NEWS: Cameron – Take your chance

Aspray Glasgow West sponsored Glasgow Clan coach Malcolm Cameron has called on his players to take their play-off opportunity.

The team are preparing for this weekend’s two-legged quarter final, starting at Ice Arena Wales on Saturday before returning home to Braehead Arena on Sunday, face off 6pm.

And he insists there’s no pressure on his group as they look to book a place in the final four weekend in Nottingham next week.

“I think we have an opportunity here,” he said. “The pressure is all on Cardiff as they’re playing at home in the first game and they’re the higher seed and outsiders would favour them.

“We’re almost like the little team that could. With the late start and the hurdles we’ve had all through the year, it’s been an uphill battle all season and this is just another one.

“There’s no pressure on us at all to go there and win. We’ll go there, play our game and let the chips fall as they may.

“It would be amazing to get to the finals weekend for everyone involved with our organisation and would be a great experience.

“The guys have had their nose to the grind all through the year and know they have the opportunity to do this if they have two good games.”

Clan have only reached the play-off finals weekend once before, back in 2014 and will look for a long overdue return.

Cameron has familiarised himself with the format of the competition, different to the best-of-seven series’ he’s more accustomed to and revealed how he’s prepared his team for the Devils.

“There’s no margin for error in this kind of format,” he added. “Every shift, every situation and even every face-off matters and you can’t breathe a sigh of relief at any point until the buzzer’s gone.

“This has been made aware to the guys, that they can’t take a night off or even have a bad period or a bad five minutes, because it could really put you behind the eight-ball.

“We know where we need to get better, know the areas where we can improve and implementing them this weekend.

“It’s exciting. You know it’s going to come fast and furious, but you also want to take the time you need to prepare as best you can.

“Typically I’d watch all the previous games against our opponents and see where we were deficient, where our weaknesses were and how to fix them and we’ve done that this week.

“It comes down to taking it a shift at a time and that’s the mentality.”

Photos by Al Goold