Our Beginnings
On 28 January 2004 a meeting of interested people was held at the Liverpool Catholic Club (LCC), Function Room 5. The aim of the meeting was to form a new ice hockey intraclub of the LCC. Among those who attended were Mr Ian Milner, LCC rink manager at the time and chairperson of the meeting, Mr Gary Dore, manager of the Hunter Ice Rink in Newcastle and IHA Development Director, Mr Rob Barnes, coach of the Men's National Team, Mr Tim McMahon, then Vice Preseident if IHNSW, and Mr Norm McLeod, an employee of the LCC with lots of ice hockey experience.
The first committee was formed from those who attended that night and was as follows:
- Eddy Moldenhauer - President
- Tony Moldenhauer - Vice President
- Chris Russell - Honorary Treasurer
- Norm McLeod - Interim Secretary
- Patrick McNamara
- Dean Short
- Peter Gadsby
- Cristina Sacco
- Michael Thompson replaced Norm McLeod as Honorary Secretary at the 16 February 2004 committee meeting.
A vote was taken to determine a name for the new club. Four names were suggested - The Lions, The Stars, The Saints and The Hotspurs. After a close vote, 'The Saints' was selected. No decision was reached as to club colours at the meeting.
The first committee meeting was set down for Monday 2 February 2004. At this meeting the committee began the task of sorting out priorities and creating systems to prepare the club for the huge task associated with fielding our first teams less than 11 months after the opening date of the LCC Sports Complex rink, scheduled to take place on May 23, 2004.
Our assignment was first to create members who could actually skate since many could not so much as stand up on the ice when they first joined us. So, for about 8 months, our focus was squarely on improving skating skills at the exclusion of everything else.
It was Eddy and Tony Moldenhauer, our first coaches, and the LCC Sports Complex Skate Skool program who were instrumental in developing most of our members to the point where they were proficient enough at skating to begin learning ice hockey with sticks and pucks. One thing was for certain at that time - there were no false expectations of winning many (if indeed any) games in our inaugural season. Just to survive would be a triumph!
The 2005 hockey season began in April. By then Saints had grown beyond expectations and now boasted a membership of over 150. Partly due to the success of our Senior B team in three pre-season exhibition matches, spectator support was growing rapidly.
In all, we entered 5 teams. Our Pee Wee/Atoms and Bantams each played in an A competition restricted to developing players from a handful of clubs. Our Midget, Senior C and Senior B teams jumped in the deep end, taking on all comers in their respective divisions. While our first season had its share of ups and downs, every week we witnessed fantastic improvements in the performance of all our teams.
At first, some of our losing scores were somewhat embarrassing, but week by week the scores for all teams became narrower and narrower. By the end of the season scores of around 30-0 against had reduced to single digit results, typically less than 10 points difference between us and our more experienced and skillful competition.
In all, it was a very successful first competition for us and, despite many thrashings, virtually every player who started the season with us remained till the end of the season. Training sessions were also attended consistently throughout the season by nearly every player in every team.
During the summer off-season at the end of 2005 we conducted an in-house competition, restricted to current members, aspiring members and trainees. Players of differing abilities and experience were mixed together to form seven teams. The competition proved invaluable in maintaining player fitness and enthusiasm while developing all players rapidly in the art of team play. New players also developed quickly, ready for their initiation into the cauldron of the upcoming 2006 winter competition against the other clubs.
By February 2006 we were ready to field 7 teams for our second winter season - Pee Wee/Atoms, Bantams, Midgets, Womens, Senior C1, Senior C2 and Senior B.
Fast forward to 2008 with some achievements to date such as, a revamped top of the line website, a senior and junior team who had made the finals and a collection of junior players who had made selection to represent their state in national tournaments.
The achievements mentioned above are just the start of what the Saints are looking to do to make their mark on the hockey map in not only Sydney but Australia. Doing Liverpool and the LCC proud and taking pride in how far we have come from our humble beginnings.