Fife Flyers head south with Challenge Cup semi-final spot on the line

It is their third trip to Surrey this season, and the previous two have ended in league defeats - but Tom Coolen, head coach, is adamant this tie is far from settled.

Flyers planned a skating session with the team on Tuesday evening before boarding the bus early on Wednesday morning. Injured team captain Jonas Emmerdahl may take part but his return to competitive action is more likely to be at the weekend. If he misses out then Coolen will look at pulling forwards back on the blue line. Teemu Pulkinnen and Casey Gilling booth took shifts in defence at the weekend as the coach juggled his bench. Forward James Spence will also miss the cup tie, while defenceman Fynn Page is just back skating after injury and not ready for a return to the roster.

But with the return from injury of key players such as Kyle Osterberg and Johan Erikkson, the coach is looking to emerge with the win which would take Fife into the semi-finals, and also snap a six-game losing run in league and cup competition.

“We’ve got players back and we have to work our way back now,” he said., “We have to get healthy and some guys have to get better. They have to show they can make an impact in this league.”

Although two goals down from the first leg, Coolen doesn’t see it as a lost cause: “In a perfect world we grab the first goal and then it is a whole different game,” he said. “I have seen games change momentum very quickly.”