Gomenyuk EIHL Player of the Week
This season has seen him set career bests in all categories including goals (11), assists (23) and points (34) with seven games still remaining and, with previous experience of winning the Elite League playoffs with Newcastle in 05/06, he will become a very important part of the team should the Stingrays make the post-season.
Turunen to return
-Finnish defenceman Antti Turunen, who missed last weekends games against Belfast and Nottingham after suffering a bruised lung, will return to training this week and will likely play against the Manchester Phoenix on Saturday before traveling to Coventry on Sunday to face the Blaze.Turunen initially suffered the injury after accidentally blocking a Konstantin Kalmikov during the Rays 7-1 defeat against the Cardiff Devils and was admitted to hospital on Wednesday of last week after coughing up blood before being released late last week. The Finn has been a solid acquisition for the Stingrays after joining from the Swedish second division, on recommendation of former Basingstoke defenceman Mikko Purontakanen, and his return will boost the Stingrays defensive corps back to full strength.
Thompson back on the sidelines
- Little over a week after returning to the Excel Hull Stingrays lineup following a neck injury, forward Jamie Thompson has suffered yet another injury. The 34 year old, who has scored nine goals in 30 games for the Stingrays, was on the receiving end of a Nick Toneys check and suffered a concussion in the incident which saw Toneys recieve a 2+10 for checking to the head.Just a week earlier Thompson had returned to the side against the Cardiff Devils only to be victimised by Devils enforcers Brad Voth and Doug MacIver for a legal check on Jason Stone which left the British defenceman needing help off the ice. The next night in Sheffield a re-direction from a Jeff Glowa shot had given Thompson his ninth goal of the season and put the Stingrays ahead against the Sheffield Steelers, in a game the Stingrays were unlucky to lose in the final three minutes.
Two for Esders
- Lee Esders posted his first two goal game of the season this past weekend against the Nottingham Panthers. Esders, who, at 19, is another Stingrays player having a career year, has scored seven goals and six assists this term bettering his three goals and one assist of last season. And whilst it has been a career year on the scoresheet he has also made a real impact throughout his game certainly showing his critics that he has all the tools to develop into a invaluable Brit for the Stingrays."I was also pleased to score a couple of goals because it had been a while. I was proud to score some big goals to help the team but it was a great effort from all the guys," Esders said.
