Elite League round-up December 28-30
3:58pm Saturday 31st December 2011 in Sport By Nigel McFarlane
Elite League round-up December 28-30
ELITE LEAGUE ICE HOCKEY:
A round up of the recent games in the Elite Ice Hockey League.
Wednesday December 28
Hull Stingrays 3 Coventry Blaze 2
Hull gained revenge from last night’s defeat in Coventry by winning by the odd goal in five. The result ended Coventry’s run of seven straight league wins. And gave the home side a much-needed two points in their quest for a play-off spot.
The visitors were first to get on the scoreboard as Shea Guthrie netted with a powerplay goal at 8.50. The hosts were back on level terms with their own powerplay marker from Jason Silverthorn at 11.47.
Stingrays went in front for the first time with yet another powerplay goal as Jereme Tendler found the net at 24.14. This turned out to be the only goal of the period.
The home side increased their lead with a second goal from Tendler on a delayed penalty call at 53.36. Coventry scored with 56 seconds remaining as Woo Sang Park dispatched the puck into the Stingrays net. But it was too little too late and Hull held on for the win.
Thursday December 29
Hull Stingrays 3 Nottingham Panthers 9
Panthers moved to within a single point of league leaders Belfast with a powerhouse third period display in Hull, during which GB forward David Clarke moved to the top of the EIHL all-time goalscoring list with 230 goals in all EIHL competitions.
Stingrays had taken an early lead when Jason Silverthorn fired into the net at 6.52 but on the powerplay at 8.38 Jeff Heerema was on hand to tie it up. Panthers had the better of the play after that but at the first period buzzer there was no addition to the scoring.
Into the second period and it was Panthers first to strike when David-Alexandre Beauregard counted at 27.11. Then at 34.00 Heerema scored his second of the game to see Panthers 3-1 ahead before Stingrays hit back in great style to score twice and regain equality. Dominic Osman was first to count at 35.02 and then with only 57 seconds of the period remaining young Bobby Chamberlain scored his first ever Elite League goal.
The third period saw Panthers turn their pressure into goals as the game slid away from the home side. Only 40 seconds had been played when David Clarke fired home his milestone goal on the powerplay . Fired up Panthers kept the peddle on the floor and scored again at 44.41 via the efforts of Robert Lachowicz and then at 45.32 Marc Levers got in the act to shoot Panthers 6-3 ahead.
Panthers kept piling on the pressure against tiring Stingrays and Steve Lee added a seventh for the visitors at 56.36 and Jordan Fox made it 8-3 on a delayed penalty at 58.08, swiftly followed by a powerplay goal by Lachowicz with 50 seconds of the game remaining to seal a 6-0 final period whitewash for the visitors.
Friday December 30
Belfast Giants 3 Cardiff Devils 2
Having lost to their Scottish Celtic cousins Braehead on Tuesday, Belfast were back on home ice this time against their Welsh Celtic cousins Cardiff Devils. There was no repeat of the loss on Tuesday as the Giants won by the odd goal in five. This defeat ended the Devils recent run of five straight wins.
Cardiff got off to the best possible start as Stuart MacRae put them in front with only 11 seconds on the clock. Despite getting a couple of powerplay opportunities the Devils were unable to add to that early strike and went in at the first break a goal ahead.
Both teams were creating chances in the second session, however both goaltenderes were giving nothing away and the Devils remained a goal in front. With the period coming to an end the Giants got back on level terms as Craig Peacock netted at 38.34.
The Devils restored their lead early in the third period as Scott Dobben netted at 42.21. They failed to hold onto this lead for very long as at 46.44 the Giants scored on the powerplay as Peacock struck home his second goal of the game. Another powerplay goal from the home side at 53.03 from Robert Dowd turned out to be the game winning goal.
Braehead Clan 5 Dundee Stars 4
This Scottish derby brought the curtain down on Elite league hockey for 2011. In an end to end game that could have gone either way it was the Clan who came out on top by the odd goal in nine.
Two goals in less than a minute gave the visitors a two goal lead with Lee Mitchell getting the first at 12 18. Then Jarrett Konkle added the second at 13.04, this was Dundee’s 300th all-time EIHL competitive goal. As the buzzer went for the end of the period there was no further scoring.
The Clan pulled a goal back as Brock McPherson scored at 23.38. Less than two minutes later the game was all square as Jade Galbraith was on hand to net with a powerplay goal at 25.50. Neither team could get the go ahead goal before the end of the period and the teams went in tied at two apiece.
Both teams traded goals in the first eight minutes of the third period, Jim Jorgenson put the home team in front for the first time in the game with a powerplay strike at 44.20. However Stars levelled it once again at 48.05 with a strike from Alan Mazur.
Two further powerplay goals from Ryan Campbell at 54.06 and then Jorgenson with his second goal of the game at 56.49 opened up a two goal lead for the home side. However there was another goal still in the game and it came the way of the Stars at 57.08 from Gary Wishart to set up a tense last three minutes.
Despite the Clan taken a penalty and the Stars pulling the goaltender in the last minute for a 6 on 4 situation they could not get the goal that would have taken the game into overtime.
