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Vipers focused on top of table clash
Mobilx Newcastle Vipers have defended themselves against a charge of being "dreary and fortunate" from Nottingham head coach Corey Neilson.
Twenty four hours ahead of the table-top clash in Newcastle between the Vipers and Panthers, the Nottingham coach Corey Neilson gave his thoughts on the Mobilx-backed club to the Panthers website.
Neilson - who has coached the Panthers to five losses in their last nine games, and has added NHL first round draft pick Mario Larocque to his star-studded squad - labelled the Vipers win in Nottingham last week as 'fortunate' and said that Newcastle play "a dreary system."
"Newcastle play that dreary system, they sit back and you have to try and break them down," Neilson told panthers.co.uk.
"They are very opportunisitic. I thought when they played here against us they were quite fortunate. We had the lions share and did a lot of good things.
"A couple of things went wrong at key times for us and it went in our net."
The GMB Panthers started the season like a train, winning nine of their first ten games but have saw their form slide since Neilson rested his players at Hockeyfest and didn't appear to take the compeition seriously. Since then, the Panthers have struggled to hit the heights of September's form.
In a bid to turn things around, Neilson has signed French-Canadian Mario Larocque - a first round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1996 - to bolster the defence. It is expected that Nick Toneys will be the man released to make way for Larocque once the Panthers have eleven fit imports.
The Vipers will be hoping Sunday's clash at MRA follows a similar pattern to the first meeting of the sides in September, when the Vipers won 5-3 with Mike Berry netting a stunning hat-trick.
A Vipers spokesman said: "Thanks to Corey for his comments about our team, I'm sure coach Wilson will make the players aware of them before the game Sunday.
"Fact is Corey's team is playing sub-500 hockey at the moment and he is under pressure to deliver the League title to Nottingham. Credit to Neil Black and Gary Moran for backing him as they have done to bring in top names like Cameron Mann and now Larocque.
"But it means there's more pressure on Neilson to end the 53-year wait for a League title.
"As coach Wilson said last night after the Sheffield game, the Vipers enjoy taking on the so-called Big Four. There's no pressure on us, we're dreary and fortunate!"
Face off on Sunday is 5.30pm at Metro Radio Arena and doors open at 4.30pm. Tickets can be bought at the entrance, but it is strictly cash sales only on the door.
0-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-5 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-4 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
2-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
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5-8 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-2 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
3-7 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
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- No Elite League for Vipers in 2011/12
- Holland looking for back to back wins
- Effinger has no regrets
- Hartmanis wants wins for fans
- Longmuir looking to finish in style
