Laverick: ‘We can’t wait to get back on the ice’

By Matt Johnson

“The defeat to Trafford has been a big hit on the team because we never lost last season.
“A lot of the players have taken it on the chin and thought ‘it’s not nice to lose’, so we’ve taken the experience on board.

“Nerves did play a part in the game, but some nerves are good because it means you are actually ready, but if there are too many nerves then in can end up being a bit of a disaster.

“We can’t wait to get back on the ice. As soon as we get back out there against Blackburn it will hopefully be a different game. We know what’s expected of us and we know what tempo we have to play at, so hopefully it will be a bit better.”

Laverick wasn’t shocked by the difference in quality after making the step up from Division Two, but joked about the workload he was faced with on Sunday compared to that of last season.

“It was real tough game, especially in the first and second periods. There was a quick tempo and a lot of shots on me, it was just a genuine hard game really.
“I had a lot more shots to save than in any game last season – probably more than the whole season altogether!

“I’ve played at this standard before, but obviously with it being the first game, it’s going to take us a few games to get back into it, but it shouldn’t be too bad. Once we get a couple of games under our belt we’ll be alright.”

Barons lost 7-2, but Laverick has insisted that the squad will come back stronger and are hungry to get back on the ice against Blackburn Hawks this weekend.