We caught up with Knights defenceman Sam Cooper this week ahead of our upcoming fixtures against the Telford Tigers and Peterborough Phantoms.
What positives can be taken from the last couple games into this weekend?
"I think moving on to the Cup Final and making it through the first stage, was huge for our group. I think it proves what we are capable of achieving and hopefully we can bring that into upcoming games."
How are you personally feeling about the upcoming games?
"I’m really looking forward to them. It’s a great opportunity for us this weekend to put in two great performances. Personally, I feel good and we’ve had a great week of practice so I'm excited for the games to be played this weekend."
What sort of challenge do you expect both Telford and Peterborough to bring?
"I think both are good teams and I think that’s great for us as I personally believe our group always plays up to the challenge. I think hearing the fans in a high pressure game makes all the difference and it’s going to be a great weekend to watch."
Are there any specific players on either team to watch out for?
"I don’t think so. Don’t get me wrong, both teams have some great players, but so do we so it’s really focusing on playing how we play as a team and sticking to our identity to see these next games out."
What has the team been working on in training this week to prepare for this weekend?
"Training has been really great since I’ve been here and recently we have been really pushing hard to make sure we are in perfect shape for the weekends ahead. We’ve been working on boxing out and playing to our team’s strengths, so hopefully we’ll put on a fast paced, physical performance come Saturday."
The rink is over 90% sold out for Saturdays game - how much of an advantage is it to play at home in front of the knights fans?
"Such a huge advantage. The fans in Leeds are definitely our 7th player on the ice. Hearing them week in and week out makes such a difference. The Castle is such a hard place to play as an away team when you have the Knights fans all cheering!"
The Telford Tigers are in town tomorrow with a face-off time of 6:30pm at The Castle.
