Bees revive play-off hopes with impressive wins
Last weekend's four-point weekend has given the TSI World Bees real confidence they can lift themselves off the bottom of the NIHL National League table to claim a play-off place.
The Bees remain bottom of the table, just a point behind the Raiders, however, last week they claimed morale-boosting victories over the Raiders (4-0) and leaders Telford Tigers (5-3).
In between they were beaten 5-2 by the Basingstoke Bison but a victory on the road against the team currently topping the table by five points should see them skate into this weekend's games at the Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday and home to the Milton Keynes Lightning on Sunday with real confidence.
Saturday's opponents Peterborough are led by former Slough Jets player/coach Slava Koulikov. Having got off to a sticky start they found form in mid-season
before losing both of last weekend's matches against the Basingstoke Bison and Sheffield Steeldogs and dropping back to seventh.
Sunday's visitors Milton
Keynes Lightning are third in the table and head into the weekend off the back of a narrow 5-4 home defeat to leaders Telford.
The Bees were back to full
strength for the first time in many weeks last weekend and they rose to the occasion to overwhelm the Raiders 4-0 in their biggest game of the season so far. Defeat to the Bison checked their momentum but they recovered to play some of their best hockey of the season at leaders Telford on Sunday.
Head coach Doug Sheppard will be hoping they can replicate those performances and lift themselves off the bottom before the table is finalised.
Looking ahead to the weekend he said: “We played much better last weekend and need to bring a high compete level to pick up points against two strong opponents this weekend.”
Bees face off at 7pm in their road game at Peterborough on Saturday before welcoming the Lightning to the Slough Ice
Arena on Sunday evening, 5pm face off.