We can handle pressure says Phantoms ace Owen

Ice hockey - Sheffield Steeldogs at home on Saturday

Welsh wizard Owen Griffiths revealed pacesetting Phantoms have one simple aim – to continue winning hockey games.

The 21 year-old hit the opening goal as the city side beat his former club, Swindon, in their only outing of last weekend.

That 3-2 overtime triumph in a top-of-the-table showdown was an eighth in succession in the NIHL Division One South – a splendid season-opening run which has carried Phantoms two points clear at the summit.

Griffiths said: “Eight wins out of eight games sounds great, but we’re not thinking about the streak.

“It might sound boring, but we just focus on each game as it comes along. It’s an approach that seems to be working.

“We’re pleased to be winning games and we have the responsibility to keep doing that through to the end of the year to ensure we are challenging for trophies.

“I’m sure other teams really want to beat us, but that is the sort of thing that comes with leading the way in the table. We have the guys who can handle that pressure and we also have the number one coach in the league.”

Griffiths is the latest player to speak glowingly of the job done by Phantoms chief Slava Koulikov.

The club’s boss appears to have built another excellent roster, but Griffiths insists it still hasn’t been seen to its full potential as yet.

That could happen this weekend when Phantoms entertain Sheffield Steeldogs in an NIHL Autumn Cup clash on Saturday (7pm) before going to Invicta for a league clash the following night (5.15pm).

Griffiths added: “Slava told us ahead of the season that our mentality had to change.

“We were used to being underdogs in the English Premier League, but we have a roster that should be challenging at the top in this league.

“We’re already showing we are capable of doing that and we know we can beat any team on our day.

“We still address a few of the things we’re doing wrong, but we’re playing at a good intensity and it’s only a matter of time until we click completely.”

Defenceman Greg Pick is a doubt for this weekend. He sat out the Swindon success with a groin problem.

Will Weldon, Scott Robson and Nathan Salem apply pressure on the Swindon goal.

PICTURES: TOM SCOTT Leigh Jamieson celebrates scoring the Phantoms winner against Swindon.