Pacha sees plenty of positives to build on

Dundee Stars head coach Omar Pacha saw plenty of positive signs during pre-season camp and says excitement is building for the first competitive matches.

Stars’ leader was pleased to see his side net nine goals in two games against Odense Bulldogs.

Dundee came away with a 4-2 win on Saturday night against the Danes with all four of their goals being scored in the final 20-minute period.

The Taysiders were quicker off the mark on Sunday, holding a 3-1 lead after the opening period.

However, the Bulldogs did go on to win the game 6-5 but the Canadian coach was pleased with how his team performed over the two games, considering how hard he had worked them in training last week.

Pacha said: “I though overall from the weekend I saw a lot of positives to build on.

“On Sunday, the guys were tired because we had worked them so hard all week, which is normal because it is a short training camp, so you try to push them as hard as you can.”

There were ups and downs throughout both games for Dundee but Pacha believes that progress had been made.

He added: “I thought on Saturday we were a lot better defensively than Sunday.

“The first period we came out really strongly but in the second we were a bit sluggish and then in the third period we really took the game to them.

“On Sunday, I thought we came out of the gates really strong but a few mistakes on the blueline cost us.

“They (Odense) have a lot of speed and were able to attack in waves.

“In the third, we did a good job five-on-five but then we went down to five-on-three and they got a shot from the outside and maybe Preecey (netminder Brython Preece) would have liked that one back.

“We played hard, created a lot of chances, the guys reacted well and we took a big step over the weekend.”

The excitement is building for Pacha as the new season approaches and he is ready to see how the squad he assembled fairs against domestic opposition.

“I am excited to work with this group over the course of this season and I think we have acquired some really good players that will help us,” said Pacha.

“We are well balanced everywhere in the line-up but I am really excited to see us against a team from the Elite League next weekend.”

The attendance for both preseason games was more than 1,000 and the head coach thanked the fanbase for turning out for the early games.

“The fans have been great and the buzz around the club is outstanding. Everybody is now just waiting for the season to start and it will be two big games against Glasgow next weekend,” he added.

The Stars begin their competitive action this Saturday with a trip to face Clan in a Challenge Cup tie before hosting Zack Fitzgerald’s men on Sunday.

Face-off times for the weekend are 7pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday. Tickets are available online and from the box office for Sunday’s home game.

Omar Pacha: Believes progress was made at weekend.