9th/10th January Weekend Preview

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Saturday 9th January: Newcastle Vipers (5th) v Excel Hull Stingrays (8th) @ Whitley Bay Ice Rink, F/O 6.30pm
Sunday 10th January: Excel Hull Stingrays (8th) v Nottingham Panthers (2nd) @ Hull Arena, F/O 6pm

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

Last 3 Meetings
v Nottingham
13/12/09 4-3 SOL A
20/12/09 5-4 W H
02/01/10 4-1 L A

v Newcastle
07/02/09 2-1 W H
01/11/09 2-1 L A
03/01/10 5-3 W H

Season Series
v Nottingham: 1-4, 4 points, 14 GF, 18 GA
v Newcastle: 1-1, 2 points, 6 GF, 5 GA

Players to Watch
Stingrays: Stephen Burns (35Gp 3+4 59PIM) After receiving some moderate criticism early in the season, 25 year old defenceman Burns turned up the intensity shortly and in recent weeks has begun to show why coach Sylvain Cloutier offered him a two-year university deal with the Stingrays in the summer. While he may not register on the scoreboard that often, his tenacity in defence and ability to throw a hit provides the Rays rearguard with another useful attribute.

Newcastle: Michel Robinson (27GP 3.19GAA 91.5.sv%) The French-Canadian netminder, who has been selected by Corey Neilson to the Elite League Overseas All Star squad, has been one of the league leaders between the pipes, helping the Vipers into a strong position pre-Christmas. It is no coincidence that, since he has been sidelined by an injury, the Vipers form has drastically dropped off.

Nottingham: Kevin Bergin (39GP 9+12 50PIM) Bergin has been an unusually quite visitor to the Hull Arena so far this season, primarily because he has missed a couple of the heated Stingrays-Panthers bouts. Nevertheless, the 28 year old tough guy, in his fourth season in the Elite League, always seems to save something special for the Rays, more often than not playing a key role on the game winning goal.

Between the Pipes
Stingrays: Tommy Sandahl (34GP 4.09GAA 89.6sv.%)
Newcastle: Michel Robinson (27GP 3.19GAA 91.5.sv%)
Nottingham: Kevin St-Pierre (38GP 2.84GAA 90.8sv.%)

Absentees
Stingrays: Sylvain Cloutier (knee), James Hutchinson (hand)
Nottingham: Full Strength
Newcastle: Full Strength

Predictions
Newcastle 2-3 Stingrays
Stingrays 3-4 Nottingham