NEWLY-PROMOTED Oliver Stone is more than aware that he has to prove himself after stepping up into the Swindon Wildcats’ senior squad.

The 18-year-old former Ridgeway School pupil described the experience of signing for the Wildcats as a ‘dream come true’ when he spoke the Advertiser at his team’s media launch.

“I’ve been around the sport for around 13 seasons now. I’ve been around for a long time, so I’ve grown up watching players who are here now,” said the teenager.

“I was watching when Aaron Nell was here so for him to be my coach now is amazing. It is very strange – I used to sit and watch the team and now I get to call them my team-mates. It’s really surreal for me.”

Despite this, the defender knows he is in for a long and hard debut season as a senior player, with the physical demands the biggest challenge he has to acclimatise to.

He also sees his first season as the perfect chance to learn from the more experienced players in the squad like Lee Richardson and Mark Smith.

“I know that I’m younger on the team and that I have to prove myself to get on the ice but I’m just going to have to work hard to prove to Aaron I am a valuable player,” added the D-man.

“There are players like Mark Smith, who has a lot experience playing in the Elite League and in America – he’s going to be crucial to me to help me learn.

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to sit next to him. He’ll be able to help me out and I’ll be able to talk to him loads this year.

“The step up is going to be massive. Physically, I’m not one of the biggest guys and the guys are going to be a lot bigger than what I have played against.

“I’m looking forward to getting going. I didn’t expect this to be happening. It’s come so fast.

“I’m from Swindon but I just never expected to be here.”

Fellow Okanagan graduate Kyle Smith opened the scoring for the Cats as they fell to a 5-3 defeat away to Bracknell Bees last night.

A brace from Sam Bullas was not enough to prevent the visitors falling to a first defeat of their pre-season campaign at the John Nike Leisuresport Complex.

Meanwhile, Cats also trumped the Bees 7-2 at the Link Centre on Saturday, with defenceman Callum Buglass notching before Ben Davies teed up Maxim Birbraer to fire home.

Toms Rutkis then danced his way past netminder Matt Smital to make it 3-0 and before the first period was out, Nell’s wrist shot was adjudged to have crossed the line.

The hosts stretched their lead to 5-0 through Jonas Hoog whilst coach Nell grabbed his second of the game but then Bracknell hit back through Lukas Smital and Carl Thompson.

But the scoring was rounded off as Davies got himself on the scoresheet with Cats’ seventh goal.