KYNASTON THANKFUL FOR THE CHANCE TO PROGRESS

We caught up with Louie Kynaston ahead of the upcoming weekend, his impressive season and his call up to the GB U18’s.

Louie’s enjoyed a real breakout season this term for the WALDECK Peterborough Phantoms and has shown a real progression over the course of the season. At 17 years old, Louie has progressed quicker than he would’ve imagined and played a lot more minutes. But he’s loved every minute of playing for his hometown club so far.

“Coming into the season, I just wanted to work hard and take any opportunity I got. Obviously as a young kid you aren’t expecting much so i’m thankful for all of the opportunities i’ve been given to help me learn and develop over the course of the season.” Kynaston said.

He set himself a points target at the start of the season, showing his determination to improve and contribute, despite his young age.

“I had a target of 10 points just to keep myself motivated. I’ve managed to surpass this which is a great feeling. But for me, it’s always been about helping the team first, and if I can chip in on the scoreboard, that’s a bonus.”

Last weekend saw the Phantoms split their opening weekend of the playoffs with the Hull Seahawks, but they did enjoy a strong win on Sunday night. Louie felt Saturday’s game was a missed opportunity, but was happy with how he and his teammates bounced back.

“I feel it was a mixed weekend, Saturday was a frustrating game as it felt like we could’ve got something more out of it, i think we outshot them too which makes it worse but we did well to get it back to a one goal deficit, making the game on Sunday more manageable. The Sunday game was a great bounce back win that put us in a favourable position in the playoff grouping, it really showed our character as a team to put the previous game behind us. And, playing in front of the fans always helps and gives us a boost especially in playoffs.” Louie said.

This weekend is another huge weekend for the Phantoms as they take on the Telford Tigers in a double header. Louie and the team know they’re in for a tough task, but are confident they can get more important points on the board in their bid to make it to Coventry weekend.

Kynaston said: “We know games against telford are always tough to play and every point at this stage matters, with each shift meaning so much. We need to make the most of our home games and take opportunities when they come for us. Away from home, it’s about staying in the game and applying pressure to the home team making life hard for them. And when we play at home we need to use our rink and fans to our advantage, take our chances when we get them to get the most out of the game.”

The Phantoms fans have always loved a homegrown talent and they’ve been no different with Louie. He’s been well supported by the fans throughout the season and he loves playing in front of them.

“We’ve got some of the loudest and most passionate fans in the league, and from my very first game, I’ve really felt that support. It makes a massive difference, especially in the big moments. I’m sure I speak for the whole team when I say the energy they bring gives us that extra lift when we need it most!” Kynaston said.

Next week, Louie will jet off to Italy to represent the Great Britain U18’s team in the World Junior Championships. It’s an opportunity Louie is, understandably, immensely excited for, but he has one eye on his potential return date - the Playoff Final in Coventry!