Bulldogs return for 2024 seeking NIHL North Two consistency
BACK FOR MORE: Bradford Bulldogs are looking to enjoy more wins in the second half of the 2023-24 season. Picture: Andy Bourke/Podium Prints.
ANDY BROWN is hoping his Bradford Bulldogs team can produce more consistency as they prepare to return for the second half of the NIHL North Two season.
The Bulldogs sit seventh in the standings after 17 games as they head to Kingston Sharks for a second time this Saturday.
They then return to home ice (face-off 5.30pm) looking to finally get the better of third-placed Coventry Blaze NIHL, who have edged them out twice already this season, once in overtime.
After a promising start to the season brought two wins, the Bulldogs suffered a slump in form which brought a nine-game losing streak.
A three-game winning run followed before they ended the year with three more defeats.
It’s meant frustration for head coach Brown, who believes his team are capable of more.
MORE NEEDED: Bulldogs’ head coach, Andy Brown. Picture: Alien Aerial Photography
“The first half of the season has been pretty disappointing,” said Brown. “I know we’ve had our fair share of injuries but if we want to turn things around we’re going to have to find several more gears to go through.
“We’ve shown on plenty of occasions that we can compete with most of the teams in this division. But we’ve been guilty of switching off at key times and we need to find a way of playing 60-minute hockey week-in, week out.”
With 15 games remaining, the Bulldogs are among a group of four teams still capable of finishing in fourth spot, with Sheffield Titans currently closest to the runaway top three of Telford, Sutton and Coventry and nine points ahead of Bradford.
“Of the three teams immediately above us, Sheffield are the only team we haven’t beaten yet - and we should have done that just before Christmas,” added Brown.
“So we know we have it within us to do better, we just need to find a way of producing the goods on a more consistent basis.”