Aldridge hails new-found consistency as Wildcats stun EPL leaders Guildford (From Swindon Advertiser)

Aldridge hails new-found consistency as Wildcats stun EPL leaders Guildford

7:00am Monday 9th January 2012 in Ice Hockey By Andy Warren

HEAD coach Ryan Aldridge believes Swindon Wildcats have finally found the consistency to compete at the top of the English Premier League following Saturday night’s impressive 6-4 victory over table-topping Guildford Flames.

Aaron Nell scored the defining fifth goal at the Link Centre on Saturday night in a game where both sides kept cancelling eachother out, before Jonas Hoog added a sixth as Guildford pulled their netminder as they went in search of yet another equaliser.

After an up and down start to the season, Wildcats have been on an impressive run over the last two weeks which has seen them take points off the league’s top three, Flames, Milton Keynes Lightning and Slough Jets.

Aldridge told the Advertiser their performances had sent out a signal to the rest of the league, but warned his players they will need to keep up their run until the end of the season.

“The boys played very very well to come out on top, because the game really was a goal for goal affair. We kept battling which was very pleasing, even though they managed to out-shoot us,” he said.

“In our last four games we have done very well against sides at the top of the league, and in our loss at Slough the scoreline really didn’t reflect the way the game went.

“We have taken five points out of eight against sides in the top three, and we have to be very pleased with that. We know what this team is capable of, but we have only now really started to find that consistency.

“It shows we can compete with anyone, and really gets the confidence up in our locker room. and that could be very important We need to continue it now though, and show everyone what we are all about.”

Swindon took the lead after 12 minutes as forward Sam Bullas tapped home after good work from Nicky Watt. They doubled their lead minutes later as import Michal Pinc scored a second, this time batting the puck out of the air from another Watt delivery.

Flames came back into it in the second period as Nathan Rempel beat netminder Dean Skinn from a one-on-one, before minutes later Ben Campbell tapped in to level the scores.

After two assists, Watt managed to get in on the scoring act to give Cats the lead again, as good chemistry with Pinc saw an attack up the ice which he took advantage of to find the net.

Rempel equalised once again for the Flames, but Wildcats replied to reclaim the advantage at the end of the second period when Lee Richardson connected with a loose puck and beat netminder Mark Lee over his shoulder.

It was soon 4-4 as David Savage’s effort trickled over the line, and Flames thought they had the lead for the first time soon after, but the effort was ruled out.

The game was ultimately decided by Nell’s fifth goal, before a breakaway saw Hoog add the sixth as time ticked down.