi xtures, the face-off was at 11pm, writes Lt Adam Lappin, general secretary of the RNIHA. T


play to break the – to be serious


The game started at the usual high tempo as fresh legs stepped on to the ice to start the game but it took ten minutes of fast end-to-end


● Stand-in keeper AET David Jones thwarts the Jesters


game from disappearing over the horizon. James Morgan scored for the


their three-goal lead. RN manager Kev Cave scored a


Navy with a shot from the point (position just inside the attacking zone) that left the Basingstoke keeper searching the air for the puck with a move that would be right at home in Joanna’s. The visitors continued to add to their score and with ten minutes to go in the game the score was 6-3 to Basingstoke. ET(WE) Peter Shaughnessey


(Type 23 Pool), continuing his recent good form, showed some expert close-in stick handling to put the puck in the net to make the score 6-4, only for the visitors to score 30 seconds later to keep


late consolation, but his team were unable to break the Basingstoke defence so the game fi nished in a 7-5 defeat for the RNIHA. ‘Man’ of the match was Pte Lisa


few who travelled back to Pompey, returning at 4am!). It also gave the team the opportunity to celebrate a birthday of one of RNIHA’s stalwarts: Lt Cdr Al Bernard was celebrating the issue of his free bus pass (he was actually 42 but he looks older and his joints creak!). The game began (after a well- timed performance of a Village People song) with the home team enjoying an extra line on the bench (20 skaters to the RN’s 15 – the Navy suffered from the now- common ‘OPDEF’ of a lack of available goalkeepers). AET David Jones (RNAS


Yeovilton) again gave up his place as a skater to come to the rescue in goal for the RN – which would infl uence the fi nal score. The Jesters were obviously a bit


Weston (3 PWRR – on loan due to a RN keeper shortage) who despite the defeat was outstanding for the sailors between the pipes. The second clash saw the Navy team travel to Milton Keynes to face the Jesters in a return fi xture after


October.


11pm, but there was chance for an overnight stay in a nearby hotel for the team (with the exception of a


their defeat to the RN in This match also started at


 Continued on page 47


funny (ho-ho) about their defeat the previous month and were out to prove a point by scoring a number of goals in quick succession in the opening period. They went unanswered for some time until LET(ME) Haywood (Edinburgh) scored his debut goal in a RN Destroyers shirt that left the Jesters goalkeeper stranded, watching helplessly as the puck hit the back of his net. Sadly this would be the last time the RN scored in this fi xture and the home team ended the game winners with a score of 8-1. Although AET Jones played another outstanding game as the stand-in keeper, it was Steve Baker who was given the RN man of the


THIS is something brand-new north of the Border. No, not bicycles – they’ve had them for some time. This is the inaugural RN Scotland cross-country mountain bike competition – and the chap in the saddle (PO Colin Abbot – pictured here by LA(Phot) Stu Hill, FRPU North) is on his way to victory as he pedals through the Ardgartan Forest. The race saw cyclists cover a challenging 14km (8½-mile)route over rough and muddy terrain, reaching a peak of 200m above sea level. Challenging as the course was,


it was made all the more diffi cult by the unpredictable Arrochar weather, which saw a relatively bright start transform into a torrential downpour, leaving the sailors soaked but their spirits undampened. PO Abbot was fi rst over the


fi nishing line in 41 25s – 178 seconds faster than his nearest challenger, Lt Cdr Gordon King. It took more than six months of planning to organise the event – permission had to be sought to ride through Ardgartan – but all the effort was worth it as some warming tea, coffee, soup and rolls were handed to competitors at the fi nish before Naval Base Commander Clyde, Cdre Chris Hockley, presented the prizes. “Despite the weather everyone


agreed that they had an excellent time,” said organiser LPT Dan Kerr. “The forests and mountains around Arrochar proved to be the perfect venue for the event and we feel fortunate that they are just on our doorstep. “We will certainly be having a


look at setting another date for the next competition, hopefully in the not too distant future.”


Dennis takes U23 trophy


HAVING led his U23 team through an undefeated season, Mne Dennis Scotthorne (42 Cdo RM) was awarded the Brian Weeks Memorial Trophy as U23 rugby union player of the year. Now in its fourth year, the


trophy keeps alive the memory of a stalwart of RNRU – and champion of young talent. In Dennis’ case, the award


acknowledges his contribution and leadership on and off the fi eld.


The green beret was also  Continued on page 47


Published by Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth and printed by St Ives (Roche) plc.


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