Three shoots in six days

It's been a busy week of snapping! First up was the EPL Cup Semi Final last Thursday against the Basingstoke Bison, and with it being a weeknight game it was a jaunt up the motorway straight from work in order to make it to the game. The game started with Phoenix already 3-2 up from the first leg, but the bottom line is that on the night the Bison wanted it more, winning the game 6-4 and taking the series 8-7 on aggregate. The mood in the rink that night was a weird one, with the Phoenix Faithful watching the game slip away from us with a sense of doom and gloom that far outweighed the scoreline. Perhaps it was a chance at silverware slipping away that bothered people the most.

Anyway, for me it was business as usual, doing my best to get some shots that summed up the evening.




The frustrations that were rippling through the fans were also being felt on the ice, with Marcus Kristoffersson having to be held back by a linesman after one too many dodgy calls from the referee. Phoenix calling a time-out is something that only really happens when we're rattled, and it's safe to say we were rattled that night.

A full set of photos from Phoenix v Bison can be found here.

Next shoot was the regular Sunday home game, this time against Peterborough Phantoms, and this one went all the way to overtime with the Phoenix squeaking a win. Performance of the night was Curtis Huppe, finding the net no fewer than five times!




But for me, the highlight of the night came with the post-game presentations, when I had the pleasure of shooting not one but two of my friends being involved in presentations. First up was my friend and fellow photographer Lauren Freeman, having her picture taken with Andrew Sharp:



Also having her picture taken was my dear friend Helena Barnett, who was having a birthday surprise from Marcus Kristoffersson:



I think we'll have to chisel that smile off Helena's face!

A few weeks back I got a lovely shot of Marcus leading the victory wave, and this week it was the turn of Curtis Huppe to lead the celebrations. The Marcus shot was a mid-shot, so this time I tried something a little wider and got this rather nice shot that summed up the relief of the team at the win, and served as a perfect counter to the mood that followed the defeat against the Bisons three days before:



A full set of photos from Phoenix v Phantoms can be found here.

The third shoot was an incredibly fun experience. At the Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham on Tuesday night, the Phoenix Supporters' Club staged "An Evening With Dave Simms". For those who don't know him, Dave Simms is a long-time member of the Sheffield Steelers IHC, he's the presenter of the ice hockey show on Sky Sports, and he's one of the most controversial figures in the sport. He's also a very funny man with an excellent ability to entertain an audience.



The evening was a great success, with plenty of tales, laughs and opinions from Mr Simms to keep us all entertained. I'd asked Dave on his arrival whether he'd mind me taking a few snaps during the evening, and he was very gracious, very accommodating, and all too happy to indulge me!



A full set of photos from "An Evening With Dave Simms" can be found here.