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Otago Daily Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Skating into a southern feud
Mark Shroyer has stumbled into the middle of a rivalry he is only beginning to understand. The 29-year-old American has signed with the Dunedin Thunder and arrived in the country on Saturday. The powerful defenceman has been playing professionally in France for four years, but he will call Dunedin home for the remainder of the New Zealand Ice Hockey League. He has had a couple of skates on the ice with his new team-mates, between checking out the city's beaches with his girlfriend, Charline Maehr. They are an outdoorsy couple and plan to do some hiking while they are here. Shroyer is keen to do some fishing as well. But tonight he will be fishing for a win. His first assignment with the Thunder is as tough as it gets. They are hosting the Stampede, their Queenstown-based provincial rivals, in back-to-back games this weekend. The Stampede have set the benchmark in the league for the past decade and are an Otago team worth celebrating. They are a finalist for the team of the year for the Otago Sports Awards. That must grate on Dunedin's ice hockey fans. Enter Shroyer. He had a solid college career at Castleton University and went on to play three seasons in France for Morzine-Avoriaz and a season for Tours. Shroyer has a reputation as a reliable defender who likes to get forward and attack. "A lot of people so far have mentioned the rivalry," Shroyer said. "I think I'm going to understand a lot more about what the rivalry means in a couple of days. "But I'm excited that my first game will have a lot of meaning for our town here and that I can show that it means a lot to me and that I'm all-in for Dunedin." Shroyer played against Thunder player Cole Beckstead while in France, and that connection brought about the opportunity to come to Dunedin to play for the Thunder. "I've always wanted to travel to this part of the world. I've always been fascinated and wanted to see it." He also heard ice hockey was a growing sport in New Zealand and he wanted to be part of that. "I just thought it would be really cool to come and help do that." He is doing some coaching while here. "If I can help this team win some hockey games and bring some more fans to the club — that is really my biggest goal. "Outside of that, it is about me and my girlfriend enjoying our time here and just really diving into the culture in New Zealand. "We are really just starting to peel back how much this place has to offer and are actually pretty blown away by what it has to offer." The Stampede (12 points) lead the competition standings from the Thunder (9), West Auckland Admirals (9), Botany Swarm (6) and Canterbury Red Devils (0).
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
High-class field vying for title of Otago's best
From snowboarding to surfing — the best of the best will be honoured at the Otago Sports Awards this year. The finalists for the awards, organised by Sport Otago, have been revealed, with the judges sifting through more than 90 nominations, showing the breadth of Otago's sporting talent. Up for sportsman of the year are kayaker Finn Butcher, freeskier Luca Harrington and Black Cap Glenn Phillips. Harrington, after starting the year as an X Games alternate, burst on to the scene to finish with a remarkable five world cup podiums, including X Games gold, a world championship and New Zealand's first FIS Freeski Crystal Globe. Phillips had another big season with the Black Caps, including playing at the Champions Trophy, and Butcher will long be remembered for his Olympic heroics as he won gold in the kayak cross in Paris. Sportswoman of the year will also be a tight contest between snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, swimmer Erika Fairweather and alpine skier Alice Robinson. Returning from injury, Sadowski-Synnott had a stellar year, with several world cup podium finishes, landing the world's first triple cork in a women's slopestyle competition and winning the FIS Snowboarding Crystal Globe. Fairweather, who recently moved to Auckland, swam in four finals at the Olympics, narrowly missing the podium in her specialist 400m freestyle, and Robinson continued her form with podium finishes and was named Snow Sports New Zealand athlete of the year. Skiing veteran Adam Hall and athletic stars Holly Robinson, and Anna Grimaldi are nominated for para athlete/team of the year. Hall produced several world cup podium finishes, while Robinson and Grimaldi collected world championship and Paralympic medals. Grimaldi won T47 long jump silver and 100m bronze at the world para athletics championships, and backed up with gold in the 200m at the Paralympics, with an Oceania record, and bronze in the 100m. Robinson set a national record when she won silver in the women's F46 shot put at the world championships and won bronze in the shot put at the Paralympics. Team of the year will be another hotly contested category between the Otago Sparks, the Southern Stampede and the Otago men's 4x100m relay team. Finley Melville Ives (freeskiing), James Gardner (cycling) and Rocco Jamieson (snowboarding) are up for junior sportsman, while Ruby Star Andrews (freeskiing), Catherine Lund (athletics) and Ella Southby (netball) will battle for junior sportswoman. The next crop of Otago's future stars will also be recognised, with Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling) and Joel Paterson (ice hockey) nominated for emerging talent. Michael Jacobs (athletics), Sean Thompson (snowboarding) and Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (skiing) have been nominated for coach of the year, and Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket) and James Doleman (rugby) are up for official of the year. Services to sport, innovation in sport and the supreme award will be announced at the awards. "It is so exciting to see Otago's best athletes, officials and coaches continuing to shine on the national and international stage, with an exceptional lineup across all of the categories for 2025," Sport Otago chief executive James Nation said. "The Otago sporting community should be super proud of the calibre of finalists chasing bragging rights." The awards are judged by Nation, Otago Academy of Sport manager Carmel Leslie, Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle, TVNZ sports reporter Michelle Prendiville and University of Otago pro vice-chancellor health sciences Megan Gibbons. The awards will be held at the Edgar Centre on June 13. Otago Sports Awards finalists Sportsman: Glenn Phillips (cricket), Luca Harrington (freeski), Finn Butcher (canoeing). Sportswoman: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboarding), Erika Fairweather (swimming), Alice Robinson (skiing). Team: Otago Sparks (cricket), Southern Stampede (ice hockey), Otago 4x100m relay (athletics). Para athlete/team of the year: Adam Hall (skiing), Holly Robinson (athletics), Anna Grimaldi (athletics). Junior sportsman: Finley Melville Ives (freeskiing), James Gardner (cycling), Rocco Jamieson (snowboarding). Junior sportswoman: Ruby Star Andrews (freesking) Catherine Lund (athletics), Ella Southby (netball). Coach: Michael Jacobs (athletics), Sean Thompson (snowboarding), Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (skiing). Official: Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket), James Doleman (rugby). Emerging talent: Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling), Joel Paterson (ice hockey).
