RYAN Kummu today called on the region's ice hockey fans to roar the Blackburn Hawks on to the top flight.

"We're going to need all the support we can muster in the play-offs.

"The crowd have played a big part in our success and I don't want that to change.

"We probably have the noisiest crowd I've ever played in front of here and although I can't guarantee victory, I can assure them they'll see some exciting hockey."

Kummu isn't the type to rest on his laurels, but he is privately proud of the job done by a team most 'experts' tipped to struggle.

He said: "One coach in our league recently described us as being no better than an eighth-placed squad.

"But that's a lot of bull as far as I'm concerned. We've got second place and we've done the best we possibly could - and that's not my accomplishment - it's down to the team. "I'm proud for the whole team, not for myself - with the players we've had and the money we've had to spend I don't think we could have had a better season.

"But we're going to need all the support we can muster, the crowd have played a big part in our success and I don't want that to change.

"I don't know too much about Milton Keynes, but as for Bracknell and Guildford we have a team here than can compete seriously with those guys.

"There isn't any one team we'll be giving any special treatment to, but there won't be any we're unprepared for either."

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