Season in review: Mason is still awesome (and Guildford surely can't survive without him!)

Another reflection learnt from the season past, is how important Simon Mason is to Guildford. A wily veteran of the league and practically a legend of English goalkeepers and goalkeeping history, the multiple Olympian is still going strong. On another team, Mason could be winning titles or topping tables, a true competitor like that of Schmeichel, but at Guildford he is arguably the difference maker. Showing just how important it is to have an elite level goalkeeper to steal their team points and earn points with their performances over the course of the season. Something that has helped the Surrey side avoid what seemed like inevitable relegation due to poor results early on and an injury to Mason (the injury again affirming how important he is to the team).

Just like Brad Freidel had an "Indian summer" after signing with Tottenham under Redknapp, Mason is still going strong. If he continues to play like this, with the fitness and mental awareness/focus to keep going, who knows when the day will be when he does actually retire!

To save me from writing an analysis report akin to War and Peace (and you from having to read it!), I'll bullet point what makes Mason so good right now and useful to his team mates.

• Still has the athleticism to dive across and save in extension
• Flexibility also still intact to do the splits and recover quickly!
• Agility - able to sprint out to reach attacks and 
• Rebound control refined through countless experience to really limit opponent's scoring chances to a minimum
• Years of game experience combining with desire to compete and technical experience making him nigh unbeatable (i.e. to score against!)
• Reaction speeds are still in tact to be able to play against the fast pace of hockey (a high paced reaction sport where goalkeepers have to able to react instantaneously, versus say football which is slowed down by the offside rule and trap)
• Still 'in his prime'; is on a 'hot streak' that would benefit a high level team and keep him on the radar of others
• A team player able to communicate strongly to his team to explain to them what he wants them to do to close down shooting lanes, angles etc. and provides constructive feedback and knows how to get the best out of his defenders
• Leadership skills that have helped him play a greater role in his team, helping them to do their job with greater structure and understanding; providing positive psychology to keep battling
• Strong mental attitude - has battled through poor results, plugging away rather than folding in, in order to help his team as and when they need him, especially in crunch deciders

With no recent video footage, here are some photos to illustrate. The following pictures are of Mason making a spectacular double save sequence stop at a crucial short corner against Havant, reacting in miliseconds to get back up and dive across to save again, in which they turned them over for a 1-0 win, which is more than proof that he is a more like a mere spring chicken in goal!

Ultimately, Guildford cannot survive the national without ex-GB goalkeeper Simon Mason. Without Mason they lose points, lose confidence and could end up relegated. They will soon be looking for a replacement and given the lack of options and goalkeeping depth in hockey in England compared to say the structure of football or other sports, it will require scouting and the right fit. Make no mistake (as they say!), Mason is a quality goalkeeper of elite status; without him Guildford just won't win, arguably. It would be like HGC losing Vogels to retirement or similar (although Vogel's replacement Van der Ven is a very good replacement!). And as each season goes by and he ages, Mason gets closer to retirement and Guildford get closer to a time of rebuilding their back line, with a new man under the crossbar, one who might not "fill his boots" so well.