Bracknell Queen Bees
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Bracknell Queen Bees is a ladies’ ice hockey club based in Bracknell, Berkshire, England. They are located at the John Nike Leisuresport complex in Bracknell. Their home ice rink is affectionately know as the Hive.
The club operates three teams: the Queen Bees, playing in the British Women’s Leagues premier division, the Firebees, in the British Women’s Leagues division 1 (South) and the Ice Bees, a team setup for U16 girls.
The Queen Bees club was founded November 1987, when the rink at Bracknell opened. It has supplied players for the GB ice or inline / skater hockey teams in most years since. The Firebees team was formed later as a development squad in September 2005, entering division 1 for its maiden season in 2006 after 6 friendlies. In 2007 the Ice Bees were formed. A team specifically for girls under the age of 16 years old.
All teams play in the same strip. Previously the Queen Bees played in black and amber (away) or black and white (home) horizontal stripes. To conform with new league rules the strip was altered in 2006, but the club colours of black and amber remain the same.
The teams are coached by Canadian John Hubbell and assistant Paul Burton. Hubbell is an ex-Olympic figure skater and World Championship hockey player.
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[edit] History
[edit] The Queen Bees
1988-89 The Queen Bees first season. They entered the Capital League and finished in 3rd place.
Great Britain Representatives: Julie Biles, Rachel Cotton and Claire Pannell.
1989-90 The Capital Legaue was changed to the Southern Division. The Queen Bees finished in 3rd place.
1990-91 A change again introduced the inaugural season of the EIHA Women's Premier Division (WPL) with the top two teams from each division from the 1989-90 season were invited to form this league. Chelmsford Cobras, however, who finished 2nd in our division, declined to move up to the Premier Division and the Queen Bees were offered the opportunity instead and took it.
In the WPL the Queen Bees finished 2nd to Oxford City Rockets. Claire Pannell finished 5th in the leading Scorers table and Karen Hare finished as 2nd leading netminder.
With this new higher division formulated the playoffs set-up was changed to the format that exists today. The first playoff final was between the Queen Bees and the Oxford City Rockets. Unfortunately Oxford beat the Queen Bees 5-1, to secure the double, achieving both League and Playoff Champions.
Great Britain Representatives: Julie Biles, Rachel Cotton, Kathy Nike and Claire Pannell.
1991-92 The Queen Bees again finished 2nd to Oxford City Rockets in the WPL. and again faced Oxford in the playoff final. At the end of regulation time and sudden death ivertime the score ended 1-1. The final wnet to penalties and after 2 rounds of penalty shots the final result to Oxford 3-1.
1992-93 The Queen Bees finished 2nd in the WPL and for the third year running faced Oxford City Rockets in the playoff final. Oxford went onto beat the Queen Bees 4-0.
1993-94 This season sw the Queen Bees crowned league champions. In the playoff's the Queen Bees became double champions beating beat the Slough Phantoms 7-2.
1994-95 The Queen Bees finished 3rd in the WPL
Netminder Karen Hare was top goalie in the league. Great Britain Representatives: Rachel Cotton, Lisa Davies, Jeanette Mountjoy and Kathy Nike.
1995-96 The Queen Bees finished 2nd in the league.
Great Britain Representatives: Becky Bowles, Rachel Cotton, Lisa Davies, Jeanette Mountjoy, Kim Strongman and Claire Pannell.
1996-97 The Queen Bees finished 2nd in the league. In the playoffs the Queen Bees lost to the Sunderland Scorpions (score unknown)
1997-98 The Queen Bees finished 2nd in the WPL. In the playoffs the Queen Bees lost to the Sunderland Scorpions (score unknown)
Great Britain Representatives: Verity Boome, Vicky Burton, Laura Byrne, Rachelle Kyffin and Kim Strongman.
1998-99 The Queen Bees finished 3rd in the WPL. In the playoffs the Queen Bees finished 4th losing to Slough in the semi finals and then Guildford in the Bronze medal game.
1999-2000 This season unfortunately, began with the Queen Bees losing three of their international players for most of the season. Kim Strongman emigrated to Canada, Claire Pannell fell pregnant and Laura Byrne was also went to Canada.
The Queen Bees finished 5th in the WPL and for the first time did not qualify for the playoff finals.
Great Britain Representatives: Vicky Burton, Laura Byrne and Sam Cheetham.
2000-01 Our 13th season, the team grew immensely with new senior players and an influx of younger ones, with ages in the team now ranging from 6 years to 30 years.
The Queen Bees finished 2nd in the WPL.
In the playoff finals the Queen Bees finished in 3rd beating Sunderland Scorpions 3-1 in the bronze medal game.
Great Britain Representatives: Vicky Burton, Laura Byrne, Heather Brunning and Amy Johnson.
2001-02 The Queen Bees finish 4th in the WPL.
In the playoff finals the Queen Bees finished 3rd beating Cardiff Comets in the bronze medal game.
In the Swindon Tournament the Queen Bees finished 2nd losing to Cardiff on penalty shots in the final.
Great Britain Representatives: Vicky Burton, Laura Byrne, Heather Brunning.
Queen Bees players selected to the newly formed England squad: Sam Bidmead, Rhian Hayes, Claire Pannell and Laura Stark.
Queen Bees players representing Wales: Sam Cheetham and Heather Brunning.
GB Roller/Skater/Inline representatives: Sam Bonathan, Heather Brunning, Sam Cheetham and Laura Stark.
2002-03 The Queen Bees finshed 6th in the WPL.
In the inaugural EIHA Knockout Cup competition the Queen Bees reached the final and beat the Swindon Topcats 4-1 to claim the silverware.
In the Swindon Tournament the Queen Bees finished 3rd
Great Britain Representatives: Vicky Burton and Heather Brunning
Wales representatives: Sam Cheetham and Heather Brunning
GB Roller/Skater/Inline representatives: Sam Bonathan, Heather Brunning, Sam Cheetham and Laura Stark.
2003-04 The Queen Bees finished 7th in the WPL
In the EIHA Knockout Cup competition the Queen Bees reached the Quarter-finals losing to Solihull Vixens on penalty shots.
In the Swindon Tournament the Queen Bees finished as tournament champions beating Swindon 3-0 in the final.
Great Britain Representatives: Heather Brunning
Wales representatives: Sam Cheetham and Heather Brunning.
GB Roller/Skater/Inline representatives: Sam Bonathan and Laura Stark.
2004-2005 The Queen Bees finished 3rd in the WPL.
The Queen Bees became the playoff champions beating Sunderland 1-0 in the final.
In the EIHA Knockout Cup the Queen Bees became double champions beating Swindon 8-2 in the final.
In the Swindon Tournament the Queen Bees finished 2nd losing to Cardiff on sudden-death penalty shots in the final.
Wales representatives: Sam Cheetham and Heather Brunning.
This season the EIHA set up a Southern Conference team. Queen Bees representatives were Sam Bonathan, Sam Bidmead, Jenni Jones, Lydia Westcombe, Dani Summers, Amy Lack, Chrissy Newman, Laura Stark
GB Roller/Skater/Inline representatives: Sam Bonathan and Laura Stark.
2005-2006 The Queen Bees finished 2nd in the WPL
In the playoffs (renamed- The Bill Britton Memorial Cup)the Queen Bees finished 3rd beating Slough Phantoms 8-0
The Queen Bees were EIHA Knockout Cup competition Semi-finalists
In the Swindon Tournament the Queen Bees finished 2nd losing to Cardiff Comets on sudden-death penalty shots in the final.
Wales representatives: Sam Cheetham and Heather Brunning.
England Senior team representatives: Sam Bonathan, Alex von Haselberg-Palyvou, Lydia Westcombe, Jenni Jones,
England U16 team representatives: Natalie Aldridge (U16), Amanda Carr (U16)
Southern Conference representatives: Sam Bonathan, Natalie Aldridge (U16), Jenni Jones, Lydia Westcombe, Dani Summers (U16), Amy Lack, Chrissy Newman, Laura Stark, Amanda Carr (U16), Alex von Haselberg-Palyvou
GB Roller/Skater/Inline representatives: Natalie Aldridge, Sam Bonathan and Laura Stark.
Queen Bees set up a development squad for the first season. This new team accepted to play in Division One South as the Fire Bees for 2006-2007 season
2006-2007 The Queen Bees finished 2nd in the WPL.
In the playoff's (Bill Britton Memorial Cup)the Queen Bees became champions beating the Newcastle Lady Vipers 2-1 in the final
In the EIHA Knockout Cup the Queen Bees became double champions beating Solihull Vixens 5-0 in the final
In the Swindon Tournament the Queen Bees finished 3rd
Great Britain representatives: Alex von Haselberg-Palyvou
Great Britain U18 representatives: Natalie Aldridge, Amanda Carr, Dani Summers
Wales representatives: Sam Cheetham
England representatives: Natalie Aldridge, Jenni Jones, Amy Lack, Alex von Haselberg-Palyvou
GB Roller/Skater/Inline representatives: Natalie Aldridge, Laura Saunders and Laura Stark.
