Elite League round-up December 4
11:32pm Sunday 4th December 2011 in Sport By Nigel McFarlane
Elite League round-up December 4
ELITE LEAGUE ICE HOCKEY:
Round up of Sunday's games in the Elite Ice Hockey League.
Cardiff Devils 2 Belfast Giants 4
The Devils lost for the third straight time, the first they have lost three games on the trot this season. As for the Giants they made it six wins out of six and remain the team to catch at the top of the league.
In an even first period, there was only the one goal separating the teams and it came the way of the visitors at 19.05 with a strike from Jeff Mason.
With three minutes of the second period played they netted twice to open up a three goal lead. The first of these came from Aaron Clarke at 21.38 and then Jeremy Rebek got the other at 23.00.
The hosts pulled one back before the end of the period as Phil Hill on the powerplay found the net at 36.16.
Jeff Pierce got a second goal for the Devils at 44.37 to make it a one-goal game. However, at 51.53 Nick Kuiper got the insurance goal for the Giants that seen the points go over the Irish sea.
Edinburgh Capitals 2 Coventry Blaze 3
A penalty shot winner from Robert Farmer gave the Blaze the extra point and this was after they had been two down after forty minutes.
The Capitals had taken a first period lead with the only goal scored on the powerplay by Peter Holecko at 18.36.
They doubled their advantage at 37.30 as Rene Jarolin beat Hirsch to give the home side a two-goal lead going into the third period.
With 26 seconds played of the third period the visitors were right back in the game as Matic Kraij netted. Then recent signing from Hull Frantisek Bakrlik levelled the game at 45.32.
No further scoring and the game went into overtime, that couldn’t find a winner so it would down to a penalty shootout.
After each team had missed their three opening shots, it went to sudden death. Robert Farmer scored with his and Rene Jarolin missed his for the Blaze to get the point.
Hull Stingrays 2 Sheffield Steelers 3 (OT)
An overtime winner from Mike Ramsay gave the Steelers the win to record a four-point weekend and keep hot on the heels of Belfast and Nottingham.
The hosts got off to the perfect start as Jereme Tendler found the net with only 20 seconds on the clock. The visitors restored equality at 5.03 as recent signing Luke Fulghum got his first goal for his new club.
The Steelers netted the only goal of the second period at 29.40 from the stick of player/coach Ryan Finnerty to take a slender lead going into the third period.
With time running out a goal from Jason Silverthorn at 55.03 levelled the game up at two apiece. Neith team could find a winner in the last five minutes and the game went into overtime. Ramsay was the hero for Sheffield as he scored at 60.34.
Nottingham Panthers 5 Dundee Stars 4
Nottingham made it four straight wins on home ice with this win. However, having lead by three early in the third period, they had to hang on in the end as Dundee came back at them.
The home side started well with Jordan Fox putting them in front with a strike at 3.34. However, they had to wait until the final minute of the first period before they added a second, with 21 seconds left David Beauregard found the net.
The visitors pulled one back with 85 seconds of the second period played as A J MacLean netted on the powerplay. Panthers regained their two-goal advantage with a goal from Robert Lachowicz at 25.29.
A goal 23 seconds into the third period from Guillaume Lepine increased the Panthers lead to three. A double from John Dolan moments later all of a sudden made it a one-goal game. He netted his first on the powerplay at 41.15 and added a second at 43.01.
The Panthers steadied the ship briefly at 47.49 with a Jeff Heerema powerplay goal, only to see the Stars strike back with a powerplay goal of their own from Brennan Turner at 52.42. Despite pulling the goaltender in the last minute, the Stars could not get the goal to take the game into overtime.
Rapid Solicitors Elite League/Challenge Cup Group A
Fife Flyers 5 Braehead Clan 4
A Mike Hamilton hat trick inspired the Flyers to create the biggest shock of the season so far. The formbook was thrown out the window in this one. The Clan went into the game with three straight wins whilst Flyers had a run of four straight losses.
The visitors did make a fight back in the last ten minutes but it was a case of too little too late and the Flyers held on for their deserved win.
The home side took the advantage at 4.46 as Hamilton scored his first. He then added a second at 10.16 to give his team a two lead after twenty minutes.
This became three when Matt Siddall found the net at 22.40. The Clan did pull one back with a powerplay goal at 34.43 with a first strike of the season for Kevin Phillips. However, the Flyers held onto their initial two goal lead going into the third period.
Flyers got the perfect start in the third when Hamilton completed his hat trick at 42.02. Then at 48.45 a powerplay goal from Danny Stewart got the Flyers fifth goal of the night.
The Clan then staged a mini comeback with Adam Walker netting at 51.46 and then a double from Mike Bayrack at 56.09 and 59.19 made it a one-goal game with the latter being with an extra man after pulling goaltender Suomalainen at 58.31. With 41 seconds remaining the home side held on to record the win.
