Dunedin Thunder coach Janos Kaszala has accepted his side's finals prospects are over but hopes his young side can continue to improve as it takes on the table-topping Stampede in Dunedin this weekend.
The Thunder secured its first win of the season last weekend, coming back from a 9-3 loss to the Botany Swarm in game one of its double-header in Dunedin to win the rematch 5-4.
But with just the solitary win from eight matches so far, the Thunder is a distant last and will take on a Stampede side which sits at the top of the competition ladder with seven wins from eight games.
It looks to be a two-horse race for the title between the Queenstown-based side and the Canterbury Red Devils, though the Swarm and the West Auckland Admirals are not out of the running.
Kaszala said his side had played well in patches but had not played consistently enough to match it with the other sides in the league.
"Every single game we've played, we've had great patches but, obviously, we need to make sure we can do this for 60 minutes.
"If we do that, we have a definite chance to win against any team in the league.''
The Thunder leaked five goals in 10 minutes in game one against the Swarm last weekend and Kaszala said there was no way back from a period like that.
A similar lapse against the Stampede would give his side no chance of beating the competition leader, he said.
There was a realisation the side, mostly made up of first-year university students, did not have the depth to consistently match the best teams this year, but it was not going out to make up the numbers this weekend.
"Of course there's a belief within the guys.
"Of course they can win, no question. That's how we go out every game - to win.''
The Stampede suffered its first loss of the season last weekend and coach Adam Blanchette said his side faced a challenge to go on the road and win at the larger Dunedin Ice Stadium rink.
"It should be a pretty intense hockey game, as we always seem to have with those guys.
"There is personal rivalry and the teams seem to step it up a notch.
"It is easy to take your foot off the pedal and get caught.''
