Paisley Pirates fans are counting down the days until they finally get to see their team in competitive action, with their new season due to commence in under a fortnight on Saturday 12 October when they make the short trip to Kilmarnock to take on the local Thunder in a Stuart Robertson Cup tie, some six and a half months after they last played a competitive match, when they won the Playoff Final, beating Murrayfield in the process.
“It’ll be good to see all the work of the summer finally coming to fruition in less than two weeks”, said Off Ice Operations Manager Jackie Turley. “Due to the other events being held in Braehead Arena we will as usual be starting behind the other teams in the league, but at least supporters will be able to look forward to a regular diet of home matches from then onwards, the first of which is against Aberdeen Lynx on Saturday 26 October.”
Player/Coach Adam Walker commented, “There’s been a few changes to the roster from last year which is common to every team, but nothing wholesale, so fans can look forward to greeting many of the team which did so well in the previous season, while welcoming brothers Jay and Conor Duncan, goalie Danny Morris, and local junior Zak Kenneth who attends Trinity High School just along the road at Renfrew, so like previous years we’ve retained a strong local flavour within the team, which is very important to us, while freshening it up a little.”
Head Coach Ian Turley remarked, “With the ice at Braehead not being available until next week, we’ve been indebted to one of our main sponsors, ProLife, who have helped us with spin classes so the boys have been prepared to go the extra mile already to get their fitness levels as high as possible before we finally get underway. Hopefully all of this preparation will stand us in good stead once we get going, and we’ll see the benefit of it all once we take to the ice in earnest.”