Newcastle Vipers 1-2 Excel Hull Stingrays
The Excel Hull Stingrays snatched two points with less than five minutes remaining for the second time in two weeks and in the process ended their three year Elite League winless streak in Newcastle.
The Stingrays, who were of course still minus Kerr, Moran, Reynolds and Thompson, took the lead through forward turned defenceman Steve Slonina. However that lead was cut short later in the first period by former Belfast Giants player-coach Ed Courtenay who tied the game on the powerplay with three minutes remaining.
In a drab affair both sides tried, and failed, to get the all important leading goal, partly down to offensive inefficiency and partly from good netminding from Stingrays keep Curtis Cruickshank and, more so perhaps, Andrew Verner, who ended up facing 28 shots from the shorthanded Stingrays.
The third period saw more of the same with both netminders coming up big. That was until the Stinrgays once again pulled a surprise out of the hat as evergreen forward Jeff Glowa slotted what would turn out to be the game winning goal with less than four minutes remaining.
The win handed the Stingrays their third victory away from home in five and their first in Newcastle, whilst also propelling them two points clear in 8th place after an Edinburgh loss in Nottingham.
SOG: 22-28
PIM: 4-10
