‘We are in a battle for first place in the league,’ says defenceman Sam Ruopp

Speaking after practice earlier this week he said that the Giants players had to play at 100 percent for the remainder of the season to title the EIHL championship.

“Yes we have a couple of big games coming up against the Cardiff Devils,” he explained. “We are battling for first place in the league, so every game to us is a playoff game.

“We are well prepared for the weekend ahead and if we bring our A game then it should be a good weekend.”

Ruopp agrees that there is going be a hard fought fight between the four top teams in the EIHL for the championship.

He said: “All season the standings have been pretty tight and I guess it was only to be expected that when we came down to the end of the season that the standings would still be very tight.

“The points are crucial at the part of the season. So every time we step out on to the ice we give 100 percent. That’s what our fans, our coaching staff and ourselves as players expect.”

Forward Mark Cooper is also looking forward to what this weekend holds for the Giants.

He said: “Getting into the late end of the season the games just keep on getting bigger, and that’s very much the case with the games against the Devils this weekend.

“With such six games left in the regular season, they are really important games for us to win to get the points for the title race.”

Reflecting on last weekend’s games in Sheffield and Manchester, Cooper said: “We knew that Guildford weren't going to give up many points during the remainder of the season, so we knew we had to get those four points on the road.

“Every weekend for the reason of the season is important. We did well and got those wins, so we are pleased with the job we did.”

Cooper agrees that the business end of the 2022/23 season will be an exciting one for fans and players alike.

He said: “We have been doing a bit of table watching as of late. We know where we stand in the league and we know the job that needs to be done yet. While we are in a good spot, there is still yet a lot of hockey to be played this season, it is going be tight right to the very end.”