Modo J20 4 v Timrå J20 2 (Training match)

Last night the Modo J20 team took on arch rivals Timrå in a training match at Fjällräven Center. Although only a training match, the matches against Timrå are always worth watching and around 150 people showed up to see this one.

It started well for Modo with a goal after just 32 seconds. And after just 1:19, they registered their second goal for the night. Timrå looked slow and disorganized for much of the first period and Modo capitalized once again after 7:31 with another goal, this time on the power play. The first period ended with a goal for Timrå at 16:16 but generally, the smaller Timrå side were not able to keep up with Modo Hockey.

The second and third periods were a closer affair, with Timrå having small periods of dominance but being unable to capitalize. Eventually they got a breakthrough and reduced Modo's lead to one but within 1 minute Modo had hit back. The scores didn't change after that and the match ended 4-2.

In all honestly, Modo should have been more forceful in their attack, There were too many fancy passes and slick puck handling but it's the goals that count, and despite being happy with a win, I am certain the boys will be told to sharpen up and leave the fancy stuff at home next game.

The shot count was surprising, with Timrå having 36 to Modo's 27, but with a goaltender like Linus Ullmark who remained cool and calm throughout the match, Modo never really had to worry. Ullmark made 2 outstanding saves in the third period and watching his positioning and movement, he could really be a player to keep an eye on for the future.

Other players who made a big impact on the night were Erik Nyström, Edwin Hedberg and Måns Kruger. Hedberg in particular was extremely fast moving across the ice and his puck control was, at times, mesmerizing.

The future is looking bright for Modo Hockey, as long as some of these young up and comers get a chance in the first team. A good match and a good win, which will certainly inspire confidence in the boys before their next match.

If you are interested in seeing Modo's A-team take on Skellefteå in Härnösand tonght, Allehanda.se will have a live stream of the game. From what i understand it will be a video feed, not a commentary text feed. If I am wrong, I do apologise.

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you out at the next match.

Ice Premiere Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the 6th of August,  Modo Hockey hosts their annual Ice Premiere as the seasons training schedule begins for our beloved team.
Amongst autograph signing, an evening concert and a skills competition, you can also see the TV Puck match between Ångermanland and Västerbotten from 1:30pm and at around 4:00pm Modo Hockey will play an exhibition match against the Swedish bandy team (think field hockey on ice).
We hope to see all the fans turn out for what should be a fun day as the build up to the coming season continues.
The Modo Army will of course be at Fjällräven Center at 1:30pm and on Sunday will have a new blog out with photos and perhaps a few video clips.
Hope to see everybody there.

The Modo Army.

And So It Begins...

The Swedish summer. A fleeting season of sun, warmth and the continuous light of day. Let's also not forget that summer is the long and excruciating break for all hockey supporters. A yearly ritual that is as welcomed as it is loathed.

The 2010/11 season for Modo Hockey was a rollercoaster ride. The ups and downs just kept coming from the start of the season right until the final game of the Elitserien qualifying series (Kvalserien). It seemed at times we were untouchable and at others we couldn't produce a point to save ourselves. Eventually the feelings of invulnerability, the belief that as Modo Hockey it was our right to play in Elitserien, vanished and only the despair of a city on the brink of what seemed to be the end of the world remained.

On the final night of the 2010/11 season, Modo Hockey took to the ice in front of their home fans. What happened after that puck dropped for the first period will be remembered by many for quite a few years. The stadium was rocking as 7500 supporters urged their team to victory and in the end, it worked as Modo Hockey survived Kvalserien to save their existence in Elitserien and a gallant but outplayed Södertälje were left to pick up the pieces of an uncertain future. What a night, one of the most memorable by far and yet, I hope I never witness another again.

So here we are, The Modo Army, awaiting season 2011/12. The new faces in the locker room (of which will be covered in a later article once the team building is complete), new coaches on the bench and two very famous faces, born and bred in our little town, steering the ship to what we all hope will be a generation of success from the team we love.

Summer, it's a blessing and a curse. Whilst we can de-stress after a long and sometimes arduous season, the sense of urgency to start again is always on the mind. In 11 days Modo Hockey will take to the rink again in the annual Ice Premiere. It's a day of fun and relaxation as we watch the old and new players compete in skills competitions, signing autographs for children young and old alike and then a friendly match of hockey mixed with bandy against the Swedish National Bandy Team.

I urge all supporters of our beloved Modo Hockey to attend this day. It's completely free of charge, it's great entertainment and a good way to introduce your children (if not already die hard supporters) to Modo Hockey and the sport of hockey in general.

And to any of you thinking of not attending, I put it to you this way. It may be the most relaxed day in the arena for another 12 months so take advantage of it while it's here, for after this the real hockey begins.

Thank you for reading this and look out for many more article in the coming weeks.

The Modo Army