Halloween shocker for Rays

Excel Hull Stingrays 2-4 Cardiff Devils

The Excel Hull Stingrays tonight put in easily their worst performance of the season going down by four goals to two to the Cardiff Devils.

Rays rating: 4.5

FBB Three Stars: 1-Andrew Coburn (0+0) 2-Lee Mitchell (1+0) 3-Matti Uusivirta (0+0)

Stingray goalscorers: L.Mitchell, Silverthorn

Cardiff goalscorers: Voth, Pelle, S.Smith, Michel

SOG: 43-31

PIM: 10-14

Rays suffer Challenge Cup loss in Wales

Cardiff Devils 7-4 Hull Stingrays

The Excel Hull Stingrays Challenge Cup hopes tonight suffered a blow as they went down by seven goals to four in Cardiff after conceding three goals in less than three second period minutes.

A first goal for Jozef Sladok and another marker from Konstantin Kalmikov had given the Rays a 2-1 first period lead before Cardiff levelled through coach Gerad Adams just prior to the first break after initially taking the lead through Max Birbraer five minutes in.

The Rays then collapsed, effectively handing the Devils the two points, by allowing three goals in just over 150 seconds with Tylor Michel netting a double after Birbraer had netted his second of the game.

Sylvain Cloutier's side showed brief signs of a resurgence at the beginning of the third, scoring on 44 and 45 minutes through on form goalscorers Matti Uusivirta and Jereme Tendler.

However, a third double of the night for Cardiff, this time from Jon Pelle, sealed a 7-4 Challenge Cup win in favour of the Welsh side.

Rays scorers: Sladok, Kalmikov, Uusivirta, Tendler
Cardiff scorers: Birbraer (2), Pelle (2), Adams, Michel (2)
SOG: 44-28
PIM: 30-22

Tonks joins Rays

British forward Dean Tonks has today joined the Excel Hull Stingrays on a two-way contract from ENL side the Solihull Barons.

30th/31st October Haloween Weekend Preview

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Saturday 30th October: Cardiff Devils v Excel Hull Stingrays @ Cardiff Bay Arena F/O 7pm 

Sunday 31st October: Excel Hull Stingrays v Cardiff Devils @ Hull Arena 6pm

This weekend the Excel Hull Stingrays face the Cardiff Devils for the second and third times this year having tied with Gerad Adams side on opening day less than a month ago.

The opening fixture between the two sides saw the Rays bounce back from 3-1 down to snatch their first point of the year in their first game. However, the game was marred by an incident which saw Devils blueliner Justin Sawyer ejected and later suspended for a further three games for a sucker punch on Kris Grundmanis, after Rays defencemen had allegedly manhandled top scorer Jon Pelle

Although Sawyer has now left the Devils for 'personal reasons', Adams and his side vowed to get revenge for what happened to Pelle that night and with tough guy and entertainer Brad Voth back from a thumb injury, the two game weekend series looks set to be a corker.

Since the Challenge Cup draw in early October, the Devils have gone on a run that, prior to last night, had seen them win five games in an eight game spell losing to just Belfast and Coventry. However, yesterday the Devils surprisingly handed bottom side Dundee their first win in the Elite League in a 7-3 loss in Scotland.

The Rays have been performing well recently, if not always claiming the points they deserve, and will be without four Brits through injury. Although reinforcements may or may not be on their way this weekend, deadly import trio Jereme Tender, Matti Uusivirta and Jason Silverthorn have filled the void netting ten goals between them in the last three games as Sylvain Cloutier's side picked up three points.

With a Challenge Cup game in Cardiff on Sunday, the more important fixture comes on Halloween on Sunday when Adams side travel to Hull in the Elite League for a Devil of a night.

Challenge Cup Record
Stingrays: 5TH 2GP 0W 1T 1L 6GF 9GA 1PTS
Cardiff: 2ND 5GP 2W 2T 1L 21GF 22GA 3PTS

Elite League Record
Stingrays: 7TH 7GP 2W 4L 1OTL 22GF 29GA 5PTS
Cardiff: 5TH 11GP 7W 5L 0OTL 55GF 45GA 14PTS


Form
Stingrays: L L L W L
Cardiff: W W W W L

Last 3 Meetings
v Cardiff
14/02/10 7-0 L A
21/03/10 2-3 L H
03/10/10 3-3 D H

Stingrays 10/11 Series 
v Cardiff: 1GP 0 wins, 0 losses, 1 tie 1 point, 3 goals for, 3 goals against.

Top Scorers
Stingrays
G: Tendler (7)
A: Dulle (7)
PIM: Sladok (40)

Cardiff
G: Pelle (18)
A: Matzka (18)
PIM: Michel (76)

Between the Pipes
Stingrays: Christian Boucher (9GP 4.00GAA 88.7sv.%)
Cardiff: Stevie Lyle (8=17GP 4.22GAA 86.4sv.%)

Absentees
Stingrays: Lee Mitchell (knee), Ryan Lake (broken thumb), Craig Mitchell (broken arm), Lee Esders (knee)
Cardiff: Full Strength

Predictions
Cardiff 4-2 Stingrays
Stingrays 4-3 Cardiff

Brits the target of latest injury curse

The dreaded injury curse that will likely strangle every Elite League side over the course of the 56 game schedule has struck Sylvain Cloutier's Excel Hull Stingrays side hard and early.

Cloutier, who was last season deprived of mainly defencemen early in the year, has this season lost four British players less than a month into the campaign.

19 year old defenceman Craig Mitchell was the first victim, breaking his arm blocking a shot in Braehead, before older brother Lee followed less than a  week later suffering an unspecified injury that later turned out to be a reoccurance of the knee injury that has so far plagued his career.

Forward Ryan Lake, who has started off the season where he left the sport four years ago, then broke a bone in his thumb having taken a tumble into the boards against Newcastle on Sunday, before Lee Esders injured his knee in an innocuous challenge in Belfast last night, potentially ruling him out for two months.

With the exception of Lee Mitchell, who may return in a shorter time frame depending of the severity of his injury, the foursome are all likely to sit out at least four weeks leaving Cloutier's side short for a minimum of 13 games.

The injuries might not have been so bad had they been to imports, given availability of replacement Europeans and North Americans in comparison to the scarcity of available British trained players, all of whom are already signed up and playing.

Realistically, unless he is looking for a long term replacement for one of the four, Cloutier will have to scavenge for two-way contracts with English Premier League or English National League sides, like he did last year with James Archer.

Despite quitting on the team after originally signing in the summer, Archer may be one of the players Cloutier approaches, having hit four goals and four assists in ten games with the EPL Manchester Phoenix

Indeed, there may be other options at the Phoenix, or nearby EPL sides Sheffield and Peterborough, but with the club down to just 12 outskaters, including just two Brits, Matty Davies and the inexperienced Ben Lowe, it is important the right players are signed and available to ice for the Rays as regularly and as soon as possible.

Time is not something Cloutier has in abundance though, with a home and away double header against Cardiff quickly approaching this weekend before a game in Nottingham next Wednesday.

Rays gain point in Northern Ireland

Belfast Giants 5-4 Excel Hull Stingrays (AOT)

The Excel Hull Stingrays bounced back from defeat to the Belfast Giants on Saturday by taking them to overtime before eventually falling 5-4 in Northern Ireland tonight, claiming a vital and unexpected point in the process.

The visitors bucked an all too regular trend on the night, taking the lead through stand out forward Jason Silverthorn, who registered two goals and one assists in the game, before the Giants levelled through Joshua Prudden.

As was the case on Saturday, Sylvain Cloutier's struggled in the second period, conceding three times through Craig Peacock, Jon Glled and Brett Hemingway. However, Jereme Tendler netted his fifth in three games and the Rays only goal of the second to go into the final period down 4-2.

With four players already out and Mark Garside leaving the game injured, the Rays knew they would have to take advantage of the understrength Giants in the final period when they would be most tiresome.

They did that, as Matti Uusivirta netted his second in two games before Silverthorn levelled the scores at four with his second of the game, minutes after missing a penalty shot, to guarantee his side at least a point.

Unfortunately, the Giants regrouped in overtime and snatched the extra point thanks to Dan Welch, who scored the games sixth powerplay goal of the game.

Cloutier will undoubtedly be happy with a point against the league leaders, particularly having been outshot for one of, if not the only time this season.

Also encouragingly, his side continue to score goals through key forwards Tendler, Uusivirta and Silverthorn, and they continue to compete with the leagues better sides, even if they were understrength.

Having moved into seventh place, they now move on to a home and away double header against the Cardiff Devils, travelling down to Wales in the Challenge Cup on Saturday before returning to Hull 24 hours later in league play.

Rays scorers: Silverthorn (2), Tendler, Uusivirta
Belfast scorers: Prudden, Peacock, Gleed, B.Hemingway, Welch
SOG: 40-29
PIM: 10-14

26th October Midweek Preview

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Tuesday 26th October: Belfast Giants v Excel Hull Stingrays @ Odyssey Arena F/O 7.30pm

The Excel Hull Stingrays face a quick return to action on Tuesday night with an away fixture against last Saturday's opponents the Belfast Giants at the Odyssey Arena in Northern Ireland.

Although the Rays were beaten by the league leaders last time out, they out shot Doug Christiansen's side and ended the game clearly on top of an injury ravaged Belfast side.

The Giants will still be without a number of key players tomorrow night, although Mark Garside has returned to action, but they will be eager to maintain their lead at the top having lost 2-0 to Coventry on Sunday.

Sylvain Cloutier has his own injury worries as the crippling injury curse threatens to make a return with key Brits Ryan Lake, Craig Mitchell and Lee Mitchell all out.

Having proven in those final minutes on Saturday that they can compete with the Giants, injury hit or not, the Rays will want to build on those closing minutes and their win against Newcastle on Sunday with another victory.

In form forwards Jason Silverthorn and Jereme Tender, who has four goals in two games, will be key as will building off Sunday's improved defensive performance.

Elite League
Stingrays: 9th 6GP 2W 4L 0OTL 18GF 24GA 4PTS
Belfast: 1st 15GP 12W 2L 1OTL 59GF 40GA 23PTS

Form
Stingrays: L L L L W
Belfast: W W W W L

Last 3 Meetings
v Belfast

04/02/10 4-2 L A

04/03/10 9-0 L A
23/10/10 3-5 L H

Rays 09/10 Series
v Belfast: 8GP 2W 6L 14GF 37GA 4PTS

Top Scorers
Stingrays
G: Tendler (6)
A: Dulle, Kalmikov, Read (5)
PIM: Sladok (40)

Belfast
G: B.Hemingway (13)
A: Shields (13)
PIM: Welch (28)

Between The Pipes
Stingrays: Boucher (6GP 88.7sv% 4.44GAA)
Belfast: Murphy (14GP 91.6sv% 2.62GAA)

Absentees
Stingrays: Craig Mitchell (broken arm), Lee Mitchell (knee), Ryan Lake (broken thumb), Jozef Sladok
Belfast: Jeff Mason (wrist), Richard Seeley (knee), Colin Hemingway (unspecified injury), Brandon Benedict (leg)

Predictions
Belfast 5-2 Stingrays

Match Highlights: Excel Hull Stingrays 4-2 Newcastle Vipers

Match Highlights: Excel Hull Stingrays 3-5 Belfast Giants

Rays sting Vipers for first home win of year

Excel Hull Stingrays 4-2 Newcastle Vipers

Doubles from Jereme Tendler and Matti Uusivirta tonight helped the Excel Hull Stingrays end their three game home winless streak as they gained revenge for defeat in Whitley Bay last Saturday with a 4-2 victory over the Newcastle Vipers.

Injuries to Brits Ryan Lake, Craig Mitchell and Lee Mitchell forced coach Sylvain Cloutier to mix things around, pairing young Brit Ben Lowe primarily with Uusivirta and Konstantin Kalmikov while in form pair Matty Davies and Jason Silverthorn continued together.

Those changes caused the Vipers problems early on with keeper Effinger forced to make a trio of tidy kick saves from Rays forwards, although it was the visitors who had mustered the first chance of the game through Dean Holland.

They would also score the first goal of the game as a poor pass from captain Kurtis Dulle along his offensive blueline during a Vipers powerplay would let the Vipers counter and eventually net through Dale Mahovsky.

The Rays then went down to four defenceman for the remained of the game as Jozef Sladok rightly or wrongly received a five plus game penalty for a check to the head on Nathan Salem. Nevertheless, thanks to yet another sterling effort on the penalty kill, particularly from man of the match Silverthorn, who held off four Vipers to kill a large portion of the penalty, the five minute advantage went unpunished and the period ended with the Vipers leading a largely even first 20 minutes.

Save for a few more goals the second period could not have been much better from a Stingrays point of view. They shot out of the blocks first levelling on the powerplay through Uusivirta, who rifled high past Effinger from the point 51 seconds in, before the Finn grabbed a second on a rebound from a Kalmikov shot to hand the home side a lead they would not relinquish.

Jereme Tendler then one timed home the Stingrays third of the game on the powerplay to end the scoring in a 20 minute period of complete and utter dominance from the home team, who outshot an indisciplined Vipers side an astonishing 22-2.

After being completely outplayed in the second Danny Stewart's side came out in the third looking to prove a point and take both points on offer.

They did the former, refusing to give up on the cause with Patrick Forsbacka scored on the man advantage to reduce the lead to 3-2 as they appeared to turn a corner.

However, indiscipline again returned to the Vipers ranks costing them the chance to capitalise on their improved third period performance as four minor penalties were dished out to them in the final 10 minutes, including four to Forsbacka, who picked up his sixth and eighth of the game, to allow the Rays to re-establish their grip on the game.

Tendler ended the scoring by racking up his second of the game and fourth of the weekend to seal the deal and give Cloutier's side their first win of the season at Hull Arena, ironically in their worst home showing of the year.

A tough matchup against the Belfast Giants in Northern Ireland on Tuesday follows before a home and away double header against the Cardiff Devils next weekend.

Rays rating: 6.5
Stingray goalscorers: Tendler (2), Uusivirta (2)
Newcastle goalscorers: Mahovsky, Forsbacka
SOG: 43-24
PIM: 49-24
FBB Three Stars: 1-Silverthorn (0+0) 2-Uusivirta (2+0) 3-Davies (0+1)

Giants power to victory as Rays lose fourth in a row

Excel Hull Stingrays 3-5 Belfast Giants

The Excel Hull Stingrays fell to their fourth defeat on the bounce tonight at the Hull Arena, putting in a third positive home performance of the year, only to go down 5-3 to the league leading Belfast Giants.

Once again the Rays, who were without brothers Lee and Craig Mitchell, handed their opponents a one goal lead early on as the Giants Brett Hemingway capitalised at the backdoor of Christian Boucher's net to punish a poor line change.

In man of the match performance Jason Silverthorn then manufactured a number of chances before his blocked shot fell to Jereme Tendler on seven minutes, who fired high past Belfast keeper Stephen Murphy to level the scores at one.

As well as conceding early on, Sylvain Cloutier's side have also picked up an unhealthy habit of allowing goals against shortly after scoring themselves. Although they have attempted the eradicate that in recent weeks, the Giants were allowed to take the lead seconds later as Boucher poked at the puck having misjudged a dump into the Rays zone to let Jon Gleed to hit the net.

In a fairly even first period the home side then forced an impressive double save from netminder Murphy before Mike Hoffman objected to Cloutier crashing the net to force a Belfast defenceman on top of the Giants keeper, livening the game up physically.

As the period came to a close Hoffman and Cloutier continued their cat and mouse duel with both looking for the advantage heading into a first intermission in which Belfast would lead by one.

Belfast came out in the second looking to impose their undoubted quality on the game and that is exactly what Doug Christiansen's team did.

Former NHLer Brad Smyth was handed a great chance on a 5-on-3 powerplay before Hemingway netted his second of the game and the Giants second powerplay goal to extend their lead to two.

While the Rays put pressure late on, this had been Belfast's period and a suspected broken hand to Ryan Lake in the third period would make it hard for the Rays, who reverted Kriss Grundmanis to forward and switched down to two lines for the final third.

Belfast didn't let up at the start of the final stanza either, as Hemingway netted a perfect replica of his second to complete his hat-trick on the powerplay six minutes after the break.

Former NHLer Brad Smyth netted the goal he had threatened all night on 49 minutes before the home side mounted an unlikely come back as Murphy produced a juicy rebound from yet another Silverthorn shot to allow Konstantin Kalmikov to fire into a near empty net in an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from the Ukrainian.

Three minutes later Tendler scored his second of the game on the powerplay firing a speculative shot home as that come back gained yet more momentum at 5-3.

Silverthorn was at the heart of everything good that the Rays produced and, after hitting the post, he wondrously danced his way through the Giants defence only to be denied again by Murphy.

The Giants netminder again proved his worth as the game came to a close, denying Uusivirta from close in before making a double save from Silverthorn as Christiansen's side eventually managed to shut the game down at 5-3.

For the third successive game the Rays produced a performance worthy of a point and, although the Giants certainly deserved the win, the home side made them work for the two points particularly at the end and once again proved they can skate with the Elite League's big spenders.

Having put in three decent performances at the Hull Arena, claiming just one point, Sunday night sees the Newcastle Vipers travel to the Hull Arena in which the victory is more important than the performance for the home side, who will be looking for revenge for the defeat suffered at Whitley Bay last weekend.

Rays rating: 7
Stingray goalscorers: Tendler (2), Kalmikov
Belfast goalscorers: B.Hemingway (3), Smyth, Gleed
SOG: 43-39
PIM: 8-10
FBB Three Stars 1: Silverthorn (0+2) 2: Tendler (2+0) 3: Davies (0+1)

23rd/24th October Weekend Preview

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Saturday 23rd October: Excel Hull Stingrays v Belfast Giants @ Hull Arena F/O 7pm

Sunday 24th October: Excel Hull Stingrays v Newcastle Vipers @ Hull Arena F/O 6pm

The Excel Hull Stingrays face a home double header against Belfast and Newcastle this weekend looking to get back on track following two contrasting defeats last week.

Having played their worst game of the young season so far in a loss against Newcastle at Whitley Bay last Saturday, the Rays returned home on Sunday and pushed the big spending Nottingham Panthers all the way to the death, eventually falling to a 3-2 loss.

This weekend sees Belfast's all conquering squad travel to Hull for their first game of the year against the Stingrays, having dominated the teams eight game series 7-1 last season. The Rays season may not hinge on their performances against the Elite League's big four but last weekend's home fixture against the Panthers proved that they are capable of competing with the big spenders if they perform well, particularly at home.

Although Belfast have recently signed reinforcements in the shape of former NHLer and regular AHLer Brad Smyth and Brit Ross Dalgleish, they may also take confidence from the fact the Giants have five key players out injured, including defenceman Richard Seeley and forward Colin Hemingway.

That means the Giants will travel to Hull with 13 outskaters, and with Mark Garside likely to return and coach Christiansen also able to suit up if required, they still possess more than enough firepower to continue their good start to the year this weekend, despite surprisingly tight victories over Dundee last week.

The Stingrays home double header continues on Sunday when the Newcastle Vipers journey south hoping to replicate last Saturday's 5-3 victory.

While Cloutier may insist it is just another important fixture in a 56 game journey, the Stingrays will be looking for revenge against a Vipers side that took full advantage of a painfully slow Rays start to win 5-3 at home last Saturday.

Former Coventry team mate Danny Stewart has built his roster from a variety of hockey backgrounds, and they proved last weekend that they are more than capable of beating the Stingrays. Finn Patrick Forsbacka and Latvian Toms Hartmanis impressed at a freezing cold Whitley Bay, however, Cloutier's side eventually got to grips with the intimidating conditions of Whitley Bay and in the end the Vipers were made to work hard for their win.

That lone loss summed up the Rays never-ending troubles on the road against a team they will be competing with for a playoff spot at the end of the season and a team that went on to lose 6-1 at fellow league rivals Edinburgh the following night.

The Rays, who will definitely be without Craig Mitchell and may be without brother Lee Mitchell this weekend, must therefore make up for that poor form away from home by winning as many of their games at Hull Arena as physically possible.

Two positive home performances out of two bodes well for the rest of the year but they must now start to turn those performances into wins, starting with a first game of the year against table topping Belfast before a revenge battle against Newcastle.

Elite League
Stingrays: 9th 4GP 1W 3L 0OTL 11GF 17GA 2PTS
Belfast: 1st 13GP 11W 1L 1OTL 54GF 35GA 23PTS
Newcastle: 7th 10GP 2W 7L 1OTL 23GF 51GA 5PTS

Form
Stingrays: L W L L L
Belfast: W W W W W
Newcastle: W L L W L

Last 3 Meetings
v Belfast
23/01/10 3-2 W H

04/02/10 4-2 L A

04/03/10 9-0 L A

v Newcastle
10/03/10 3-2 W H
14/03/10 6-3 W H

16/10/10 5-3 L A

Rays 09/10 Series
v Belfast: 8GP 2W 6L 14GF 37GA 4PTS
v Newcastle: 8GP 5W 3L 33GF 24GA 11PTS

Top Scorers
Stingrays
G: Silverthorn (3)
A: Dulle (4)
PIM: Gaisins, Sladok (11)

Belfast
G: B.Hemingway (10)
A: Shields (13)
PIM: Welch (28)

Newcastle
G: Forsbacka (7)
A: Carroll (7)
PIM: Schwarz (78)

Between The Pipes
Stingrays: Boucher (6GP 87.8sv% 4.33GAA)
Belfast: Murphy (12GP 90.9sv% 2.63GAA)
Newcastle: Effinger (10GP 85sv% 5.03GAA)

Absentees
Stingrays: Craig Mitchell (broken arm), Lee Mitchell (doubt; knee)
Belfast: Jeff Mason (wrist), Richard Seeley (knee), Colin Hemingway (unspecified injury) Mark Garside (doubt; lower body), Brandon Benedict (leg)
Newcastle: Full Strength

Predictions
Stingrays 2-4 Belfast
Stingrays 5-3 Newcastle

Match Highlights: Excel Hull Stingrays 2-3 Nottingham Panthers

Panthers edge Rays in tightly fought battle

Excel Hull Stingrays 2-3 Nottingham Panthers

The Excel Hull Stingrays pushed the Nottingham Panthers all the way tonight at the Hull Arena but the home side couldn't quite do enough to overturn the Panthers in a 3-2 defeat.

Coming off the back of a defeat in the North East to Newcastle, the Rays, who were without both Lee and Craig Mitchell, faced a massive task against a visiting Nottingham side that trounced Dundee 12-2 the night before at the NIC.

However, as unlikely as it may have seemed given those circumstance, the home side produced a very good performance that was easily worth an Elite League point.

For once the Rays began as they meant to go on, testing Nottingham netminder Craig Kowalski suspiciously easily early on and they continue to that right throughout the game very rarely easing up on the forecheck.

In front of another very healthy home crowd, boosted by good numbers from Nottingham, the Rays then took the lead as Matty Davies netted for the second time this weekend on the powerplay firing through Kowalski's five hole.

In recent games the Stingrays have conceded at crucial times and that was once again the case tonight as Billy Ryan coasted through an improved Rays defence to net the equaliser past Christian Boucher 39 seconds before the end of the second.

A second period powerplay strike from Ian McDonald, who redirected a Corey Neilson shot from the blueline, five minutes after the break then gave the Panthers the lead, only for Jason Silverthorn to quickly fire home his third of the year to register the Rays second powerplay marker of the game.

The next goal would be the Panthers own second powerplay goal of the game nearly seven minutes into the third period, Jade Galbraith netting from the blueline on the man advantage for what would be the eventual game winning goal.

Having been severely tested right throughout the game by a Rays side almost unrecognisable from the side that took to the ice 24 hours earlier at Whitley Bay, the Panthers then shut down, defensively sitting four players on the blueline in order to protect their slender lead.

That tactic made it difficult for a tiring Stingrays to level the game at three and, although the Rays had a late six on four having pulled Boucher, in the end they didn't quite have enough to find a way past Kowalski.

The relief on the faces of Corey Neilson and his men after the buzzer was plain to see and that is testament to the improved showing that the Rays put in, particularly defensively where Sylvain Cloutier's side put in a real shift, limiting arguably the most offensive side in the league to just 29 shots and three goals.

Kris Grundmanis and Andrew Coburn were perfect examples of that sterling defensive effort with both launching their bodies in front of a number of shots during Panthers powerplays, however, the Rays standout performance came from netminder Boucher, who was once again in fine form making a number of brilliant saves, particularly one breakaway glove save which rightly received a long applause from the home faithful.

Up front the Rays yet again outshot their opponent but unfortunately could not find the net regularly enough or  during even strength play action, something that may be of concern.

After a very mixed but ultimately pointless weekend, Cloutier and his side will now have to regroup ahead of a home double header next week. That double header begins on Saturday against table toppers Belfast, who have failed to win just one of their 11 league games this year, before Newcastle come to the Hull Arena, having lost 6-1 in Edinburgh tonight, with the Rays looking for revenge for their 5-3 defeat this weekend

Rays rating: 7.5
Stingray goalscorers: Davies, Silverthorn
Nottingham goalscorers: Galbraith, McDonald, Ryan
SOG: 40-29
PIM: 14-18
FBB Three Stars 1: Boucher (29 shots, 26 saves) 2: Silverthorn (1+0) 3: Coburn (0+1)

Whitley Bay loss condemns Rays to third defeat of year

Newcastle Vipers 5-3 Excel Hull Stingrays

The Excel Hull Stingrays were tonight condemned to their third defeat in four games away from the Hull Arena this season as they left Whitley Bay with a 5-3 loss to Elite League rivals the Newcastle Vipers.

Sylvain Cloutier's side got off to the worst possible start, Latvian Toms Hartmanis managing to work his way around the outside of fellow Latvian Kris Grundmanis to fire past Boucher for the Vipers first after just 56 seconds.

That start got the Rays off on the completely wrong foot in the intimidating and tight surroundings of Whitley Bay and it would taken them much of the first period to finally find their feet.

In that time the Vipers would go on to punish the Rays with powerplay goals from Kyle Sibley and Patrik Forsbacka in the first period before Trevor Read, who was part of a Stingrays blueline that at times had issues at the back, stuffed past Newcastle keeper Charlie Effinger on 17 minutes to net his first for the club on a 2-on-1 opportunity.

Jason Silverthorn, who at times seemed the only player capable of easily gaining the zone, then appeared to get the visitors right back in the game with a second powerplay goal of the game that beat Effinger high to reduce the deficit to one.

However, much like Wednesday night against the Steelers, the Rays poor concentration allowed a quick response from their opponents as Dean Holland's goal killed of any momentum they had gained from an improved early second period showing.

The Vipers, largely thanks to poor Rays defence and a solid showing from netminder Effinger, deserved their lead, despite the Stingrays twice hitting the post, and they further extended that advantage three minutes into the third with Forsbacka gratefully netting his second of the game and fifth of the year to all but end the Stingrays resistance.

While the game was effectively ended as a tie with that goal, the Stingrays improved right throughout the game and as the third wore on a mini Rays revival began as the Vipers looked to sit back and take the points.

A third powerplay goal of the night followed for the Rays as Matty Davies netted his own first of the year after hard work from rookie Andrew Coburn set him up at the back post but that would be it for the night.

The Rays continued to push forward but the killer edge that they lacked all game long failed to materialise and, with their defence failing to keep out a stringy Newcastle side well drilled and used to playing at Whitley Bay, the Vipers claimed just their second win of the year.

Cloutier's side now face a massive ask to claim anything from this weekend with a fixture at the Hull Arena tomorrow night against a high flying Nottingham Panthers side that last night gave Dundee a lesson in hockey, demolishing the Stars 12-2.

Rays rating: 5
Stingray scorers: Read, Silverthorn, Davies
Newcastle scorers: Hartmanis, Sibley, Forsbacka (2), Holland
SOG: 30-38
PIM: 21-13
FBB MOM: Jason Silverthorn (1+1)

16th/17th October Weekend Preview

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Saturday 16th October: Newcastle Vipers (7th) v Excel Hull Stingrays (8th) @ Whitley Bay Ice Rink F/O 7pm

Sunday 17th October: Excel Hull Stingrays (8th) v Nottingham Panthers (3rd) @ Hull Arena F/O 6pm

Having lost in midweek the Excel Hull Stingrays return to league action this weekend with fixtures against two teams also suffering from a poor run of form in recent weeks.

On Saturday the Rays travel to the intimidating Whitley Bay Ice Rink in the North East to take on a Newcastle Vipers side that has been built nearly completely from scratch this summer. Player-coach Danny Stewart, former team mate of Rays coach Sylvain Cloutier, was the man that brought in that nearly completely new squad, replacing Rob Wilson as coach, but he has so far found changing the Vipers fortunes difficult with just one win in eight games so far this year.

They will be hoping to kick start their year this weekend at home to the Stingrays but will be without forward Jaroslaw Rzeszutko, who will be out for at least another five weeks with a broken wrist. The Polish international is one of three European forwards that has stood out so far this year in a team whose make up is largely young North American's.

The fixture at the Bay, like last weekend's Scottish double header, will be particularly important for the Rays as a yard stick for the year ahead with Cloutier's side expected to be in close competition with the Vipers as well as Dundee, Edinburgh and Braehead in the season ahead.

The Rays then travel home to face a Nottingham Panthers side struggling for form after starting the year on fire. Player-coach Corey Neilson's side won their opening five fixtures, beating fellow title contenders Belfast and Coventry twice, however, they then went on to draw one and lose three of their next four. That brutal run for the Panthers came to an end on Wednesday when they got revenge for Braehead defeating them at the NIC at the end of September by defeating the Scots 5-2 north of the border.

In that game new signing Angel Nikolov registered a goal and three assists after arriving not long before the Panthers travelled to the game and he may be joined this weekend by former AHL forward Rob Bellamy, who is awaiting VISA clearance before coming to the UK, to boost the NIC sides numbers and quality.

They look to have one of the most offensive sides in the league with names like Beauregard, Clarke, Galbraith and new names McDonald, Sproat and Ryan, while former Stingray Stevie Lee returns home again. Needless to say the Rays will have to cut out mistakes that cost them dear on Wednesday in Sheffield if they are to gain anything from Sunday's fixture.

Unfortunately for both sides, Guillaume Lepine, who signed for the Rays in the summer only to leave for Nottingham following Mike and Sue Pack's departure, will not ice and add more spice to the fixture after receiving a ban in a defeat to fierce rivals Sheffield last week.

Nevertheless, the two sides and their supporters will renew their developing rivalry after some fierce battles in the last few seasons with a another healthy attendance expected at the Hull Arena.

Prior to that though the Rays will travel to Newcastle needing points to boost their league campaign ahead of the tough Nottingham fixture in which it would be a surprise to see the home side come away with the spoils.

Elite League
Stingrays: 8TH 2GP 1W 1L 0OTL GF GA 2PTS
Newcastle: 7TH 8GP 1W 6L 1OTL GF GA 3PTS
Nottingham: 3RD 9GP 6W 3L 0OTL GF GA12PTS

Form
Stingrays: D L W L
Newcastle: L L W L L
Nottingham: D L L L W

Last 3 Meetings
v Newcastle
06/03/10 1-7 W A
10/03/10 3-2 W H
14/03/10 6-3 W H

v Nottingham
10/01/10 3-6 L H
06/02/10 9-1 L A
07/03/10 6-7 L H

09/10 Series
v Newcastle: 8GP 5W 3L 33GF 24GA 11PTS
v Nottingham: 9GP 1W 8L 25GF 46GA 4PTS

Top Scorers
Stingrays
G: Kalmikov (3)
A: Dulle (4)
P: Kalmikov, Dulle (5)

Newcastle
G: Forsbacka, Hartmanis, Rzeszutko (3)
A: Speer, Carroll, Mahovsky (4)
P: Carroll, Mahovsky (6)

Nottingham
G: Clarke (10)
A: Zion (8)
P: Beauregard (13)

Between The Pipes
Stingrays: Christian Boucher (4GP 4.50GAA 87.6sv%)
Newcastle: Charlie Effinger (8GP 5.00GAA 85.8sv%)
Nottingham: Craig Kowalski (10GP 3.69GAA 90.5sv%)

Absentees
Stingrays: Craig Mitchell (broken arm)
Newcastle: Jaroslaw Rzeszutko (broken wrist)
Nottingham: Jonathan Zion (groin), Guillaume Lepine (suspension), Marc Levers (groin), Rob Bellamy (doubt; VISA issues)

Predictions
Newcastle 3-4 Stingrays
Stingrays 2-5 Nottingham

Clinical Sheffield seal Challenge Cup win

Sheffield Steelers 6-3 Excel Hull Stingrays

The Sheffield Steelers inflicted the Excel Hull Stingrays second defeat of the year as they clinically snatched both Challenge Cup points on offer at Ice Sheffield tonight in a 6-3 win.

In a scrappy first period that largely summed up the game, the Stingrays took the lead after seven minutes. Rookie Andrew Coburn netted his second powerplay goal of the year after a big rebound from Steelers netminder Ervins Mustukovs gave him a chance he could not miss.

The Steelers, who were outworked by the visitors at times, then levelled through Neil Clark with the tough guy's pinpoint shot flying past a presumably unsighted Christian Boucher in the Rays net.

They then took a killer lead just 14 seconds before the end of the first on a typically quick Steelers counter attack that saw Brit Jason Hewitt capitalise. During the move the Steelers outworked the Rays behind the net just seconds after the away side had hit the post at the other end and Hewitt capitalised in front of Boucher to net his sides second.

Into the second and with the Steelers beginning to find their A game the Rays began struggle somewhat noticeably making more mistakes in their own zone, which was generally a concern throughout the game. Nevertheless, Jereme Tendler scored past Mustukovs from a very acute angle to surprisingly tie the score at two on 32 minutes.

But Sheffield would once again quickly come back to take the lead this time through Jeff Legue, who made no mistake with his finish after a catastrophic mishit clearance from defenceman Kris Grundmanis fell to one of the Elite League's most clinical forwards right in front of the Stingrays net.

Legue then extended his sides lead to 4-2 95 seconds after the start of the third before the Rays responded, again on the powerplay and again after a big rebound from Mustukovs, this time through Jason Silverthorn, who typified the Rays hard work at both ends of the ice.

At this stage the Stingrays were chasing a game that by all accounts they deserved to be level in but the Steelers continued to make the most of their chances, Joey Talbot getting his regular goal against the Stingrays before Christian Boucher, who was again pretty solid, failed to glove an Ashley Tait shot 15 seconds before the end to give the scoreline an unfair 6-3 slant in favour of the Steelers.

Once again this season the Stingrays out shot their opposition but this time came away with nothing to show for it. Lead from the back by Kurtis Dulle, the Stingrays matched the Steelers in most areas and, although Mustukovs may not have been required to make many spectacular saves to deny the Rays, the visitors deserved something from the game with mistakes and incredibly clinical Steelers finishing making up for a healthy chuck of the six goals against.

Sylvain Cloutier's side now move on to an away league fixture against Newcastle on Saturday before returning home to take on the Nottingham Panthers, again in league play.

Rays rating: 7
Stingray scorers: Coburn, Tendler, Silverthorn
Sheffield scorers: Clark, Hewitt, Legue (2), Tait, Talbot
SOG: 28-35
PIM: 22-0
FBB MOM: Kurtis Dulle (0+1)

13th October Midweek Preview

V

Wednesday 13th October: Sheffield Steelers v Excel Hull Stingrays @ Ice Sheffield, F/O 7.30pm

The Excel Hull Stingrays return to action on Wednesday night with their second Challenge Cup fixture of the year, this time against Yorkshire rivals the Sheffield Steelers at Ice Sheffield.

Having claimed an encouraging point against Cardiff in their first game of the year the Rays will be hoping to build from that against a Steelers side that are edging closer to mathematical elimination from the group stage of the tournament, having been defeated by Coventry and lost one and drawn one against the same Devils side that the Rays tied on opening day.

New player-coach and former NHLer Ben Simon has built strong roster that has so far this season claimed nine wins from 12 games including eight out of nine in the league.

Like the Stingrays, who lost to Braehead but triumphed over Edinburgh, last weekend was a mixed one for the South Yorkshire side, beating fierce rivals Nottingham 4-1 before going down to title favourites Belfast on Sunday.

Like the Stingrays, who lost defenceman Craig Mitchell to a broken arm, the weekend and game against the Panthers, who come to the Hull Arena this Sunday, did not come without sacrifice with key forward Rob Globke and British defenceman Mark Thomas sustaining injuries that will see them sit out tonight alongside the banned Derek Campbell.

The Steelers loss may be the Rays gain but Sylvain Cloutier's side should not be fooled by Globke's absence because they still possess impressive firepower including returnees Joey Talbot and Jeff Legue,who have combined for 19 goals and 45 points in 24 games during their sides rise to second in the league.

Last year, the two sides split their eight game series at four wins a piece an surprising statistic but pleasing statistic that also saw the Rays win their first ever game at the Sheffield Arena. That record will be something Cloutier would be over the moon to replicate this season given the Steelers outstanding start to the year.

His side have had an indifferent but positive start to the year, winning one, drawing one and losing one, but he will be hoping for victory at Ice Sheffield to really kick start the club's season and Challenge Cup campaign.

Challenge Cup
Stingrays 4TH 1GP 0W 0L 1T 3GF 3GA 1PT
Sheffield 5TH 3GP 0W 2L 1T 11GF 16GA 1PT

Form
Stingrays: D L W
Sheffield: L W W L W

Last 3 Meetings
v Sheffield
28/02/10 6-2 L A
13/03/10 2-3 W A
21/03/10 7-4 W H

Stingrays 09/10 Series
v Sheffield: 8GP 4W 4L 23GF 29GA 8PTS

Key Player
Stingrays: Kurtis Dulle (3GP 1+2 0PIM)
Sheffield: Jeff Legue (12GP 10+10 10PIM)

Between the Pipes
Stingrays: Christian Boucher (3GP 4.00GAA 89.4sv.%)
Sheffield: Ervins Mustukovs (12GP 2.42GAA 92.6sv.%)

Absentees
Stingrays: Craig Mitchell (broken arm), Ryan Lake (work commitments)
Sheffield: Mark Thomas (groin), Rob Globke (concussion), Derek Campbell (suspension)

Predictions
Sheffield 5-3 Stingrays

Injury jinx hits again

The injury curse that has time and again crippled the Excel Hull Stingrays and particularly their defence has struck once more.

19 year old blueliner Craig Mitchell, who re-signed in the summer for his second year with the club, broke his hand when blocking a shot in Braehead and will now be out for four to six weeks, a cruel blow to Sylvain Cloutier and his side.

The importance of a deep squad and a six strong defence is now evident with the team's blueline options limited to five defencemen, equivalent to two lines, leaving one extra player rotating in.

Had the Rays coach been able to opt for the shorter squad which he signed for the Packs the club would now be down to just the bare minimum four players at the back with no room for error on anyone's part.

However, given that Cloutier has a deep squad and ten available forwards, of which one or two are able to revert to defence, this injury won't necessarily affect the numbers at the back, particularly if he decides to move Jason Silverthorn back there.

Either way it is a devastating blow for both the Rays and Mitchell, who had once again been handed an important role on the team for the year ahead, after they had clinched their first two points of the year in Edinburgh last night.

Two point return from Scottish weekend as Rays triumph in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Capitals 3-4 Excel Hull Stingrays

The Excel Hull Stingrays grabbed their first win of the year at the third time of trying in Edinburgh tonight, coming home with a 4-3 victory that sees them return to Hull with two out of four points available from a weekend in Scotland.

For the third consecutive game this season the Rays found themselves down by two goals, thanks to Edinburgh markers either side of the first intermission from Iain Bowie and import dangerman Alex Kim.

But once again the Rays fought back to tie the scores with captain Kurtis Dulle netting his first of the year before Matti Uusivirta scored his second of the season 60 seconds before the end of the period.

It wasn't until five minutes into the third that the visitors finally took control of the tie with Andrew Coburn  scoring his own first of the year on the powerplay and Jereme Tendler netting shorthanded just minutes later to extend the score to 4-2.

Never liking to make things easy on themselves or their fans, the Stingrays then allowed Edinburgh to pull the deficit back down to one again through Kim after 55 minutes.

The home side then had a goal disallowed in the dying minutes of the game but Sylvain Cloutier's men clung on to the victory and gratefully grabbed a much needed first two points of the campaign.

Stingray scorers: Dulle, Uusivirta, Coburn, Tendler
Edinburgh scorers: Bowie, Kim (2)
SOG: 33-42
PIM: -

Match Highlights: Breahead Clan 6-2 Excel Hull Stingrays

Rays beaten in first visit to Braehead

Braehead Clan 6-2 Excel Hull Stingrays

The Excel Hull Stingrays tonight fell to a disappointing 6-2 loss in their first ever visit to Glasgow to face the Braehead Clan with the Rays two goals coming from Brit Ryan Lake and Ukrainian Konstantin Kalmikov.

The home side raced into a two goal first period lead thanks to markers from standout forwards Dominic Noel and Brendan Cook after eight and 19 minutes respectively.

Sylvain Cloutier's side responded through Kalmikov to halve the deficit midway through the game but a goal from Clan player-coach Bruce Richardson 25 seconds later restored the Scottish sides lead to two.

Rays Fan favourite Lake then netted his second in two games just 64 seconds later to once again restore hope of an unlikely away victory. However, further Clan goals from defenceman Jon Landry, Ryan Campbell and a second from Noel handed them their second victory in two home games before the game ended on an unsavoury note with Kyle Bruce and the Rays Jozef Sladok handed five minute majors for fighting with seconds remaining.

While the 6-2 scoreline may suggest differently, the Rays out shot the Clan 45 to 34, and Cloutier's side may feel a little hard done by a harsh four goal defeat.

The result leaves the Rays once again looking for their first EIHL win of the season tomorrow night against Edinburgh, who tonight beat Dundee 3-1, with at least a point needed to salvage anything from a weekend in Scotland.

Stingray scorers: Lake, Kalmikov
Braehead scorers: Noel (2), Richardson, Landry, Campbell
SOG: 34-47
PIM: 17-19

9th/10th October Weekend Preview

V

Saturday 9th October: Braehead Clan v Hull Stingrays @ Braehead Arena, F/O 7pm
Sunday 10th October: Edinburgh Capitals v Hull Stingrays @ Murrayfield Ice Rink, F/O 6pm

After one long wait for hockey action comes another albeit shorter wait. With the next home game not for another a week and a half, the Rays follow up their encouraging 3-3 Challenge Cup tie against Cardiff last weekend with a Scottish league double header against Braehead and Edinburgh that will be a good yardstick for the early part of the season.

The Stingrays showed determination and resilience to blow off the summer cobwebs last weekend, tying the game at three and hitting the post with seconds remaining after being 3-1 down with goals coming from debutant Matti Uusivirta, returnee Ryan Lake and coach Sylvain Cloutier. It was a gritty, hardworking 60 minute opening performance from the Rays in front of a healthy 1000 strong crowd and that momentum will be important during the coming fixtures

This weekends opponents both look set to be scrapping for mid-table mediocrity as opposed to an Elite League title in the coming year and, while they have a few weeks head start on the Rays, the double header should be a better marker as to where all three sides abilities lay this season.

Braehead, whom the Rays face for the first ever time on Saturday, were predicted by many to struggle in the coming year, both on and off the ice. That was never going to be the case with former EIHL 30 goal scorer Brendan Cook, point per game CHLer Bobby Chaumont and former DEL defenceman Jon Landry joining a club whose supposed owner is Nottingham's Neil Black.

Initial impressions have been very positive for the Clan and their new fanbase. A win over Scottish rivals Dundee was quickly followed by the shock fixture of the young season so far, as former Panthers favourite and Clan player-coach Bruce Richardson went to the NIC and handed the Panthers their first loss of the season, a bitter sweet moment for backer of both clubs Black.

The following night they were brought back down to earth with a 5-3 loss to the same Devils side that the Rays came close to defeating last week while last weekend they split a home-away series with the Newcastle Vipers, winning in a shootout at home before struggling to a loss at notorious Whitley Bay.

The aforementioned Richardson, Cook, Chaumont and Landry will be tough to beat, and a backing cast of familiar names inclduing former Manchester forward Kyle Bruce, former Stingray and Hull raised Kevin Phillips and Cedric Bernier, brother of former Stingray tough guy Jonathan Bernier, won't make things much easier. Needless to say the Clans positive start to the year sees the Rays visit Braehead Arena, which turned out more than 1600 in their first ever home fixture, on the crest of a wave with both sides hoping to top the bottom back at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, on Sunday the Rays travel to old foes Edinburgh Capitals to take on a side that has continued their tradition as the Elite League's slow starters.

Already decimated by a number of injuries, they have wins over Dundee (3-2) and Newcastle (7-4) to their name so far this year but have lost 8-0 to Sheffield and were massacred 12-4 by Cardiff in midweek prior to the Devils visit to the Hull Arena last weekend.

Although it looks like being a rollercoaster of a ride in the Scottish capital this season, new coach Brad Gratton, like his predecessor Doug Christiansen, has signed a couple of gems that will more than hold their own in the Elite League. Californian born Alex Kim joins the Caps from the Asia, where he hit 75 points in 35 games after regularly netting in the ECHL four years ago, and he has joined up well with fellow new signing Chris St.Jacques, who hit 99 points in the Dutch league last season, with the pair accounting for eight goals and 19 points so far this year.

The Caps and their severely decimated blueline very nearly beat the Coventry Blaze last weekend, eventually running out of steam to lose 6-4. But with the news that American defenceman Jacques Perreault is finally set to join up the the squad following VISA issues, things are beginning to look up for a Caps side hoping to hit early highs of their season long rollercoaster with games against struggler's Dundee and the Rays this weekend.

Cloutier and his Stingrays squad will be looking to continue momentum from an encouraging weekend and get off to a good start in the league with a full strength squad travelling for a weekend in Scotland.


EIHL

Stingrays: 9TH 0GP 0W 0L 0OTL 0GF 0GA 0PTS

Braehead: 6TH 5GP 2W 2L 1OTL 18GF 17GA 6PTS

Edinburgh: 8TH 6GP 1W 5L 0OTL 19GF 41GA 2PTS

Form

Stingrays: X X X X D

Braehead: W W L W L

Edinburgh: L L W L L

Last 3 Meetings

v Braehead

First Meeting

v Edinburgh

26/12/09 3-4 W A

27/12/09 5-3 W H

24/02/10 5-4 L A

Stingrays 09/10 Series

v Braehead: First Meeting

v Edinburgh: 8GP 4W 4L 10PTS 30GF 33GA

Key Player

Stingrays: D Kurtis Dulle (1GP 0+1 0PIM)

Braehead: F Brendan Cook (GP5 4+1 8PIM)

Edinburgh: F Alex Kim (7GP 4+7 0PIM)

Between The Pipes

Stingrays: Christian Boucher (1GP 3.00GAA 93.5sv.%)

Braehead: J F Perras (5GP 3.15GAA 89.6sv.%)

Edinburgh: Scott Reid (7GP 6.14GAA 85.9sv.%)

Absentees

Stingrays: Full Strength

Braehead: Full Strength

Edinburgh: Daniel Madsen (doubt; leg ligament), Neil Hay (ankle)

Predictions

Braehead 4-2 Stingrays

Edinburgh 3-4 Stingrays

Match Highlights: Excel Hull Stingrays 3-3 Cardiff Devils

Rays open season with Devil of a tie

Excel Hull Stingrays 3-3 Cardiff Devils

After 186 long and turbulent days away the Excel Hull Stingrays finally returned to the ice tonight coming back from 3-1 down to tie 3-3 with the Cardiff Devils in Challenge Cup Group B.

The Stingrays were welcomed onto the ice by more than 1000 home fans at an impressively packed Hull Arena but made a quiet, awkward start to the game as a well drilled and match fit Cardiff side, who were without Brad Voth, dominated much of the play in an, at times, scrappy first period.

A number of penalties were handed out to both sides before Craig Mitchell's second of the game proved costly for the Stingrays as the Devils pressure finally paid off with Tylor Michel netting the only goal of the period on the powerplay.

While threatening and undoubtedly hard working going forward, it was only on the powerplay that the Devils looked truly threatening. Nevertheless, it was largely thanks to Stingrays new keeper Christian Boucher that Cardiff were not further ahead particularly after pressure on the powerplay, the Ontario native absorbing shot after shot, eventually accumulating a man of the match worthy 23 first period saves.

Playing a solid road game Cardiff continued their slight superiority over the home side in the second thanks to their continued dogged determination going forward and, although the Rays gradually improved as the game went on, the Devils netted again after 7 minutes, this time through Phil Hill who pounced after some poor defensive positional play.

In response, the home side then netted their first of the year less than two minutes later. In an impressive first showing for the club, newly installed captain Kurtis Dulle picked out a pin point defence splitting pass to put debutant Finn Matti Uusivirta through on a breakaway for his first in a Rays jersey and the clubs first of the year.

That only served to make an already hard working Devils side more determined and just before the halfway point of the game Jon Pelle somewhat deservedly added the Devils third and his tenth goal of the year.

The turning point of the game then quickly followed as a scrum in front Boucher - in which defenceman Jozef Sladok grabbed Devils scorer Pelle - saw Cardiff tough guy Justin Sawyer, who was presumably coming in to protect his smaller, more skilled team mate, receive a 5+game for sucker punching 6'5 Kris Grundmanis in what was probably a case of mistaken identity of the similarly sized Slovakian Sladok.

Mistaken or not, the gloved punch cross shove knocked the Latvian to the ground and into Bouchers crease leaving referee Andy Carson no option but to hand out a match changing game penalty.

Minus a defenceman, the Devils remained relatively solid and closed out the second period happy with a two goal lead but naturally looking to add more.

Two goals down, the Stingrays needed a big period both offensively and defensively to salvage anything from a game they had failed to provide that cutting edge in, despite working hard to create chances.

That determined style of play then paid off after 48 minutes. Tireless Stingrays forechecking saw a Devils mistake give the puck to returning Brit Ryan Lake in the slot, who shot low through Stevie Lyle's five hole to evoke memories and a remarkably similar celebration to the goal he scored in his last season of hockey in the 05/06 EPL Cup Final.

That goal revitalised Sylvain Cloutier's side and it would be Cloutier himself that would score a scrappy game tying goal less than 120 seconds later on a delayed penalty and, although his side hit the post late late on, the sizeable home crowd went happy with a point in an even game that the Devils may have been disappointed to draw.

It was an encouraging first showing from the Stingrays, however, as perhaps expected, the whole team appeared a little rusty- in particular Jason Silverthon who was late in to the week long training camp - and Cloutier will be the first to admit that there is still work to be done before the Rays are the finished article.

Of course, for many in attendance the important thing was not the result but the fact that their team is back on the ice at all.

Next weekend the Stingrays are without a home fixture as they travel to Scotland for a Scottish double header with fixtures in Braehead, against the newly formed Clan, on Saturday and Edinburgh on Sunday.

Rays rating: 6
Stingray goalscorers: Matti Uusivirta, Sylvain Cloutier, Ryan Lake
Cardiff goalscorers: Phil Hill, Tylor Michel, Jon Pelle
SOG: 29-46
PIM: 16-43
Stingrays FBB Three Stars: 1: Christian Boucher (46 shots, 3 goals against), 2: Kurtis Dulle (0+1), 3: Lee Mitchell (0+1)