The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Stars signings add strength to squad for crunch clash
Matt Marquardt believes two pre-christmas signings have been the catalyst to the improvement in Dundee Stars’ form.
Omar Pacha’s men go head-tohead with Glasgow Clan tonight (7.30) in front of a nationwide TV audience on Freesports.
The game also faces off the Elite League’s Pride Weekend and the inspirational Marquardt is fully focused on maintaining the club’s fine recent form.
The Canadian believes the squad must continue to build on their recent success if they want to clinch a place in the top eight and secure a play-off slot.
He said: “This is the business end of the season and we reassessed things going into the second half of the campaign.
“We talked a lot about the way the leagues are set up in North America where the number of play-off games can be 20-plus.
“For us, we are down to under 20 games left in the season and every point matters. That makes for exciting hockey.”
Marquardt added that this type of game was easy to prepare for as there are play-off implications for both sides.
He added: “We are expecting a big crowd. Both teams are wellcoached and our job is to keep building on our recent successes going down the stretch.
“We made a couple of transactions before the holiday period and things have gone well for us.
“We had to let two really good players go but, at the same time, Elgin Pearce has done a great job for Belfast Giants and Justin Maylam has just won the Continental Cup with a Danish club. It was a move that benefited everyone.
“Matt Carter and Alex Schoenborn are both great team guys who came in with great attitudes and great work ethic.
“Matt has a lot of experience, and that is beneficial to our club.
“Alex is a guy who is a big, heavy player to play against and he has some offensive options.
“He has a lot to prove as he was not playing in the first half of the season and was looking for a fit for him and starting his career here (in Britain).
“Both guys have been a huge asset to the team.”