Richard Harris has confirmed his commitment to the Invicta Dynamos for another season after a successful term in 2021/22.
Alongside his forward position on the ice Harris will also take on a new role within the club, working with the new roster to get everyone fit and ready for the challenge come September.
Harris made the step up from the NIHL South’s second tier last season, joining us in October and becoming a dependable and reliable player throughout the remainder of the campaign. His strength and physical presence on the ice is a real asset and he is now back to push on with his game and cement his position in the first team.
At the age of 26, Harris is a former Invicta junior who then went on to excel at another sport – making his name in Rugby League with Medway Dragons before joining the London Broncos on professional terms. Unfortunately, an injury at just 21 halted his rugby career and Harris then went on to play for the Mustangs from 2017/18. By 2019/20 he had become a prominent member of the side scoring a remarkable 27 goals in just 17 outings. The forward also added 10 assists for 37 points.
Initially committing to the Mustangs in 2021/22, as alternate captain, Harris started the season with the NIHL2 team but after a brief spell with them, playing just 4 games where he scored 3 goals and contributed 2 assists, he put pen to paper with the Mos and grabbed the opportunity to progress. Harris made a memorable mark in the 30 games he played, scoring 11 goals, and adding 10 assists giving him a respectable 21 points in his first season in the NIHL1.
With a successful Personal Training and Online Coaching business, Harris is raring to go for the season ahead and Lennon is keen to utilise his additional skills to get the players match ready for the first game of the new campaign. We are sure the powerful forward will be a key contributor to the development of the team both on and off the ice.
On resigning, Harris said “Looking forward to being back on board & being involved with a real quality group of lads. I really enjoyed my time with the Mos in the 2nd part of last season & I’m excited for what Karl has in store for us. We’re planning on having a real good start with our preseason prep, and for me, being involved within another role, helping to put the team through their paces & building some solid foundations for what is going to be an exciting season ahead”.
Head coach Karl Lennon added the following “Rich joined the Dynamos last season and really found his feet as the season moved on. We know with him that he will bring a huge physical presence to our team and he is more than capable of finding the net. In addition to this he has an infectious positive attitude in the dressing room, something that is key to any successful team. As you can probably see from his Instagram profile, he looks after himself extremely well and we will look to leverage his knowledge on conditioning ahead of the new season. He’ll get the boys into prime condition come that first game. I look forward to working with Rich again this season”!
He will continue to wear the number 77 jersey when he returns to the ice in September.