Excel Hull Stingrays 2 - 3 Nottingham Panthers
The Excel Hull Stingrays tonight bounced back from a moral sapping 6-0 defeat in Sheffield with a confidence inspiring tight 3-2 loss to the Nottingham Panthers in Challenge Cup Group B.
Desperate for a performance after a season changing 60 minutes in Sheffield, the Stingrays were narrowly outshot 14-13 in a first period that saw Derek Campbell ejected with a 5 plus game for a check from behind.
The scoresheet kicked into life in the second period, Frantisek Bakrlik netting the Rays 12th powerplay goal of the season before Matt Francis levelled with a shorthanded goal for the visitors.
The Rays once again lept into the lead 46 seconds into the third, defenceman Dmitri Rodin bagging his third goal in four games and the home sides second man advantage marker of the game.
Again, the Panthers bounced back however, Scott Champagne leveling four-on-four before a slapshot from player-coach Corey Neilson proved the difference in a tight 3-2 win for his side.
After the hysterical outcry following the thrashing in Sheffield, it was a much improved performance from the Stingrays who proved they can play with anyone on any given night, as the peppered Craig Kowalski in the Nottingham net with 35 shots, ultimately falling agonisingly short in an entertaining but even encounter.
This defeat appears to have effectively ended any slim hopes of the Rays qualifying from the Challenge Cup group of death which contains Nottingham, Sheffield, Cardiff and Coventry - all league contenders in their own right. Though this may not necessarily be a bad thing, allowing the club to focus on league play while utilising the remaining five fixtures as practice, somewhat free of the pressure of competitive cup action..
Next weekend Sylvain Cloutier's return to league action as they on high flying league favourites Belfast at the Hull Arena before travelling to Dundee to face Dan Ceman's Stars - who remain winless this term.
The Excel Hull Stingrays tonight bounced back from a moral sapping 6-0 defeat in Sheffield with a confidence inspiring tight 3-2 loss to the Nottingham Panthers in Challenge Cup Group B.
Desperate for a performance after a season changing 60 minutes in Sheffield, the Stingrays were narrowly outshot 14-13 in a first period that saw Derek Campbell ejected with a 5 plus game for a check from behind.
The scoresheet kicked into life in the second period, Frantisek Bakrlik netting the Rays 12th powerplay goal of the season before Matt Francis levelled with a shorthanded goal for the visitors.
The Rays once again lept into the lead 46 seconds into the third, defenceman Dmitri Rodin bagging his third goal in four games and the home sides second man advantage marker of the game.
Again, the Panthers bounced back however, Scott Champagne leveling four-on-four before a slapshot from player-coach Corey Neilson proved the difference in a tight 3-2 win for his side.
After the hysterical outcry following the thrashing in Sheffield, it was a much improved performance from the Stingrays who proved they can play with anyone on any given night, as the peppered Craig Kowalski in the Nottingham net with 35 shots, ultimately falling agonisingly short in an entertaining but even encounter.
This defeat appears to have effectively ended any slim hopes of the Rays qualifying from the Challenge Cup group of death which contains Nottingham, Sheffield, Cardiff and Coventry - all league contenders in their own right. Though this may not necessarily be a bad thing, allowing the club to focus on league play while utilising the remaining five fixtures as practice, somewhat free of the pressure of competitive cup action..
Next weekend Sylvain Cloutier's return to league action as they on high flying league favourites Belfast at the Hull Arena before travelling to Dundee to face Dan Ceman's Stars - who remain winless this term.
FBB Three Stars
1 - Christian Boucher (36 saves)
2 - Dominic Osman (0+0)
3 - Sylvain Cloutier (0+0)
