Aberdeen Oilers qualify for British Nationals!
27 March 2008
T6 was destined to be the Oilers most important league meeting of the season. With 3rd place and a space in the British Nationals to play for, training preparations were intense and on the day the Oilers travelled south to Dundee with a full three lines of Aberdeen spirit. Aberdeen would need to win all three of their matches, 2 against RBS Linlithgow and one against Dundee. The day kicked off with Dundee narrowly defeating Forth Phoenix (3rd spot rivals) 4-3 and the Oilers came up next against RBS. The Oilers presence was strong with all other teams looking a little shortbenched… possibly out hunting for Easter Eggs? Despite their apparent position in the league, RBS proved they are not a team to be taken lightly and although the Oilers kept ahead, RBS constantly fought back and the game was closely fought, showing off some brilliant shooting on both sides. The game ended 8-6 to Aberdeen. Next up were “local” rivals Dundee. Aberdeen knew this would be a tough game and struggled to get into it, going down 1-0 early on. However, the Oilers were awarded a penalty shot after a foul by the keeper which the “tractor”, Osku Rantala, executed with precision. Dundee kept up the constant pressure and managed to go ahead again. After trailing for much of the game, the Aberdeen players found some new fighting spirit, the lines were gelling and the shots started going in. Final score 12-6 for the Oilers – a great win and the 3rd spot seemed a little closer. In their third game of the day, the Oilers once again faced RBS Linlithgow. Being the third game for both teams, legs were getting tired, but spirits were high and the game turned out to be quite a goal feast. Aberdeen managed to dominate this game more than the first meet between the two teams, but again RBS were not about to give up without a fight. In the end the Aberdeen pressure and the tired legs got the better of RBS (who had notably played 3 matches with only 6 or 7 players) and the final score stood at 17-7. With the three wins under their belt, the Aberdeen Oilers have won themselves the leagues 3rd place and thus qualified for the British Nationals 2008! An amazing effort for their first season! Celebrations will be taking place in true Oilers style very soon!
Farewell to a Dundee legend
24 March 2008
Aberdeen Oilers headed off to play a friendly testimonial match against Dundee in honour of Bryan Griffiths (Dundee Captain) who will shortly be moving away. Aberdeen fielded a line of Beauty (Alex Sunderland) and the Beasts (Aberdeen ladies) and another line of “usual suspects”. The game was friendly but as always between the two rivals, hotly contested and Dundee came out on top (for today only of course!). After the game, Bryan was presented with a true floorball trophy (including the match ball) for his efforts in Dundee floorball. He has played a major role both for his club and in the Northern league and will surely be missed in the floorball community. Following true Aberdeen-Dundee traditions, post-match festivities were hosted on Broughty Ferry beach complete with BBQ and Sauna tent. Beauty and the Beasts clearly had more to prove and took on Dundee at beach Volleyball, whilst the “usual suspects” were “liking it hot” in the Sauna tent… Some bravehearts also went for a quick dip in the cooling waters of the Tay whilst the big fire got going to keep everyone warm. The Oilers wish Bryan the best of luck with his move and new job!
Ladies floorball on the up in Scotland
20 March 2008
After battling with the elements on the A92 and despite warnings of the Tay Bridge being closed due to high winds, the Aberdeen ladies did eventually make it down to the Kingdom of Fife for the third of the “Pink Rink” ladies floorball events. Luckily some more local teams were able to arrive on time and with the rink ready and spectators gathering games were soon on the way. Four teams, including two from Aberdeen, a St Andrews and a Balwearie team with a few extra players mixed in, played each other in a series of 15 minutes games, swiss-style (3 vs 3 + keeper, 20m x 10m rink). The Aberdeen 1 team, with Julie Bett (Chapel) defending the goal, came out on top and played St Andrews (2nd) in a semi-final, with Aberdeen 2 playing Balwearie in the other. The all-decisive final was played between the overall 2nd and 3rd teams grouped together, and the 1st and 4th teams together, which meant an “Aberdeen versus Fife” game. Although hotly contested Aberdeen pulled ahead and secured a 3-0 win. Top-scorer of the day goes to Aberdeen's Linda Glass (6 goals) who opened the event with a hattrick in the first 5 minutes of the first game. Well done! Special thanks to all the refs, Pete, Mark, Colin, Adam and Jason, the volunteer keepers, Bob, Danny, Sascha and Julian and all those who came along to watch for a while!
An excellent team performance at T5
26 February 2008
Intense training had gone into preparing for today’s league games. To stand any hope of moving off 6th spot the Oilers knew they had to pull off something special against two strong teams, Hawick and Balwearie Thunder, currently 5th and 2nd in the league. First game of the day saw Aberdeen facing Hawick. Although in the previous league meeting Hawick was supreme over the Oilers, this time Aberdeen had a much larger team present and the extra running power and training preparations obviously paid off. The Reds went ahead 2-0 in the first period through some cracking goals by Tommy Åhlén and Sascha Fässler. An unusually good start, but Hawick fought back in the second period which ended 3-3. The game was open to go either way but the Aberdeen determination paid off and (defender!) Tommy Åhlén’s third goal put them ahead 4-3. Eventually, captain Osku Rantala secured the 5-3 win by putting another into the net in the final minutes of the game. The Oilers were looking to continue their success in the next game against Thunder, who had previously secured an undisputed 6-1 win against Forth Phoenix. Instructions were clear and the Reds showed some good forechecking, quick changes and tight defending. The pressure paid off when Sascha Fässler scored with a well placed shot in the top corner to make the score after the first period 1-0. It was again Swedish defender Tommy Åhlén, who rushed to the front and utilised a free ball to put the Oilers ahead another goal. Thunder then managed to score from a free-hit close to the goal after some misunderstanding in the Oilers defence. An exaggerated bodycheck by one of the Thunder players caused lightweight Osku Rantala to fly into the boards. Oilers managed to make use of the resulting power play by scoring another goal to make it 3-1. Some brilliant saves by netminder Martin Vares kept Aberdeen in the game while Thunder tried to concentrate on their offence. It must have been a blast of wind suddenly blowing through the sports hall, which caused forward Sascha Fässler to lose his balance while charging unhampered towards the Thunder goal. Of course, this had to result in a penalty shot for the Oilers. After the first penalty attempt had to be retaken (referee was probably referring to rule 508 §4), Sascha Fässler converted the second attempt to put the Oilers another goal up. Some magic forehand-backward-shot by Osku Rantala secured the final 5-2 result. All the Aberdeen players demonstrated some excellent team work and the second win on the day was undisputed and well deserved. Celebrations were in order and the Oilers headed into to town for a well-earned Beer and Burger.
T3
18 February 2008
The third tournament of the league saw the Oilers heading down to play in Glenrothes for the first time. The longer drive seemed to rock the Oilers to sleep and the team headed into the first game not yet quite grasping that they were in a game of floorball. Not the best way to start a game against a strong Forth Phoenix team and 3 goals were conceded very early on. A necessary wake up call for the reds who eventually got their act together and started getting into the game. The Oilers first goal came from Irish defender Gavan Ward on his league debut and the race was on to get two more. The game turned out to be very competitive and close fought. Despite winning both the second and third period 1-0, the late start was not quite enough to catch the 3 goal lead and the match ended 3-2 to Forth Phoenix. Next up were Chapel, currently top of the league and always a solid team but not feared by the spirited Aberdonians looking to improve on T2’s result. Again a bad start put the reds down 4-0 after the first period and Captain Osku Rantala, who had of course had more sleep than the rest of us, tried to raise the team from the dead. The second period was much better and despite conceding two more goals, the reds showed how a free hit should be taken, with Osku Rantala and Kimmo Karjaleinen setting up Danish star Anne Kejser who expertly popped the ball straight into the net. The third period saw the Oilers grow from strength to strength with some great defending against Chapels constant pressure, more great saves by Sascha Faessler (playing in goals in Martin Vares’ absence) and another great goal by Tuomas Tittala. The final score, 7-2 to Chapel and again if not for the first period a great game and very close.
Oilers in XMAS spirit
25 December 2007
The Aberdeen floorball team gathered at „Oskus Dunge-Inn“ for an evening of festive merryness. Kicking off with a range of international gourmet, from Finnish salmon to Danish herring, it was not long before the Oilers were proving their moves off the rink and on the dancefloor.
Oilers discover new tactics
01 November 2007
We are pleased to report that, following a night intense negotiation at the club committee meeting, this season's new tactics have been established. Pictured here, demonstrating the unusual style of play, are club forwards, Neil Shaw and Sascha Fassler. Unfortunately the walls were left defenceless against a strong attack of red wine.
Success at T2
29 October 2007
The Oilers knew they had a hard day ahead at T2, with three matches to be played against tough opposition, Dundee, Balwearie Thunder and Chapel. With surprisingly few hangovers the red team made sure of a proper warm-up before heading into their first game against Dundee. Having lost in a sudden-death penalty shoot out at the last meeting, Aberdeen were looking for revenge. The game got off to a bad start however, as Dundee went up 2-0 within the first minutes. This was a necessary wake-up call for Aberdeen, who managed to bring the score back to 2-2 after the first period. The two teams continued fighting a very close game and at 4-3 to the Oilers in the third period, Dundee decided to pull the goalkeeper. The pressure was on, but it was not to be for Dundee as the Oilers were awarded a penalty shot. Aberdeen’s centre Osku “the bomber” Rantala stepped up to execute the penalty shot putting the Oilers up 5-3 with only 10 seconds to go. An excellent game of floorball and a great win for Aberdeen to start off the day. Next up was Balwearie Thunder and again it was tight battle between the teams with some excellent floorball being played on both sides. The new trial forwards Tuomas Tiittala and Esko Paananen proved their skills and showed some fantastic combinations. After a shaky start, the Oilers gradually increased the lead and the match was won 5-3. Having given 200% in the first two games and with 2 wins under their belt the Aberdeen team were very happy. The rewarding hot shower however, would have to wait as the real test of the day was still ahead. With only a few minutes to recover from the Thunder game, the reds were back on the rink facing a skilful and organised Chapel team. The pressure proved too much for the Oilers weary legs to keep up with and the game ended 9-3 (although we may have lost count?) to Chapel.
Victory for ladies in 3’s tournament, dubbed “superb”
09 October 2007
Many did not know what to expect as 23 ladies descended on Mayfield Sports centre in Dundee for the arrival of "the Pink Pink" - a new event on the Scottish floorball scene. Organised by the Aberdeen Oilers Floorball Club, this new event was aimed at encouraging more ladies of all skill levels and ages into the sport of floorball. The event welcomed players from across Scotland including players from Edinburgh, Fife (incl. St Andrews), Glasgow and of course Aberdeen. Players were mixed up into 4 teams, with a 5th team formed by the young stars of Balwearie. Everyone played everyone in a series of games played "Swiss style" (3 vs 3 plus goalkeeper) and the day ended with teams being merged into two to battle it out in a bigfield final. The event turned out to be a real floorball feast played in a relaxed, fun and still competitive atmosphere. The Oilers would like to thank everyone who volunteered to help and make this event a success by playing in goals, refereeing, manning the stopwatches, writing down scores, taking photos, carrying endless rink boards or just simply coming along to cheer us on!
Oilers in First Ever League Encounter
01 October 2007
Another early start for the Aberdeen Oilers as they headed off to Dundee for their first ever official league game. Although some of the regular team members were nursing injuries or sunning themselves on beaches far away, the team welcomed many new faces and thus there was a strong presence of red shirts. The day faced off with Aberdeen versus Balwearie Lightning in a very enjoyable game. The scoring was opened by the Oilers early on after a nice combination and finish by winger Lorna Teal. Aberdeen's first season was on its way. After the 2-0 lead Aberdeen never looked threatened. At the end, after additional goals by Osku Rantala and Sascha Fässler, the final score was 5-2 to the reds - the first win of the season! Aberdeen's second game of the day was against fellow league newcomers, Forth Phoenix. A strong team captained by Italian international Romina Micheli. The first period ended with no score but Aberdeen managed to take advantage of a power play in the second period and went 1-0 up. Forth fought back and scored a controversial goal with one of their players clearly in the crease nearly sitting on the Aberdeen netminder! The game continued to be closely contested with defender Kimmo Karjalainen having to get treatment for a punctured lower lip! The Oilers eventually caved under the pressure losing 7-3 in another enjoyable match.
The Pink Pink
26 August 2007
Fearsone Female Floorball Fanatics are proud to host Scotland's first ladies event. Come along, take part, GET ADDICTED! 6/10/07 Mayfield Centre, Dundee.
Event Info
Oliers welcome Forth Phoenix to the Northen League
05 August 2007
All at the Aberdeen Oilers would like to welcome the Forth Phoenix to the Northern League and Scottish Floorball.
Oilers compete in British National Floorball Tournament
08 May 2007
Bells sport centre Perth hosted the 2007 British Floorball Championships, the flagship competition in UK floorball. The competition attracted interest from teams from Brighton to Aberdeen. The weekend long event saw some highs for the new comers from the Granite City who, after a tough battle, secured their place in the knockout stages of the competition. The weekend saw the first clash between Dundee Northern Lights and the Oilers, a game which proved to be one of the closest fought in the whole tournament. Regular time could not split the two sides after the Oilers scored an equalizer in the dying seconds of the game. The penalty shoot-out ended in sudden death with the experience of the Lights shining.
Aberdeen take on Northern League giants
01 April 2007
It may have been the first of April however the match up between Aberdeen and Balwearie was no joke. The first match saw the Oilers narrowly miss out 3-2 against Balwearie Lightning, with the Oilers Irish defender Gavan Ward scoring on his debut and Ilkka (can't spell his surname) once again showing how they do it in Finland. Aberdeen forward Lorna Teal promises to focus less on her shoelaces and more on the game at the next meeting. Thunder then stepped up the pace in the 2nd game of the day and, not put off by the shiny red army, secured a .... win (what was the score?). Despite the floorball defeats, the Oilers held their heads high as they were sure they had at least won the race for chocolate cake at the wok and spice.
Aberdeen in first win of season
20 March 2007
A strong team from Aberdeen floorball club recently enjoyed their first win of the season. The competition was the Northern Bar Aberdeen for the weekly pub quiz. Turnout as usual was strong with a constant pressure in all rounds. Aberdeen hope to repeat the success of last week when they enter the competition to retain the title of 'pub quiz champions'
Dundee threes welcome Aberdeen Floorballers
10 March 2007
Mayfield sport centre was the venue for the Dundee threes, a new event on the floorball calendar. The brainchild of Dundee's coach and Finnish veteran Tomi Tinkkynen the threes offers floorball for players of all levels in a friendly fun environment.
Oilers to play Balwearie in friendly match
28 February 2007
This weekend the Oilers will entertain a development team from the Kingdom of Fife in a friendly match. The game will be hosted by Torry Youth and Sport Centre, details of which are on our venues page. More information about Balwearie can be found at Balwearie Floorball
Aberdeen welcome internationalist
27 February 2007
The Oilers are pleased to anounce the surprise arrival of power forward Ville Virtanen. Club spokesman Sascha Fsssler admited that he was not sure of the origins of this player however he could confirm that Ville was surprised to hear that it is not a tradition in Scotland for the loosing team to sacrafice two sheep as an offering.
Oilers host development meeting
11 February 2007
Aberdeen Oilers entertained a delegation from Dundee Floorball Club including Dundee's Chairman Paul Shaw. The talks, lasting well into the night, will be followed up by a delegation travelling to Dundee on 12th Feb. It is hoped that this cooperation, unprecedented in Scottish floorball, will help the Oilers prepare for next seasons campaign.
Paul(Dundee) , Kimmi(Aberdeen),Lorna(Aberdeen) and Sascha(Aberdeen) discus an integrated junior development policy
Oilers celebrate new signings
03 February 2007
After a spate of recent signings the Oiler's veteran defender Neil Henderson hosted an induction evening for new and old members alike. The evening kicked off with drinks and nibbles at Neil’s Apartment followed by corporate hospitality at a local hot spot. The Oilers would like to apologies to anyone who has been scared by Karl’s outrageous dancing. We are hoping some of this energy will be prevalent on the field of play when we face off for our first friendly against Balwearie Lightning.
Mike and Sascha help welcome new members
Aberdeen Oilers arrive on the UK floorball stage
21 December 2006
After much hard work the Aberdeen Oilers are here and are already planning the 2007 / 2008 Northern League campaign. After a month of well attended and exciting training the team is now in a position to plan for the future. The Oilers would like to thank all from Balwerie and Dundee who have helped out at the training sessions over the last few weeks.
Aberdeen Oilers join North East Floorball Network
21 December 2006
Aberdeen Oilers and Dundee Northern Lights have teamed up to produce the North East Floorball Network, a website network dedicated to providing accurate and up-to-date information relating to floorball and the floorball community in the north east of Scotland.