Power Rankings 2009!
Posted by Administrator on Thu 17th April, 2008
These are the 2009 Power Rankings for the Nationals Championships.
Just a reminder to all Teams these are meant to be a bit of fun, so no offence is intended by any of the comments:-
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Tier One
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1.(4) Up 3 Oxford Blues – This is the Team to beat, 100% Record in the Cup, already beaten Nottingham in a challenge game comprehensively. Can anyone stop the Dark Blue Troops marching to the Title?
2.(2) NM Nottingham Mavericks – Division 1 North Champions but nowhere near as dominant as previous Mavericks teams, has Si Hopkins lost his touch? Is Illingworth too slow? There is only one way to find out……..
3.(9) Up 6 Sheffield Bears – Beaten to the Title by 1 point and had superior Goal Difference. Sheffield could prove to be a top dog but it depends on which Bears Side turns up, the one that travelled to Birmingham or the side that travelled to Edinburgh….
4.(1) Down 3 London Dragons – Are the Dragons running out of Puff? Winners of everything in sight during the 07/08 season but without Inspirational Dr Dmitry in every game the defence seems to have fallen to pieces.
5.(6) Up 1 Newcastle Wildcats – Once Again Exceeding expectations. Losing out to Nottingham by one point, stealing Northumbria Players seems to have worked wonders for the Wildcats!!!
6.(NE) Cambridge Blues - The Light Blues follow their Women’s side’s example and finally enter a team into Nationals for the first time. Will they be able to cope with the intensity and speed of these games?
7.(3) Down 4 Edinburgh Eagles – Slipping down the rankings to seventh might inspire the only Scottish side in the BUIHA to get some results. Mixed bag in the cup even managing a draw with Nottingham in Dundee.
8.(8) NM Warwick Panthers – Had a solid year this year! Surprising! Will arguing with the Ref hold back their chances this year?
9.(5) Down 4 Birmingham Eagles – Won 1 game, and that was a forfeit. Must be asking whether they are actually better than Southampton…….
10.(7) Down 3 Southampton Spitfires – Played 8 Lost 8. Please can we win a game this season, please…….
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Tier Two
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1.(5) Up 4 Northumbria Flames A – The Flames must believe they cannot be extinguished and will retain their Title. Who can blame them when your top enforcer is returning from injury, you have a farmer and even a man named Jesus who will literally be walking on water.
2.(3) Up 1 Manchester Metros – Undefeated this season until the Playoff Semis, where Del’s Metrostars were sensationally derailed by the Flames. Can their motor mouth President inspire his team back on track to Nationals’ Glory??
3.(13) Up 10 Imperial College Devils – The Yo Yo effect of the Devils continues, they actually are quite good this year. Cheated out of being Tier 2 South Champions but proved a point in the Playoff game by dumping out the Red Hawks. Can they carry on the run and beat Northumbria in the Div 2 playoffs and get a run in this competition too?
4.(4) NM Cardiff Red Hawks – Div 2 South Winners but will have to turn over Imperial in the group stages. Something they have yet to do this season. You never know what you are going to get with the Red Hawks.
5.(1) Down 4 Sheffield Bears – Could come back with a vengeance after not making the Playoffs by a single point. But hey, its alright, as we didn’t have to go to Whitley this year - so we can’t blame that anymore.
6.(10) Up 4 Bradford Sabres – Welcome back to the BUIHA Jan. The Czech ace returns after two years away and all of a sudden the Sabres start to win games again………… He is only one player, but he is a machine.
7.(11) Up 4 Hull Ice Hogs – Change of Name, Change of Colours, Change of Attitude. The once named Hawks come back this year as mean as ever! They are the only side to beat Northumbria A this season, something that even Division 1 Newcastle couldn’t do!! Watch out for the Hogs.
8.(2) Down 6 Nottingham Mavericks – Could the Mavs B’s really be showing the crumbling dynasty that was once the Mavericks? Inconsistent season all round, can’t see the Mavs battling it into the Semis.
9.(9) NM Newcastle Wildcats – Swapping the Majestic American Haggis Perks up to the A’s for the Cannon, Sam Pay, seems to have worked well for the second half of the season for Newcastle B. The only other team in Div 2 North other than Northumbria to have Positive goal difference, could Ash ‘Love Boat’ Shah make the difference for the run in??
10.(6) Down 4 Birmingham Eagles – The Eagles are the best team for playing within the rules, inconsistent in the Cup, but welcome back a multitude of Alumni Players for Nationals! You just never rule out Birmingham B in a weekend Competition.
11.(7) Down 4 London Dragons – Losing their goalie to the 1st team is never going to help matters when it comes to a competition like this. In a tough group too, the Dragons are going to find it hard to get anywhere this year, just like the 1st team - they to may be out of puff.
12.(12) NM Huddersfield Ice Hawks – Significant improvements brought on by Coach Beavers this season, even though at one point he was partially blinded by an infection. getting a draw away at Birmingham just shows you can never rule a team out.
13.(8) Down 5 Oxford Vikings – Two years ago this team won the Nationals. What happened after that? Unlikely to reinvigorate that sleeping Giant, the Vikings are likely to just sail off into the night unnoticed.
14.(NE) Northumbria Flames B – Making the step up from Division 3, the Flames B have taken a battering this year. But on a positive note they claim to be the best looking side in Division Two, they even have a professional Model in their team. Watch out! Don’t check Mr Jeffs - you might damage his hair…….
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Tier Three
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1.(3) Up 2 Sheffield Bears – The Only Bears side this season with any sort of form. Hats off to the Bears C, they have a good shot of taking it all home.
2.(NE) Manchester Metros – Beginners Division? Where does it say that? Metros B have a strong line up but have two players scoring all the points. Should any team be able to shut down Ms Williams and Ms Brown and they have the Metros Beat!!!
3.(2) Down 1 Cardiff Red Hawks – Just won the inaugural Celtic Plate by beating the Edinburgh ‘B’eagles. Will be interesting to see how they match up to the Best in the North.
4.(4) NM Nottingham Mavericks C – Along with Cardiff, undefeated in Div 3 South, these two Giants will be battling out against the Best from the North for the Win.
5.(7) Up 2 Newcastle Wildcats Blue – Improvement from the old renamed Newcastle C team. Will be pushing the top 4 to a semi final berth.
6.(6) NM Imperial College Devils – Entering Division 3 South this year could be a shrewed move by the Devils, getting some games under their belt before the run at nationals. An almost 50% win ratio will see the Devils do quite well.
7.(NE) Northumbria Flames – New team this year, playing well in Div 3 for the first time, but a rotational Goalie policy of A and B team players may play havoc on the Defence. Now then Kyle maybe its your turn to step up and put on the pads.
8.(10) Up 2 Warwick Panthers B – Panthers B also entered the Cup this year and have faired well. Could be pouncing for a medal.
9.(5) Down 4 Cambridge Womens Blues – The Womens Blues return to the fray for some more Nationals Action. Not in the best of form, a Draw out of 7 games but who knows we might see a change……
10.(9) Down 1 Edinburgh ‘B’Eagles - Just lost out to the “B”red Hawks in the Celtic Plate, but any team playing in two shades of Blue and has a Dog as a logo is fine by me.
11.(8) Down 3 Nottingham Mavericks D – With Captain Keith going into his 25th year as captain of this team, you would expect something special to happen - maybe its fate. Doubt it though . Ranked 11th.
12.(NE) Newcastle Wildcats White – Captain of the Newly created Whites, Jess Harvey had some stirring words to say to her team. But its seems they were that stirring she scared them all away. The Whites are doing an, Oxford turing up with a goalie and 5 skaters….. Good Luck with that.