Telford Tigers boss challenges players to step up after double weekend loss
Telford Tigers suffered double misery this weekend as losses to Guildford and Milton Keynes prompted player coach Tom Watkins to challenge his players to step up to the challenge in front of them.
On Saturday Tigers went down 8-3 away to last season's champions, with Flames ending the second period with a 7-1 lead, Mikusovic netting Tigers only goal in the opening 40 minutes. Tigers rallied in the final period, with goals from defenceman Maynard and forward Salem, after Longstaff had extended Flames lead to seven goals, ending the game with a 8-3 victory for Guildford.
Sunday saw the first visit of Milton Keynes Lightning to Telford this season, and despite losing at home to Sheffield the previous night, Lightning arrived sitting in fourth place in the league.
Ahead of the game Coach Watkins had called for his team to play with intensity and pace against a Lightning team down on training time and playing out of Coventry all season while their rink is refurbished, but it was Lightning who got the opening goal through Jokila on 15 minutes. Tigers equalised within 30 seconds as defence man Pavlu fired home. The quick fire scoring continued as first Lascek and the Tigers captain McKenzie exchanged goals to bring the score to 2-2, before Emersic scored to send Lightning in at the break with a one goal advantage.
A fairly even second period saw chances for both teams with both netminders making a number of saves but it was Lightning who extended their lead through Jamieson to start the final period leading by two goals. The third period didn't start well for Tigers as Watkins was ejected from the game with a 5 plus game penalty for accidental high sticks, forcing him to watch the rest of the game from the side lines. Milton Keynes pressed home their advantage with goals from Carlon and Goode to run out 6-2 winners.
After the game Tigers player coach Watkins said, "I don't think we've turned up for either game this weekend and that's not good enough. One or two of the guys are passengers at the min and that has to change straight away. We have to stick up for each other as a team, we had a guy slash our net minder and no one did anything, that's not good enough. I'm hoping to add a couple of players to the squad next week to add quality and depth but the guys here need to rise to the challenge we have here as well."
