SOLENT SECURE COOPER
The Solent Devils are delighted to announce the re-signing of British forward Scott Cooper.
After moving to the South Coast and previously competing in NIHL 1 North, Cooper has become a fan favourite, a tenacious worker on the ice, Cooper iced in 31 games last season contributing 5 goals and 5 assists to the Solent tally that took them to runners up in NIHL 1 South.
On re-signing Cooper said
I couldn’t think of any other team I would rather play for in the league, the connection our team has with the fans is like nothing I have experienced before and I feel as a group we can only get better and build on what we have achieved over the last few seasons.
Commenting on the signing Head Coach Murray said
Signing Scotty was a priority of mine this season! He is a versatile player who can play a multitude of positions, which he demonstrated last season with the move to 3C which enabled us to absorb the loss of Ralfs mid season.
Scotty is a team first guy who has a positive impact on the entire locker room. In recognition of his contribution last season he was awarded the Shane Clacy Trophy which just shows the kind of player he is.
Reflecting on last season Cooper adds
My personal highlight has to be winning the Shane Clacy award which showed that my efforts and contributions are valued by the rest of the team. As a team I feel we overcame a lot of challenges throughout the season, such as Injuries, COVID and players moving on, and this will only make us stronger going forward.
When asked about how tough NIHL 1 South is. Cooper said
I think any team can beat anyone on the night and if we play our game and not become distracted from the targets we set ourselves we can achieve some good things.
In terms of what the game means to him, Cooper continues
The last couple of years, especially at the height of the pandemic showed how much the sport means to me, and how much it helps with all of the players mental and physical well-being and it cannot be taken for granted.
Finally looking forward to next season, Cooper concludes
Continuing to help the team anyway I can on and off the ice as well as helping the new players we have coming through settle in as quickly as possible.
Cooper will return to the Devils in shirt #24. If you would like to sponsor a Devil or become a team sponsor, contact devilssupporters@outlook.com
