Dulle: We must overcome mental block

Captain Kurtis Dulle believes Excel Hull Stingrays must show more “mental toughness” if they are to turn around their fortunes.

Stingrays, on a six-game losing streak, sit eighth in the Rapid Solicitors Elite League, six points clear of second-bottom Dundee Stars.

But of their 24 defeats in all competitions this season, 11 of them have been by the one goal and Dulle knows the picture could have been a lot brighter for the team.

The Canadian defenceman said: “Hockey is 90% mental and 10% physical and we just need to have more mental toughness.

“We have a good team and we have been involved in a lot of close, one-goal games. It has been so frustrating to be on the wrong end of most of those.

“We have not been hanging on to leads of finding ways to win games but hopefully that will change.”

Dulle, 32, has taken over as captain – a role he performed last season – following the departure of Josh Mizerek.

He added: “I like to lead by example on the ice. I am someone who speaks up when I need to and then people listen. If you are always talking it can end up falling on deaf ears.

“But I am 32 now and I want to help the young guys in the team. I was that young kid once looking to be one of the top players on the team. We have some good young players, they just need more experience.

“A lot of the other teams have experienced British players who have been around the game for a long time. We don’t have that but our young guys are good players and in a couple of years they will be even better.”