COACH’S CORNER with Stan Scott
The Thunder embark on what will be a very big weekend in Sydney, as we take on the Ice Dogs and the Bears, both of whom have been playing extremely well. This will be the first time we have been able to put a full team on the ice this season, so it will be interesting to gauge how we play.
Defensive import, Joe Tolles, joined us during the week and with Michael Forney now over his jet-lag, he will really help at both ends of the rink. Joe had a chance to train with the team at both sessions this week and I was very encouraged by his skill and speed. Our final import, Matt Strueby, lands in Sydney this morning (Friday), and Michael and I flew over last night to meet him. He may feel a tad jet-lagged, but I am sure he will strengthen the team. He is a very solid player who played with Mike this year in Colorado. He also did very well in the Western Hockey League (WHL), which is a very strong competition.
I have been building this team for more than six months now, and I am really looking forward to finally seeing the full squad on the ice this weekend. We had a bye last week, and while the rest was great for the team, they’re keen to play some hockey. There is a still a lot of work to be done, but we have to start to make our mark on the league table. We have games in hand on other teams and a couple of wins would put us in a good position.
The general feeling in the camp is positive, and we know we can compete with any team in the league. The Ice Dogs have had a great start and it should not be forgotten they made the top four the last three seasons. I think this will be a great game as they are very solid at home. The Bears just beat the North Stars last weekend so they are flying high and won’t want to be beaten by us twice at home, but we are heading into this weekend with one thought, 6 points! Every team is competitive this season, but we don’t want to just be competitive, we want to win.
I hear there will be a live stream for tomorrow’s clash against the Ice Dogs. I hope all the fans are watching and cheering on the boys!
Stan Scott
Head Coach
Perth Thunder