Cooloola Heat hope youngsters can provide much-needed spark

Cooloola Heat will attempt to break a six-game hoodoo in their Round 11 clash with Caloundra tomorrow.

BIG BOOST: Matthew Browne returns to the Cooloola Heat lineup this week for a pivotal clash against Caloundra.

HOCKEY: The Cooloola Heat Division 1 Men's side will attempt to break a six-game hoodoo in their Round 11 clash with Caloundra tomorrow.

Excluding a bye in between, the Heat has lost their past six contests, going down twice to the Seahawks and Maroochydore and once each to Buderim and Flinders.

The form slump has the Heat sitting fifth on the table with a 2-7 record, six games away from equal ladder-leaders Maroochydore and Flinders.

MORE LOCAL SPORT

CATS AND DOGS: Gympie to quest for five straight wins

9 young hockey players who have sights on state selection

GALLERY: Gympie's young footy players have their say on JT

With just one game remaining before their next bye, the lads have a big chance to regain momentum before the season's second half kicks in.

Coach Neil McKean said the team's inability to field a consistent side had been a major contributor to their losing record.

"Our biggest trouble is we've always had players away,” he said.

"We've had a lot of our young blokes going away for rep commitments, so they haven't been able to stay out there.

"If I could string a full side together we'd have just as much talent as any of the other teams, we've just been lacking that consistency.”

Hockey Men's - Cooloola Heat vs Maroochydore - Neil McKean Heat. Picture: LEEROY TODD

McKean's line-up will be bolstered when two members of the young brigade make their return to the side this week in the form of Matt Browne and Mitch Cooper.

McKean said the pair will inject some much-needed "pace up front”.

He said collective confidence would be key if the Heat are to string together some victorious performances in the back half of the year.

"If we can get our heads right, stay calm and just do what we've got to do, I'm sure we can get some momentum and start to get some wins on the board.

"It's a mental thing for us at the moment, and that's the way it is for most teams.

"If you can get the ball rolling, you can build on those foundations and get the results.”

Catch the Heat v Seahawks tomorrow from 3pm at Gympie Hockey grounds.