Telford Tigers NIHL will have a week of intense training behind them when they face Sutton Sting in a double-header of games this weekend.
The county youngsters face Sutton at Telford Ice Rink on Saturday evening (5.30pm), before making the return trip to south Yorkshire just 24 hours later.
They will be looking for a return to winning ways, following last weekend’s draw with Sheffield Spartans – Telford’s first game after a lengthy break for Christmas.
And netminder Denis Bell believes a busy week on the training pad could hold the key to his side’s chances.
He said: “This week has been great in training, and we’ve covered a lot in all areas of our game. We know what we need to do and we’ll come out hard on Saturday.
“Playing a team twice over a weekend means we can focus more on beating their systems. Otherwise, you look at two separate teams’ systems and that can get confusing.
“All the boys will be on the same page for these games. We’ve been working on it a lot this week and we’ll be well prepared for Sutton.”
The Tigers NIHL squad was handed a useful boost this week, after youngster Bradley Betteridge was named in the GB under-18s squad for April’s world championships.
Bell added: “I remember getting that call and it is great for Bradley. It’s always a great experience representing your country and he’ll have a brilliant time.
“It will be a good confidence lift for him and feel like all the hard work is paying off. You can’t beat that feeling and all the best to Bradley.”
Telford’s promotion to the Moralee Conference has been handled well by Bell, who retains one of the highest save percentages in the league.
The 18-year-old is a regular at training with the senior EPL side – and feels he is benefitting from the added experience.
“It’s been going well and although I felt I had a bit of a shaky period before Christmas, last weekend I was back to normal strength,” he said.
“You have to adjust to new players, of course, but it’s all going to plan now. I’m really enjoying the higher level. You don’t feel like you have to change your game every week from training.
“You can almost stay the same. Some little things change, but not much. It’s a lot better this season.”
Saturday’s game against Sutton Sting, at Telford Ice Rink, faces off at 5.30pm.
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