Stingrays narrowly defeated by Steelers in final Challenge Cup Group B fixture

Hull Stingrays 1-2 Sheffield Steelers

Caps level Stingrays series with revenge in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Capitals 5-3 Hull Stingrays

Stingrays outclassed in defeat to Devils

Hull Stingrays 1-4 Cardiff Devils

Match Highlights: Hull Stingrays 2-5 Coventry Blaze

Match Highlights: Braehead Clan 2-3 Hull Stingrays

Short-benched Blaze beat Stingrays thanks to three goals in seven minutes

Hull Stingrays 2-5 Coventry Blaze

The Hull Stingrays were tonight defeated 5-2 by a short-benched Coventry Blaze side lead by returning forward Shea Guthrie.

Remarkably all of the last three Stingrays-Blaze fixtures have finished 5-2 and it would be the Stingrays that would again finish on the wrong end of the scoreline this time.

Both sides had hit the post before Mattias Soderstrom's side raced into a 1-0 lead thanks to a typically speedy and clinical counter-attack from that man Guthrie - who notched his first goal of the season in his second game after returning from Sweden on Friday.

In an end-to-end first period, the Stingrays struggled to craft that all important scoring chance but were, on the whole, controlling the game against a short-staffed Coventry side with just 13 outskaters.

That all changed in the middle stanza though as the Blaze dominated the Stingrays and opened up a pivotal four goal lead.

Ryan Ginand would net Coventry's second goal just 43 seconds into the second period, beating the Stingrays D and Ben Bowns to his own rebound before somehow steering it round the Rays netminder mid-dive.

The Elite League's leading scorer then collided heavily with Bowns in the ensuing dive, causing some worrying moments for the Stingrays and, in particular, their inexperienced rookie backup Mike Bolton while the GB international got back to his feet.

Bowns did resume the game, however, the Blaze were well on top and Kevin Harvey tipped home their third goal on the powerplay on 23.55 before Ross Venus fired home a killer fourth to complete a devastating opening seven second period minutes.

As the game entered the third period and then began to draw to a close it appeared that the Stingrays may be shut out for the second time in two home games - following last weekend's 2-0 loss to the Belfast Giants.

However, they would mount a mini-revival with less than nine minutes remaining on the clock as Carl Lauzon picked up a huge rebound from a weak Jeff Smith point shot and fired home into the gaping net to finally give the home crowd something to cheer about and to ruin Coventry's and Zacharias' shutout hopes.

The two goal weekend gives the French-Canadian - who was one of the Rays top performers on the night, albeit in a relatively average team performance - eight goals in 19 games this season including five in his last six as he finally looks to have settled in the UK and in the Elite League.

The goal stirred the Rays and for, really, the first time in the match they began to trouble the Blaze going forward.

Guillaume Doucet would then add a second goal for the Stingrays on the powerplay but, with less than three minutes to go, it would prove to be too little, too late in their bid to make it a four point weekend.

Looking for a third goal, the Rays pulled Bowns in a last gasp roll of the dice only for Ginand to add his second of the night into the empty net from distance with 37 seconds remaining.

Despite this evenings defeat and somewhat disappointing performance, Sylvain Cloutier will be happy and proud of his side's weekend having picked up two valuable Gardiner Conference points against Braehead on Saturday.

Next weekend they will face the Cardiff Devils at home on Saturday night before travelling to Scotland for the second time in two weeks to take on the Edinburgh Capitals on Sunday.

FBB Three Stars

1. Carl Lauzon (1+0)

2. Matty Davies (0+1)

3. Omar Pacha (0+1

In-form Stingrays claim third win in four games

Braehead Clan 2-3 Hull Stingrays

The Hull Stingrays tonight put in an impressive performance on the road in Scotland, defeating the Braehead Clan for the second time this season by three goals to two to claim their third win from their last four games.

The victory marks quite the turnaround for the Stingrays - who had just two wins to their name in opening two months and 11 games of the season but now have at least a point from seven of their last nine games.

On the night though it was the home side that opened the scoring, new import forward Joe Cullen bagging his first goal in Clan purple just 11 minutes into his debut.

The Stingrays would level the scores late in the first period, in-form Carl Lauzon netting his fourth goal in five games with 12 seconds remaining in the opening stanza.

Jereme Tendler then gave the visitors a 2-1 second period lead on the powerplay through his 18th goal of the season on 36.29 before player-coach Sylvain Cloutier extended his sides lead to two goals 1.13 into the final period.

That would prove to be the game winning goal for the Stingrays as the Clan pushed hard - outshooting the Stingrays 43-25 overall - but were unable to equalise following a second goal of the night from Matt Haywood on 52.50.

The Stingrays now return home before facing the Coventry Blaze - who they knocked out of the Challenge Cup less than two weeks ago - tomorrow night at the Hull Arena (6pm).

Match Highlights: Cardiff Devils 3-5 Hull Stingrays

Stingrays rebound from Belfast disappointment to record huge win in Wales

Cardiff Devils 3-5 Hull Stingrays

The Hull Stingrays tonight produced their first win of the season over an Erhardt Conference side in the league beating the Cardiff Devils 5-3 in South Wales.

Importantly for their confidence, after being shut out at home by the Belfast Giants on Saturday night, the Stingrays got on the board first through a Jason Silverthorn shorthanded marker after 9.32.

Mac Faulkner quickly responded for the Devils though on the powerplay, netting on the same Guillaume Doucet tripping penalty from which Silverthorn scored a minute later.

Having impressed in the Stingrays 6-5 shootout loss in late October, following his four goals and lovely shootout goal, Doucet was given the chance to replicate that shootout move in the second period as the Rays were awarded a penalty shot.

While on this occasion he would be denied, Doucet would eventually add his fifth goal in two games in South Wales on 25.10 to again level the scores just three minutes after Matt Myers had given the Devils a 2-1 lead.

Having been outshot 12-7 in the middle stanza, the Stingrays then took a surprise lead through Carl Lauzon - who fired home on the breakaway in the 28th minute.

However, in the 32nd minute Cardiff were awarded a penalty shot of their own which new signing and former NHLer Tomas Kurka dispatched for a debut goal, sending the sides into the second intermission level at three goals apiece.

In a tense third period, Sylvain Cloutier's side would have to wait until the 57th minute for Jereme Tendler to bag the game winning goal with his 17th goal of the season before Omar Pacha added an empty net goal with 40 seconds left to complete the victory.

While the win is the Stingrays first this season over an Erhardt Conference side in the league, it is their second victory in less than a week over non-conference opposition following Wednesday night's 5-2 defeat of the Coventry Blaze in the Challenge Cup.

Following what is a huge victory in South Wales, the Stingrays will travel to Scotland next Saturday to face the Braehead Clan before taking on Coventry at home on Sunday.

Match Highlights: Hull Stingrays 0-2 Belfast Giants

Bowns stops 60 shots as Stingrays shut out at home by Belfast

Hull Stingrays 0-2 Belfast Giants

A superb 60 save effort from netminder Ben Bowns was tonight not enough to prevent the Hull Stingrays from losing by two goals to nil at home to the Belfast Giants.

The fixture pit the Great Britain national team number one netminder Stephen Murphy in the Giants net against his understudy Bowns and the contrast between their 60 minutes couldn't have been more stark.

While Bowns was called into action early and often - stopping 21 of 22 shots in just the opening period and 60 of 62 overall - Murphy had just six Stingray shots to deal with in the first and 19 overall.

The only Belfast shot that did beat the Stingrays netminder in the first period came from the stick of Dustin Whitecotton on the powerplay after 6.30.

The veteran Canadian was given time and space close in on Bowns to pick his spot five hole after Rays defenceman Jeff Smith was preoccupied with removing another Giants from in front of the crease

In fairness to the Giants, it was absolutely no more than they deserved even after just six minutes as they asserted their dominance over the Stingrays from the opening face-off and never looked back.

For large periods - in fact, the vast majority of the game - the Stingrays were powerless to prevent wave after wave of Belfast attack and Belfast puck possession. When Sylvain Cloutier's side did finally manage stem the flow they were unable to create any attacking drive of their own and if they did their offensive advances were snuffed out by a solid Belfast defensive core.

The only thing that ever looked like really denying the Giants two well deserved and hard fought points was Bowns. Unfortunately for the Rays following that sixth minute goal, he wasn't able to snipe home the all-important first Stingrays goal that just might've given them the momentum that they so craved.

Referee Michael Hicks was rightly vilified by home fans - and possibly also some of the Giants contingent that have traveled over for their away double header this weekend - for failing to live up to his early billing but in truth he had no impact on the outcome of the game.

Having called pretty much anything and everything in the opening period - totaling 14 minutes and seven minor penalties - Hicks appeared to become somewhat more relaxed towards infractions as the game wore on. Coincidentally or not, this perceived change in attitude towards penalties tied in with a number of missed calls on the Stingrays.

Whether those debatable penalties had been given or not, the home side still simply wouldn't have had enough - skillfully or physically - to defeat an overpowering Giants side.

Excellent on the penalty kill, stopping eight of nine opportunities including a rousing five and a half minute kill late in the second, the Stingrays powerplay - while offering a welcome break from the constant Belfast offensive pressure and puck possession - struggled and was unable to generate any true scoring chances.

Carl Lauzon probably came the closest to opening the scoring for the Stingrays late on in the second period as his shot on the powerplay rang off the cross bar and up over the plexi-glass.

The home side were trailing 2-0 by this point - having again been heavily out shot 23-6 in the second period - after Calvin Efring sold Martin Ondrej an exaggerated shot fake before beating Bowns with a wicked shot moments later.

It was a complete performance from the Giants and 2-0 up heading into the third they gave the Stingrays no respite firing a further 17 shots on the Stingrays net with Bowns equal to all of them.

Though the Giants had done more than enough to beat a Stingrays side that whose offence they smothered, it is worth pondering whether they would have run out winners had they been facing an Erhardt Conference side.

Worryingly for the Stingrays, had it not been for the performance of their netminder, they could have found themselves on the end of a morale sapping thrashing.

Bowns' outstanding man of the match performance - or not as it were, as the match sponsors mystifyingly gave it to Omar Pacha - kept the Stingrays within reaching distance of snatching a point against all odds. That's not to say the Stingrays as a team didn't work hard in their attempts to keep the visitors at bay, simply that on this occasion they were beaten by a better team.

Cloutier and his side will do well to learn from the Giants performance but equally, although they relied on Bowns more than they would've liked, they will take heart from the fact they kept Belfast largely at bay and within striking distance minus an all important import.

They will travel to South Wales on Sunday to re-visit the scene of their thrilling 6-5 shootout loss to the Cardiff Devils less than two weeks ago.

The Devils will be boosted by the signing of former NHLer Tomas Kurka - who will make his debut - and they will face a Stingrays side that have yet to defeat an Erhardt Conference side in league play this season.

FBB Three Stars

1. Ben Bowns (60 saves)

2. Omar Pacha (0+0)

3. Matt Suderman (0+0)

Match Highlights: Hull Stingrays 5-2 Coventry Blaze (CC)

Stingrays leave it late to progress against all odds from Challenge Cup Group B

Hull Stingrays 5-2 Coventry Blaze

Winless in six Challenge Cup Group B fixtures this season, the Hull Stingrays tonight made it seventh time lucky beating the Coventry Blaze by five goals to two and in the process qualified for the Quarter Finals for the second time in two seasons at the expense of the Blaze.

In a incredibly scrappy first period in front of a very sparse crowd, the Stingrays fell behind after 11.14 against the run of play - despite having outshot their visitors 21-12.

Blaze dangerman and Elite League leading goalscorer Ryan Ginand whizzing across the face of Ben Bowns' goal before beating the GB international on the powerplay for his 20th of the season following an inch perfect pass from Adam Henrich.

Sylvain Cloutier's side responded five minutes later though, showing real patience on a well constructed 5-on-3 powerplay. Having waited for their opportunity and increased the tempo on the man advantage, Matty Davies fired into a largely unguarded net as a rebound from an outstanding low backpost save by Blaze netminder Mike Zacharias on Guillaume Doucet fell straight to the British centre in the slot.

Nine minutes into a second period it was the Stingrays turn to lead against the run of play. With Gerome Giudice complaining to referee Mike Hicks about a delayed penalty he had given on the Canadian-Italian in the corner, the puck fell to Jereme Tendler picked up the puck in front and clinically fired home his 15th of the season for a 2-1 lead.

However, Ginand scored again for Coventry two minutes later to again tie the scores, notching a goal remarkably similar to the one Tendler had scored at the other end minutes earlier with Henrich and Ashley Tait again getting the assists on the Blaze goal.

While Ginand's efficiency in front of goal was effectively proving to be the difference for the Blaze, former Stingray Cale Tanaka was proving to be the biggest handful. As was his strength in the first half of last season when fit and healthy in Hull, Tanaka's speed and drive proved to be problematic for the Rays, particularly defensively, and the Canadian drew a number of penalties playing on the Blaze third line.

Though late in the game he was rocked by one of the biggest hits of the season from former teammate and friend Jeff Smith, Tanaka was at the heart of Coventry's revival as they dominated the Stingrays after their second goal.

What had started as a low-key, scrappy affair soon turned in to a niggly, somewhat end-to-end affair and it was the Stingrays that seemed to benefit most from this change in tempo during the third period having been outplayed at the tail end of the second period.

Penalties were always likely to prove the difference and it was the Stingrays that were given the opportunity to pounce first as an early penalty on Coventry enforcer Kevin Harvey after four minutes gave them a crucial man advantage.

On the ensuing powerplay, Matty Davies set up Kyle Mariani - who knocked home his first Stingrays goal on a one-timer at the backpost - to give his side what would prove to be a decisive lead 3-2 with Davies recording his 100th Elite League assist on the goal.

Mariani has undoubtedly had an indifferent start to his career in the UK, however, his versatility to revert between defence and forward has been invaluable. On the night he put in perhaps a man of the match worthy performance and certainly his best performance in a Stingrays jersey, having settled on the third line alongside Tom Squires and Bobby Chamberlain.

The goal gave the home side - who had to win in regulation to qualify for the Quarter Finals - the confidence heading into the rest of the period.

A crucial fourth goal followed seven minutes later as Carl Lauzon got the deftest of tip-ins off a point shot from Omar Pacha before Tendler added his second of the night with a looping shot shorthanded from centre ice into the empty net with 36 seconds left on the clock.

Against all odds, having gone winless in six games, the victory sends the Stingrays to the Quarter Final of the Challenge Cup. That qualification comes in the tougher of the two Challenge Cup groups for the second time in two years, this time at the expense of the Blaze - whom the Rays will top thanks to at least a tie-breaker with one game against the Sheffield Steelers still remaining this month.

While Challenge Cup Group B is all but complete with two games remaining, Group A is far from sewn up.

Although the Belfast Giants will be favourites to top the group and take on the Stingrays in the Quarter Finals for the second time in two years with five wins from six and two games remaining, Dundee are unbeaten in four just two points behind with four games remaining meanwhile Fife have three wins from four.

Belfast and Dundee meet on 1st December in Scotland in a massive game with the victor most likely to progress as group winners and face the Rays.

Last season the Stingrays were narrowly edged out 3-1 at home before pushing the Giants all the way in Northern Ireland only to lose out 5-4 (8-5 on aggregate).

Perhaps most crucially, the victory will give the club an extra home gate which will undoubtedly assist financially.

FBB Three Stars

1. Kyle Mariani (1+1)

2. Jeff Smith (0+0)

3. Sylvain Cloutier (0+1)

Match Highlights: Cardiff Devils 6-5 Hull Stingrays (SO)

Match Highlights: Coventry Blaze 5-2 Hull Stingrays

Stingrays defeated by disastrous four goal first period in Coventry

Coventry Blaze 5-2 Hull Stingrays 

More soon....