Bristol Pitbulls: Team starting to turn corner after three consecutive wins
- Published
The Pitbulls are playing in the National Ice Hockey League National Division this year
Bristol Pitbulls head coach Jamie Elson said "things are starting to click" for the team after three consecutive wins.
The Pitbulls moved up to the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) National Division this season, the second tier of elite ice hockey in the UK.
The team lost 17 of their first 25 fixtures but have won their last three matches.
"It's been a long time coming," Elson told BBC Radio Bristol.
"Things are starting to click a little bit, we're turning a bit of a corner. We've gone up a division to the highest division here, that's a jump from last year where we were.
"We brought a big chuck of those guys that were on last year's team that had a big year with us. It's just taken some guys some time to customise themselves and get them up to that new level of play, it's obviously at a higher level.
"We've got a number of new guys in the group. We had to recruit more guys than any team in this league this summer. It's been a bedding in period but we feel like we're getting there."
For a long time the Pitbulls were based in Oxford after the closure of Bristol's ice rink in 2012. They now play at a new venue in Cribbs Causeway in their home city where they relocated last year.
Team captain, Canadian Owen Sobchak, who transferred to the club this season, said he hoped the recent run of results mean the club can progress up the table as the campaign continues.
"When we've played the top teams in the table right now we've put a good competition against them. We're just a few bounces, a few opportunities from winning those games," said Sobchak.
"I think as the year goes on and we capitalise on those opportunities teams are going to underestimate us and we're going to take advantage of that and go on a little run here."