Murrayfield Racers remain down on numbers as they travel to take on Hull Pirates

Murrayfield Racers' run of games against stiff opposition in the NIHL North Cup continues on Sunday, travelling to face off against Hull Pirates in their only game of the weekend.

Racers are looking for their first win in the NIHL Cup

The Scottish National League side were beaten 9-4 at Telford Tigers in the same competition last time out. They iced just 12 players following injuries and a virus outbreak, And, despite the result, the performance drew high praise from director of hockey Tony Hand.

In an injury list that also includes Angus MacLean and Aaron White, captain Callum Boyd is still at least two weeks away from a return. Defenceman Patrik Grigors is back skating in practice but will not ice as he continues to recover from an upper body injury.

Racers’ top goal scorer, Daniel Abercrombie, who prior to joining the Edinburgh club spent two season’s playing in the NIHL with Solway Sharks, knows what to expect from the Yorkshire outfit.

“I played against them a couple of times last season (with Solway), they’re a hard working team, they’re definitely one of the top NIHL teams. We didn’t manage to win a game against them and it’s going to be tough for us.

“We’re going down pretty short benched again but that’s hockey. We will give it our best like we do every week.”

Racers have lost all six games to-date in the NIHL North Cup, but are unbeaten in all SNL competitions, and 20-year old Abercrombie continued: “I’ve clicked well with the boys here and things are going good, Tony Hand is great to work with, he’s always telling us what we need to improve on, and giving us tips.”