Stingrays will soon get over bad start - Silverthorn

JASON Silverthorn is convinced Hull Stingrays will quickly turn around a season which has seen them take just one win from seven Elite League games.

With the East Yorkshire club also still awaiting a win in the Challenge Cup, things can only really get better for Sylvain Cloutier’s team as they head into a tough weekend of action which sees them head to Dundee Stars on Sunday night - just 24 hours after welcoming leaders Belfast Giants to East Yorkshire (7pm).

While the trip to Dundee - without a win in five in the league themselves - looks the easier option, Hull lost on all three occasions in Tayside last season and, in an effort to combat the slow starts they suffered on each visit, are aiming to arrive at the Stars‘ rink earlier than usual.

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While six of Hull’s seven league games have been against top-five opposition, they will be disappointed to have only picked up one point from a possible 12 to sit alongside the two points they got for their 3-2 shoot-out win over newcomers Fife Flyers.

“We need to steal points off these top teams wherever we can - we’ve been in every game every time we‘ve played them, but it’s mistakes that are costing us,” said Silverthorn.

“The results will come, I’m sure of that. I admit it doesn’t look good right now, but I know it will get better.

“We’ve got to remain confident, we’re not happy with how things have gone so far but I honestly believe that our performances have deserved more than what we have got.”

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While Belfast will be favourites to extend their seven-game unbeaten run at Hull Arena, Sunday’s trip to Dundee will give former Hull favourite Lee Mitchell his first opportunity to face-off against the club where he spent five seasons.

Mitchell opted to return to his native Scotland during the summer, along with his defenceman brother Craig who is out for the season injured.

The Stars defied many people’s expectations in their debut top-flight season when they made the play-offs and player-coach Dan Ceman has strengthened wisely during the summer as the club look to build on last season’s success, something which clearly attracted 24-year-old Mitchell.

“I spoke to Dan (Ceman) in the summer and I really liked what he had to say,” said Mitchell.

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“I was glad I spent five seasons in Hull, I learned a lot there. But I had several reasons for leaving and it will be strange playing against them I suppose.

“But I’m liking it in Dundee and while we’re still waiting for the win this season, things are looking good.

“I think there are greater expectations up here after what happened last season. It’s going to take time for lines to gel together properly because there are a lot new faces.”

Cloutier said he was looking for his team to at least repeat the performance they gave in last week’s 3-2 Challenge Cup defeat at home to Nottingham ion both games this weekend.

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He said: “We have worked hard all week and if we play hard like we did against Nottingham we will win hockey games.

“But we have to play like that against teams in our group, such as Dundee, and not just against teams who are fighting for the title.

“Last season in Dundee the first 10 minutes killed us. We dominated the last 50, but it was always too late to come back because we were always two or three goals down.”

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