NETMINDER Stevie Lyle believes Wildcats should be entering 2014 in confident mood after rejuvenating their roster in recent weeks.

Aaron Nell is the latest Wildcats regular to return to the Link Centre after Lee Richardson joined up with the team once again a fortnight ago, while new Czech import Jan Kostal has earned rave reviews since his arrival at the end of November.

Cats play their first match of 2014 tomorrow when they host Bracknell and Lyle believes the new year could bring about a big change in fortune for Ryan Aldridge’s side.

“It’s been great for us really to have people like Aaron and Lee back because it makes us a whole different team really,” Lyle said.

“Aaron is one of the best players in the league and he’s now playing with Hoogy (Jonas Hoog) who’s also one of the best. The way those two play together is amazing and I doubt there are two others in the league who connect like them.

“We have more confidence now but it’s been a weird season because we’ve always told ourselves we’re a good team so it’s time for us to prove it.

“Whenever you go into a game with Aaron on your team you know there’s goals coming so if I can stop them going in our end then we’ll be fine.”

Wildcats take on a Bees side sitting a place and four points above them in the EPL table and Lyle is expecting an entertaining contest.

“We’ve only played them twice and we were able to beat them both times, back to back, but they are a pretty good team,” he said.

“It should be an entertaining game because they’re like us and have a lot of fire power so it should be a good one.”

Lyle has also moved to explain a turn of events which saw him ejected from Saturday night’s victory over Basingstoke.

“I didn’t catch the guy with my stick, I just pretended to because I went behind the net to play the puck and he sticked me,” Lyle said. “I pretended to get him back and I was kicked out the game.

“Luckily enough we went on to win the game, which was great, but we just ran out of steam the following night at Telford.

“They are a bit different to the Telford we’re used to seeing but we should have had a point if not more really.

“As long as I stay in the game and keep my stick down we should be fine.”