Tenacious front man Dale Buckland is eager to get back onto the ice after the festive break after insisting that the best is yet to come from the Barons this season.

The team has had a mixed time of it so far, recovering from an early season slump to record a sequence of only one defeat in five games in the run in to Christmas, and Buckland is hungry for more of the same heading into a crucial opening period of 2012.

“We haven’t reached our potential yet.” He said.

“Things will only get better because none of the boys are happy with what happened last time out against Nottingham.

“We were missing a lot of key guys. Spanner was away, Parker had work commitments and Ayres damaged his shoulder and there’s other guys too that had just got niggley things, but we’ll be back stronger.

“We have been putting the hard work into our sessions before the next game, so we are just going to keep at it then go at Telford after our three weeks of hard training.

“We didn’t get the dream start (to the season) which we all would have liked, but to go four games unbeaten is the highlight so far.

“It’s not like we’ve gone against four easy teams. We drew with Billingham, beat Cov after a bad first result against them at the Skydome, beat Sheffield and then to end it with an away draw at Sheffield, which should have been a win, was pleasing.

“We wanted to carry on the streak into the Nottingham game, but I don’t know, we just never got going.”

‘Killer’ has been omnipresent in the Barons side this season and with such a vital rivalry game against Telford Titans being staged as the first match of the year, he can’t wait to get back into action as the squad push to retain their Division One status.

He added: “It is the main goal to stay up. We’ll do anything to stay up and I think it’s achievable. We’ve played with the best in the league so we’re fine so I think we’ll be fine at the end.

“Telford is a midlands derby so I can't wait. To be honest, the last few training sessions have been all about the lads. It's been about getting us into a positive frame of mind.

“It's a new year, and we will be looking to leave the last 18 games behind us and focus on each team as we play them. But we do need to start the year with 2 points.

“The games between us and Telford have always been close and they have been lucky with the results they've had. We will be looking to come out with the 2 points that’s for sure.”

Next Home Game Sunday 8th January 6pm, Solihull Ice Rink £6 adults, £3 concessions