Telford Tigers netminder Declan Ryan delighted to spark shutout shockwaves
Telford Tigers netminder Declan Ryan believes his shutout against English Premier League leaders Basingstoke Bison will send a message of intent through the league.
The 21-year-old secured his third no-score game of the season on Sunday, turning away 35 shots against one of the highest-scoring sides in the EPL.
His performance earned Telford a 4-0 win over Basingstoke, following a similarly strong display in the 8-2 victory over Slough.
Ryan, who is now Telford's longest-serving player, is looking forward to an extended run of success as the side's new arrivals continue to bed in.
He said: "The win will definitely send a message to the rest of the league that all the guys are here together.
"It will be good to see how well we can do over the next few months, and keep on pushing for the play-offs. The task now is to see how far we can climb the table."
The victory means Telford are now eighth in the EPL standings, with sixth-placed Slough now well within their sights.
Much of that success is due to an improved rearguard action from the Tigers over recent weeks, although Ryan refused to take all the credit.
He added: "It is a great feeling to get a shutout against a side like Basingstoke, but the guys in front of me have been superb. When the shots were coming in, they cleared up and made sure there were no second chances. It was a good solid effort form everybody at the back and to get those early goals really made the difference."
Tigers head coach Tom Watkins was delighted with his side's improvements in defence.
"It is always great when a goalie gets a shutout against a good team," he said,
"The guys showed good spirit and they battled hard, especially when throwing themselves in front of pucks.
"Declan was the difference for us on the penalty kill.
"For a PK to work, the netminder has to be a side's best player and he did that."
