We meet again - It's Cats v MK part three (From Swindon Advertiser)

We meet again - It's Cats v MK part three

9:00am Friday 12th February 2010 in

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SWINDON Wildcats’ player-coach Ryan Aldridge has admitted a sense of deja vu has engulfed the Link Centre this week as MK Lightning return to Town to face the Cats for the third time in three weekends.

And Aldridge believes, after suffering a narrow defeat a fortnight ago and earning a point in Buckinghamshire last Saturday, that his side are well-informed and well-prepared to take two points off the visiting league leaders this time around.

“It is getting a little tedious playing the same team so regularly,” said Aldridge.

“But they have been good games, and we have always had better games with the top sides.

“We know what we have to do now, and we will be going out there for the win.”

Aldridge revealed the atmosphere around the Cats locker room has improved infinitely on two months ago, after a run of two wins in 18 games was arrested at the end of January.

And the Wildcats’ roster had even more reason to cheer during the week when the latest addition to Swindon’s ice hockey family was welcomed into the world.

“It is a different feeling with the guys now,” said Aldridge.

“Everyone is positive and it couldn’t have come at a better time with six or seven really important games coming up.

“Jozef Kohut had a little baby boy in the week and we all had a couple of beers together to wet the baby’s head.”

Aldridge masterminded Cats’ efforts in taking MK into overtime last week, and whilst he thought the size of the Thunderdome rink fell in his side’s favour he sees no reason why his charges cannot repeat, or even better, their performance on home ice on Sunday.

“Obviously playing on a rink that big helped us,” he said.

“But we’ve got to step up again. We know each other so well now that we have to take our chances when they fall to us.

“We have to keep going hard and no end up being second to the puck.”

Aldridge is blessed with a full bill of availability this weekend, which also features a trip to Sheffield to play the woefully out of form Scimitars.

And the Cats chief is demanding his troops secure at least a point in Yorkshire.

“Sheffield are giving away points left, right and centre at the moment,” he said.

“It is a must-win hockey match for us up there.

“We are going for a four-point weekend, and we need to perform on both nights to get it.”