CALUM WOOD and Mike Leonard have around 200 international hockey caps between them – and the duo will need all their experience when they guide Scotland's under-18 side in the European Championships next week.
Aberdeen-born head coach Wood, who has played abroad and also coached Edinburgh University, plus his English-born assistant, Leonard, a former Grange team-mate, take their emerging side to Belgium.
In Division A they face England, who beat them 4-
0 and 4-2 at Stirling late last month, physical Poland and Germany, one of the best sides in the world at this level, in the initial round-robin event before the crucial cross-overs.
Only Glasgow-based defender and drag flick expert Josh Cairns (Kelburne) has played at under-21 level. But Quicksilver Kelburne striker Alan Forsyth and his midfield club-mate Michael Bremner, the team's skipper, plus goalkeeping duo Tom O'Kelly (Gordonians) and Alex Fedenczuk (Watsonians) provide a strong spine to the team.
Wood and Leonard have worked the squad hard for the stern test. And Wood has already pin-pointed the clash with highly-physical Poland as the crucial match-up. He said: "We have targeted the Poland game. However, we are capable of beating England. As to Germany, they are a quality side but if we play as we can we will challenge them."
Four points from the three games would give Scotland a fighting chance of beating the trap door. And a 2-2 draw and a 4-3 defeat against a highly-talented Irish side at Peffermill in two challenge matches last weekend has boosted moral.
The Scots open against England on Monday then face Germany on Tuesday and Poland on Wednesday. Then they have a rest day on Thursday, 9 July, before the crucial cross-over games which start the following day.
The other section features Holland, Russia, Spain and hosts Belgium. Former midfield player Wood, who has seven East players, six from the West, three from North and one from Midlands in the squad, said: "The boys have worked extremely hard on their fitness and in their performances to this stage. Now they will need to step-up to the challenge of playing under-18 international hockey at the highest level.
"It will be really hard. They have to learn to play at this level while performing under extreme pressure.
"We've gained experience in playing England and Ireland in our last four games.
"But international hockey is all about total concentration for 70 minutes and to be totally disciplined.
"We have a good spine to the team but those players can't produce without the players around them contributing.
"Josh is the only one who has played at under-21 level and he knows what it takes. The others have to make a transition. You can have the best players in the world in your squad but the rest of the team must help them perform."
Wood added: "We have an experienced management team. Mike (Leonard) captained Scotland and has a vast amount of international experience and is a teacher by profession.
"Ewan Green, our team manager, has coached in A Division before and this is my fifth year of coaching. Our aim is to make the top five in Belgium. If we play in the way we did against Ireland last Sunday then we will be fine."
Squad: Michael Bremner, Josh Cairns, Alan Forsyth (Kelburne), Andrew Malcolm, Ross Jamieson, Christopher Duncan (Inverleith), Tom O'Kelly, Stuart Allan, Adam Walker (Gordonians), Alex Fedenczuk, James Byers, Fraser Pollard (George Watsons), Gareth Davies (Menzieshill), Andrew Fleming (Uddingston), George Scott (Beeston), Aidan Black (Clydesdale), Michael Cockburn (Waverley, Inveresk, Trinity), Peter Baldwin (Greenock).
The full article contains 621 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
