The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Pacha calls for team to cut out errors
Dundee Stars go in search of some much-needed points this weekend as they bid to improve their standing in the Elite League.
Omar Pacha’s side face fellow strugglers Manchester Storm today before making the short trip to Kirkcaldy for a third clash with rivals Fife Flyers.
The Stars head coach described the weekend as ‘massive’ as the club aim to bring to an end a run of eight defeats in nine games
Pacha said: “I think everybody knows that these two games are really important for the club but we have to get back to playing our way of hockey.
“Obviously, it is a disappointing time right now but that doesn’t mean we can’t turn things around and I am confident with the group we have, that we will.”
After some tough weeks of losing out in tight games, the Canadian coach wants his side to find some confidence.
Pacha said: “We just have to get our confidence back and make sure we play a bit looser up front – we have to stop making these individual mistakes that keep hurting us.
“We are finding new ways to make mistakes so we have to make sure we are playing within the system and obviously playing the right way and then good things will happen.”
With a big derby match coming up tomorrow, the Stars boss has asked his players to put it to the back of their minds and focus on getting an important win tonight.
Dundee defenceman Jagger Dirk is confident Stars can turn things around – but insists that they need to start proving how good they say there are.
He said: “Obviously we have been disappointed in the last couple of weeks with not getting the points we need but I think we have been playing well.
“So, we just have to keep focusing on the process and keep believing that we are a good team – because we are but it is getting to that time where we need to starting proving it rather than just saying it.”
Dirk added: “Every game is important, there are no games that you can tick off because it’s a tough league and clearly we have dug ourselves into a hole and it’s time to start getting ourselves out of it.”
Face-off time for tonight’s home game is 7pm and 5.30pm tomorrow.