BRACKNELL BEES have been accepted into next season’s National League South 1, a step below where they were competing this campaign – and they have also announced a new head coach in the form of Scott Spearing.
After weeks of discussions Bees, as well as many other Elite Premier League clubs, were advised to apply to compete in the lower level of the pyramid.
And following a lengthy meeting earlier this week, those applications have now been accepted.
While it is a step down, the decision does at least offer some security to ice hockey in Bracknell for the 2017/18 season, which is due to start in September.
Scott Spearing will take over as the club’s head coach, replacing club legend Lukas Smital.
Spearing has been with the club for a decade. The 31-year-old started his career with the Bracknell Ice Hockey Club (BIHC) and progressed into the U16 Bracknell Stingers and U19 Bracknell Drones.
He then played for the Bees in the English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL) and for Basingstoke Bison and Slough Jets and Basingstoke Biso. Since 2010, he has been a key member of the Bees’ squad, including stints as Alternate Captain.
In a statement on the Bees’ website, Spearing said: “I would like to thank the Bracknell Bees management for giving me this exciting opportunity to lead the Bees in our first National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) season.
“I would also like to thank Lukas for his support and all he has done for me and many other players over the years. He has been a great team mate, coach and true friend over the past 13 years and I wish him well wherever his hockey takes him next.
“He has already wished me all the best, which meant a great deal to me.”
Bees will compete in Conference A of the division alongside Basingstoke Bison, Cardiff Fire, Milton Keynes Thunder, Oxford City Stars and Solent Devils.
Conference B will be made up of Chelmsford Chieftains, Invicta Dynamos, London Raiders, Streatham IHC and Swindon Wildcats.
Teams will play everybody else in their conference home and away and each team from the opposing conference once.
There is also scheduled to be a cup competition where Bees are in a group with Basingstoke, Peterborough and Swindon.
Bracknell Hornets, the club’s second string, are set to compete in a 13-team NIHL South Division 2.
This week has also seen the club lose three of its star names.
Young talent Josh Tetlow has left the club to join European champions Nottingham Panthers while the club’s player of the season David Gaborcik and defensive partner Martin Pavlicek have moved to French second division side Dunkerque.
