Devils @ Blaze - Match Preview 22nd September

21st Sep 2012 | Posted by Geriant Walters

It's been a tough old start for the Blaze with injuries, bans and awaiting arrival of imports. With the tough news of Jerramie Domish out for up to 3 months with a muscle injury, Russ Cowley out for the forthcoming months from rupturing a medial collateral ligament and still awaiting news on Mike Danton's visa application, the Blaze have called up some NIHL players as well as taking on former Clan and Stars D man Steven Chalmers full time from the Telford Tigers.

The Blaze will be out to try and take the points off the Devils this weekend after 2 defeats to the Steelers last weekend. Here's what Thommo had to say after last weekends games v Sheffield "without Mike Danton, Jerramie Domish, Russell Cowley and Gerome Giudice, said: “I am really honoured to be the coach of this team. I could not be more proud of them. We were already missing four guys and then we lost Olson in the second but the guys battled hard all night.
 
“I had never seen Dale White play until a week ago and he came in, played really well and got the game-tying goal! It was a fully committed performance from the whole team. Our captain was fighting as was young Matt Selby. We are all in this together.
 
“When we get our players back and have a full line-up we are going to be a handful.”

Looking at the Devils, they will be much happier team with the full week of ice time as well as a full line up to travel with. After a disappointing week, Gerad Adams had this to say from the Walesonline article"I got our match preparation wrong over the week. Work started on renewing logos under the ice following Devils’ Elite League match against Sheffield Steelers and that left Adams and his players looking for other ways to maintain fitness.

They went into the gymnasium, and Adams says: “I didn’t get the balance right.

“The guys at the Fitness Factory gym are doing a tremendous job in making sure our team is one of the fittest in UK hockey, while I wanted to make sure they were ready for the Hull game.

“Maybe, in hindsight, we did a touch too much during a week when we weren’t able to skate.

“It’s a lesson learned and that won’t happen again."

Along with those comments, Neil Francis had this to say after the Braehead game "Every player was hurt and devastated after losing the shoot-out against Braehead on Sunday,” said bench coach Neil Francis.

“That’s exactly what we want to see after something like that.

“The players know what has to be done and they are working flat out in preparation for this weekend’s two matches.”

If you heading up for the game you can get tickets be calling the Blaze Box office on 02476 630693 (option 0 apparently).

If your not going up never as always well be running the "Ridiculously childish" and "disgustingly biased" Match Night Live service for this game, at the usual location of http://www.the-inferno.co.uk/mnl if you'd like to help out with texting updates ( we’d be happy to hear from you) or chip in with some comments on the night please contact us at matchnightlive@gmail.com.

For details of upcoming away travel with Red Army Travel you can get all the information here viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6212