On eve of Leeds Knights' launching their NIHL National league and play-off title defence, we talk to team captain, Kieran Brown
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Do you feel that as a team coming in with a few different personnel that you've perhaps
00:09 got something to prove again?
00:10 Yeah, I mean we've got three new imports, we've got a couple of new younger Brits that
00:18 have come in but I'd say the main core group of guys are still around so we're guiding
00:23 them through and helping them where they're not too sure and stuff.
00:27 But yeah, the team's looking good and I'd say we're still going to push for that, we're
00:31 obviously going to be fighting for the top spot again and everyone's going to be coming
00:35 after us but I'm excited.
00:36 Yeah, I was going to say, do you feel that you're a marked team this year coming in?
00:39 Because obviously the way you started last season and you were able to maintain that,
00:42 I know you were pushed hard by Peterborough and Milton Keynes for a long, long time but
00:47 you saw it out in the end and you sort of became a marked team during the season as
00:51 well.
00:52 Do you feel that'll be the same this year because everyone wants to knock you off that
00:54 top pitch?
00:55 Yeah, I know, once a team's won the double, everyone's coming after you, they want to
01:01 prove that they're better than you.
01:02 But from what I've seen right now, anyone can beat anyone in our league so I'm excited
01:07 for this year, it looks like it might be a totally different year.
01:11 Do you feel that you want to show that last year wasn't a flash in the pan as well, that
01:17 you can back this up with some success this year as well?
01:20 Yeah, obviously some people are going to be saying that it was just a look at the season
01:26 but we're coming in and we want to prove that it wasn't just a look and we are going to
01:30 push for that spot again.
01:31 And with coming in as double champions or league and playoff double winners, I suppose
01:35 there's a greater weight of expectation.
01:37 Last summer there probably wasn't much expectation because no one knew what to expect from this
01:40 team, this summer is completely different isn't it?
01:43 Or this autumn?
01:44 Yeah, well like you just said, last summer we were coming in, as Ryan said at the start,
01:49 it's a building year, we didn't really know what to expect and we came away pretty good.
01:54 But this year, we're coming in as the double champs so like you said before, everyone's
01:59 going to be wanting to take that away from us and we've just got to do whatever we can
02:03 to keep it.
02:04 You yourself, obviously last season you were a top point scorer again for the second year
02:07 running in this league, does that bother you any more?
02:10 I mean obviously you're probably going to be required to put up as many points if not
02:15 a few more this season given the absence of perhaps Cole Shoe Drew, who was a massive
02:17 contributor last season, but do you feel a sort of greater pressure?
02:21 Now you have lost a couple of perhaps significant points, contributors last year?
02:25 You know, losing a player like Cole is obviously irreplaceable, a Brit that's putting up 100
02:31 points, they don't come around very often.
02:33 But you know, I've just got to stay the same as I always do.
02:38 Am I expected to put up 100 points?
02:40 Maybe, but that's not what I'm thinking about.
02:43 There's more to hockey than the points and all that stuff, but I'm sure we'll come together
02:49 as a team and we'll be fine.
02:50 I'm sure we'll be fine.
02:51 I'm sure we'll be fine.
02:52 I'm sure we'll be fine.
02:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]