Under-14s ice hockey goalie Jenson Reid can help Kirkcaldy to U14s Scottish Cup win

The Fife outfit will take to the ice that day with opposition from Aberdeen, Dundee and Lanarkshire, with the draw still to be finalised.

Jenson’s proud mum Jordan, of Kirkcaldy – who will be in the crowd watching along with her husband Scott – told the Fife Free Press: “I’m biased, but I think Kirkcaldy have a really good chance of winning the Scottish Cup as we have a really strong team.

"This is the first year Kirkcaldy under-14s have been involved in this competition. If we win, Jenson would be ecstatic. He loves playing for his home club and he loves being competitive.

"Any opportunity he can get to win something, he is buzzing.”

When asked how Jenson got into ice hockey in the first place, Jordan said that his dad was a big influence.

"Scott’s brother and my brother both played ice hockey when they were growing up,” she added. “So we’ve always been around ice hockey. Jenson started playing when he was in primary one. He started the public skating and then said he always wanted to be a goalie which I wasn’t that thrilled with!

"Mentally, being a goalie is a very difficult position, but he copes really well with it and all the other boys in the team just love him and support him.

"Ultimately he would want to play professionally when he’s an adult. Playing for Fife Flyers would be his ultimate dream.

"Cameron Kenny – who came through the youth ranks at Kirkcaldy – is playing for Fife Flyers as back up so all the boys look up to him as they think that could be them one day.”

Jenson’s cup final appearance comes after he was part of the Elite British Select youth side – coached by Koni Yates – which finished 11th out of 21 teams at last week’s Riga Cup in Latvia, before travelling to Finland last Thursday to represent Scotland – coached by Andrew Affleck, Stephen Murphy and Ross Murray – in the Lions Cup, where the Scots were seventh out of 16 teams.

"The British team did great in Latvia,” Jordan said. “They were up against teams that play hockey every single day. Jenson hadn’t trained with the UK team for very long so they did amazingly when they were out there.

"He and the English goalie Sean Hann were picked for the double A UK team. Jenson played in five of the six games.”

And Jenson, who was playing abroad for the second and third times having previously starred for Scotland in Bratislava last April, added: “I think I did really well in those competitions. The challenge out there was great. The standard of play was much better than I’m used to normally. I was having to produce great saves.”

Domestically, Jenson has been in nets for Phantoms Fife under-14s – who play home games at Fife Ice Arena and are coached by Allan Anderson, Andrew Affleck and Adam Farmer – finishing second in their national league this season.

"They were really pleased to finish second,” Jordan said. “Sometimes they can be too hard on themselves because everybody wants first place, but they have done amazingly.

"Jenson and the other squad goalie Mathew McGroarty are the youngest players in the team.”

The Reid family thank Jenson’s sponsors Scott Gibson Bodyshop (who are in their second season backing him); Jack Brownlee Gas, Heating and Plumbing Limited and Andrea Wood Transport Ltd.