EIHL Match Reports 06/02/10

6th February 2010

Nottingham Panthers 9 Hull Stingrays 1 
 
The offensive talent at the disposal of Panthers - when in full flow - is almost unstoppable and Stingrays found that out tonight as the home challenge for league honours continued in some style.
 
Panthers scored three times in each period and had hat tricks from both David Clarke and Cameron Mann as Stingrays were swept aside, although failing with all of their nine poweplay opportunities did not help the visitors cause.
 
Panthers took charge early on and opened with a strike by Clarke (27th) at 2.29, quickly followed by Sean McAslan (27th) at 3.50 and Mann (25th) at 9.04 to take the opening period.
 
Little change in the middle session as further goals came from Marty Gascon (9th) shorthanded at 32.29 and then powerplay efforts from Clarke (28th) at 35.41 and McAslan (28th) at 37.41, the latter with a two-man advantage as Stingrays lost Pavel Gomenyuk to a 5 plus game for butt-ending. Stingrays however finally got on the scoreboard at 39.03 as Lee Mitchell (10th) found the net shorthanded.
 
Both back-up goaltenders made an appearance in the third period but it made no difference to the flow of the game as Panthers scored three more times via the sticks of Clarke (29th) at 43.55 and a Mann (26th & 27th) double at 44.09 and 58.24 to round off a good nights work for Corey Neilson's men and the perfect send off for the titanic battle in Coventry on Sunday night.  
 
Period Scores: 3-0, 3-1, 3-0
Penalty Mins: Not 20 - Hul 37
Powerplay: Not 2/8 - Hul 0/9
Shots On:Kevin St Pierre 28 / Mark Hartley 7 - Martins Raitums 31 / Andrew Jaszczyk 8
Referee: Michael Hicks

Game Notes:
Kevin Bergin of Nottingham scored his 200th career EIHL point when assisting on his teams 9th goal.
Nottingham's 5th goal was their 1400th EIHL goal in all competitions

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Sheffield Steelers 1 Belfast Giants 3
 
Giants turned on the style in the third period and picked up a valuable two points that keeps them in touch with Coventry and Nottingham in the race for the league title but struggling Steelers made them fight all the way.
 
It's now four straight wins for Giants but three losses in their last four for Steelers, who's season simply cannot get going at all.
 
The expected bout between enforcers Sean McMorrow (Giants) and Mike Sgroi (Steelers) took all of one second to initiate with both picking up fighting majors for their trouble but in a period where Giants outshot their hosts by 13 to 8 there was no net finders.
 
That all changed in the middle period as firstly Joey Talbot (28th) fired steelers ahead at 28.41, before Giants levelled at 33.11 thanks to Colin Shields (36th).
 
Still nothing to separate the teams with one period remaining but Giants knew their season was perhaps on the line and they pressurised the home side until they cracked at 50.26  and Pat Bateman (23rd) scored the go-ahead goal for the visitors. Despite a lot of effort it was all in vain for the home side and Pierre-Luc Faubert (14th) added the insurance marker with four seconds remaining into the empty net.
 
Period Scores: 0-0, 1-1, 0-2
Penalty Mins: She 36 - Bel 20
Powerplay: She 0/5 - Bel 1/8
Shots On: Andrew Verner 35 + 1 ENG - Stephen Murphy 25
Referee: Matt Thompson 

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Newcastle Vipers 4 Cardiff Devils 1
 
It's easy to find a reason why Devils are making no challenge for league honours this season - a single win from their thirteen road games in all competitions tells the story!
 
Let's take nothing away from a battling Vipers side however, as they won only their second game in seven despite being outsot once again, this time by 50 to 29.
 
Matic Kralj was the home hero as he nabbed a double, while other goals came from Mike Berry and Jason Tejchma. The sole Devils reply was scored by Jay Latulippe shorthanded in the opening period.
 
Latulippe's (13th) goal actually had Devils ahead, even though it was scored as late as 18.06 in the first session. The visitors were unable to hold on to their advantage however and Kral (19th) levelled at 19.49.
 
Vipers then scored the only marker of the second period with Berry (24th) finding the net at 28.00 to give them a slim lead going into the third period.
 
Devils were swamped all over the home side for most of the period and fired some 25 shots on Michel Robinson without success, while although Vipers only had 7 shots on the Devils net they scored with a couple of them to take the points. Kralj (20th) made it 3-1 at 58.51 and then an empty net strike by Tejchma (24th) with 33 seconds remaining secured both points for the home side, leaving Devils somewhat shellshocked.
      
Period Scores: 1-1, 1-0, 2-0
Penalty Mins: New 4 - Car 10
Powerplay: New 0/5 - Car 0/2
Shots On: Michel Robinson 50 - Stevie Lyle 28 + 1 ENG
 
Game Note:
Phil Hill of Cardiff became the 5th player to dress in 400 career EIHL games