“It was a tough road trip, sure, but nothing a beer or six won’t fix.”
- Hershey Bliss LW Russell Nahorniak. The Bliss went 0-4-1 on the road this week.
Month: March 2016
SHL Player of the Week – Week 3
The SHL selected New York Night C Brock Manning as its Player of the Week. For the week, Manning scored 6 goals and contributed 4 assists. Manning now leads the SHL in both goals (with 19) and overall points (with 29).
Manning is a cousin of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Peyton Manning. “You can definitely see the bloodlines at work there,” said Night coach Preston Rivers. “He’s a born leader, and he’s always willing to do what it takes to win. If somebody’s open, he can make the perfect pass. If it’s his chance, he’s not afraid to call his own number.
“Whatever we’re going to achieve this year and going forward, he’s going to take us there.”
2015 SHL Week 3 Standings
| East | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | |
 |
Washington Galaxy | 10 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 70 | 56 |
 |
Hamilton Pistols | 7 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 61 | 78 |
 |
Hershey Bliss | 7 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 53 | 65 |
 |
New York Night | 6 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 76 | 81 |
| West | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | |
 |
Michigan Gray Wolves | 13 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 47 | 30 |
 |
Anchorage Igloos | 11 | 4 | 3 | 25 | 55 | 39 |
 |
Dakota Rapids | 10 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 74 | 65 |
 |
Saskatchewan Shockers | 2 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 45 | 68 |
Interview of the Week: Chip Barber
Our interview of the week is with Hershey Bliss coach “Chocolate Chip” Barber.
SHL Digest: We are here today with “Chocolate Chip” Barber, coach of the Hershey Bliss.
Chip Barber: It’s a pleasure to talk to you.
SHLD: So, let’s start with the most important question, the one that’s on everyone’s lips. How did you feel about the Galaxy players becoming obsessed with the singing cows?
CB: Well, to be honest, I was a little surprised. I mean, that little ditty is very catchy, and I’ve seen it get stuck in people’s heads for a few minutes or even a couple hours afterward. But to sing it over and over again for days… that’s something else! It’s a testament to the power of the cows.
SHLD: Did you expect it to be those three guys who would be singing it?
CB: I wasn’t expecting [Casey] Thurman to be one of them, because he’s a star, and you wouldn’t figure it would be a star doing it, because you wouldn’t want to see your star get strangled. But yeah, those three guys all seem pretty weird, so I can see it. They’ve figured out how to really be the cows.
SHLD: So do you think you can use this to your advantage? Will you start playing the song in your arena?
CB: Absolutely! We might play it in between periods, in the visitor’s locker room, wherever. This could be some valuable psychological warfare for us.
SHLD: So, where did you get your nickname?
CB: Well, my given name is Charles Jr., so I was “Chip” to distinguish from my dad. So the “Chocolate Chip” was partially a play on my name. But also, I love chocolate. I mean, I really love it! I have it in my contract that I have to have at least 5 pounds of chocolate in my office at all times, at home or on the road. I can’t get enough of it.
SHLD: Coaching in Hershey must be great for you.
CB: You know it! For a guy like me to work in a town where you can smell chocolate in the air… I’m living the dream, baby.
SHLD: So how would you evaluate your team’s performance so far?
CB: We’re doing all right, but we need to pick it up. It’s going to take a lot more than singing cows for us to catch Washington.
SHLD: Do you think Washington is your main competition in the East? How do you think you stack up with them?
CB: They’re the team to beat, absolutely. The key to their success is they’re getting production from all three lines. For us, the Love Line is doing great, but we’re leaning on them too heavily. We’re going to need the second and third lines to step it up if we’re going to compete.
SHLD: And what about the competition in the West?
CB: The West is tough! They kicked our butts this last road trip. Michigan is a beast defensively, Dakota plays a great up-tempo game, and Anchorage is all-around tough. Whoever comes out of that division is going to be a great team.
SHLD: What about Saskatchewan?
CB: (pause) Yeah. Well, I can’t say too much, because they beat us. But… they’re trying hard! A for effort!
SHLD: Thanks for your time, Coach Barber, and good luck!
CB: Thanks. Time for some more chocolate!
SHL Hockey 