Excel Hull Stingrays 1-0 Newcastle Vipers
A 31 shot shutout from Christian Boucher and a Lee Mitchell goal - his sixth since returning from injury - tonight helped the Excel Hull Stingrays to a tight one-nil victory over the Newcastle Vipers at the Hull Arena as they ended a hectic four game, six day schedule.
The match pit a 14 man Stingrays squad against just nine Newcastle outskaters and that advantage, albeit slender, saw the home side pepper Vipers keeper Charlie Effinger with with 59 shots, including 29 in the second period.
Mitchell's eighth minute effort in the end proved to be the difference as his game winning goal saw the Stingrays home in the lowest scoring game of the year for the club.
In continually difficult circumstances the Vipers showed true grit and could have taken the game to overtime - where last time out they defeated the Rays - if not for a late double save from shutout hero Boucher, who recorded a deserved first blank of the year.
As well as completing a four point weekend, the win gives the Stingrays A 2-2 record on their tough four game, six day schedule, following early losses to Cardiff and Belfast. Their next challenge comes on Wednesday as they face the Coventry Blaze for the final time this season.
