Fife Flyers entertain Continental opposition this weekend with Tilburg Trappers visiting from The Netherlands on Saturday (19.15) and CSM Brasov from Romania on Sunday (18.00).
The duo will pose a completely different challenge for Coolen and his new-look squad after their fiesty double-header with arch rivals, Dundee Stars, in two pre-season games last weekend.
Fife lost 3-2 after overtime at The Fife Ice Arena after being 2-0 down and carried the form showed in their comeback into Sunday’s trip to Tayside where they skated to an emphatic 4-0 victory. Coolen said: “It was a very positive outcome and everybody contributed.”
Thankfully, Coolen only has two players nursing knocks from the Dundee double-header. He added: “Saturday was a physical game and we worked hard. It was very competitive and it challenged us.
“We came back from two goals down and I feel we played well and we carried that into Sunday. The 4-0 win was absolutely a good result for us and we played very well.”
He was particularly pleased that the goals were shared around four different players and he said: “(Goaltender) Shane Owen was outstanding. I coached him way back and I have never seen him better.”
The vastly-experienced playcaller said: “We have two men with injuries, they are not serious, and we are at the stage when we need to play games.”
The club’s first domestic game is a Challenge Cup clash at Glasgow Clan on September 23 but Coolen said: “I do not look that far ahead. We have two competitive games coming up this week and it is important to log ice time.”
PICTURE: Action from Flyers v Stars last weekend courtesy of the Elite League
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