Hull Stingrays 2-7 Braehead Clan
In the second of the three consecutive meetings between the two sides, the Hull Stingrays were tonight soundly beaten by the Braehead Clan at Hull Arena with NHLer Drew Miller and Brit Robert Farmer helping themselves to five goals and eight points in a 7-2 win.
Tom Squires opened the scoring 11 seconds into the fixture four days earlier, however, it was the Clan that scored early this time. Detriot Red Wings forward Miller bagging the first of three goals on the night just 13 seconds into the tie giving the Scots a perfect start to the fixture.
Soon after the opener, Jason Silverthorn limped off in visible pain with an injury that would later see him leave the game for hospital following an innocuous check on a Clan defenceman.
Things then went from bad to worse for Stingrays, who had barely established themselves in the game before Ash Goldie added Braehead's second with a slapshot from the hashmarks after just five minutes.
Controversially, prior to the Clans second goal, Braehead forward Adam Walker left the game after it transpired that his name had not been listed on the official teamsheet. This was spotted by the Stingrays bench moments after his first shift and Rays captain Kurtis Dulle brought the issue to the attention of referee Michael Hicks - who promptly ordered the British forward from the game.
While no action was taken at the time, it remains to be seen what the Elite League's take on the event is with the ruling unclear - although, it must be mentioned, that at other levels of the sport in the UK the offending team would forfeit the game. Whether the issue is taken any further remains to be seen, though on this showing the Stingrays wouldn't deserve the points regardless.
Nevertheless, despite the controversy, the Stingrays were outplayed for large swathes of the first period, that was, until Jereme Tendler popped up and banked the puck in off Clan netminder Garrett Zemlak from an acute angle. The goal saved the blushes of alternate captain Dominic Osman who, moments earlier, had missed an empty net at the back stick with an awful finish on a two-on-one with Matty Davies.
The goal gave the Stingrays much need spark and, against the general run of play in the opening period, Tendler bagged his 18th of the season little over three minutes later to level the scores. With Sylvain Cloutier's side pushing forward, Matty Davies opted, as he so often does, to pass instead of rushing through a gaping hole in the Clan defence. He then fed Tendler, who's initial shot was saved, before he picked up his own rebound and jinked his way around Zemlak to fire into the empty net.
The home side started off the second period as they had the first - badly. They soon conceded a third through Farmer - who had one of his best, most focused games at Hull Arena, recording five points - neatly firing a backhanded shot high over Ben Bowns following an awful shift from defensive pairing Dulle and Jeff Smith.
Miller was then given all the time in the world in front of Bowns on the powerplay to fire a backhanded shot low under the GB keeper for a 4-2 lead heading into the third.
The Stingrays desperately need to start the third period well and they got the jump they required early on in the final stanza with some continued pressure, only for Miller to complete his hat-trick with an easy finish two minutes in that effectively ended the tie as a contest.
Rays enforcer Ryan Hand and rangy Clan debutant Martin Tuma - signed from Nottingham this week - dropped the gloves in the only notable moment of the final 40 minutes of the game as far as Rays fans were concerned. Tuma tied up Hand and got some good early upper cuts in before Hand came back into the contest - seemingly landing the decisive blow - with the Czech defenceman leaving the game with an injured hand.
Further misery was heaped on the home fans as Farmer added his second of the game and tenth of the season with a neat deke around Bowns - ending his participation in the fixture - before Goldie rounded off the rout by beating replacement Greg Blais for a seventh with under seven minutes remaining.
The defeat is a tough one to take given the Rays now face a Scottish double header this weekend and there were very few bright sparks on show this evening. While two goals from Tendler and the performance of Martin Ondrej and Shane Lovdahl as a defensive pairing was impressive, the exactly opposite could perhaps be leveled at the Smith and Dulle partnership - which was all at sea. Injuries to Silverthorn and niggling doubts to Janis Ozolins and netminder Bowns - who went to the dressing room with the physio after being replaced this evening - will also be a concern.
Regardless, there are no doubts this was comfortably the Stingrays worst showing of the season and Cloutier and his side will be all too aware of that.
They will hope to bounce back on Saturday with the last of three consecutive fixtures against Braehead - this time in Glasgow - leveling the the series - which stands at 2-1 in favour of the Clan - in the process. On Sunday they then travel to Edinburgh to face a Capitals side that has received a welcome boost in strength and depth this week with he signing of two import defencemen.
In the second of the three consecutive meetings between the two sides, the Hull Stingrays were tonight soundly beaten by the Braehead Clan at Hull Arena with NHLer Drew Miller and Brit Robert Farmer helping themselves to five goals and eight points in a 7-2 win.
Tom Squires opened the scoring 11 seconds into the fixture four days earlier, however, it was the Clan that scored early this time. Detriot Red Wings forward Miller bagging the first of three goals on the night just 13 seconds into the tie giving the Scots a perfect start to the fixture.
Soon after the opener, Jason Silverthorn limped off in visible pain with an injury that would later see him leave the game for hospital following an innocuous check on a Clan defenceman.
Things then went from bad to worse for Stingrays, who had barely established themselves in the game before Ash Goldie added Braehead's second with a slapshot from the hashmarks after just five minutes.
Controversially, prior to the Clans second goal, Braehead forward Adam Walker left the game after it transpired that his name had not been listed on the official teamsheet. This was spotted by the Stingrays bench moments after his first shift and Rays captain Kurtis Dulle brought the issue to the attention of referee Michael Hicks - who promptly ordered the British forward from the game.
While no action was taken at the time, it remains to be seen what the Elite League's take on the event is with the ruling unclear - although, it must be mentioned, that at other levels of the sport in the UK the offending team would forfeit the game. Whether the issue is taken any further remains to be seen, though on this showing the Stingrays wouldn't deserve the points regardless.
Nevertheless, despite the controversy, the Stingrays were outplayed for large swathes of the first period, that was, until Jereme Tendler popped up and banked the puck in off Clan netminder Garrett Zemlak from an acute angle. The goal saved the blushes of alternate captain Dominic Osman who, moments earlier, had missed an empty net at the back stick with an awful finish on a two-on-one with Matty Davies.
The goal gave the Stingrays much need spark and, against the general run of play in the opening period, Tendler bagged his 18th of the season little over three minutes later to level the scores. With Sylvain Cloutier's side pushing forward, Matty Davies opted, as he so often does, to pass instead of rushing through a gaping hole in the Clan defence. He then fed Tendler, who's initial shot was saved, before he picked up his own rebound and jinked his way around Zemlak to fire into the empty net.
The home side started off the second period as they had the first - badly. They soon conceded a third through Farmer - who had one of his best, most focused games at Hull Arena, recording five points - neatly firing a backhanded shot high over Ben Bowns following an awful shift from defensive pairing Dulle and Jeff Smith.
Miller was then given all the time in the world in front of Bowns on the powerplay to fire a backhanded shot low under the GB keeper for a 4-2 lead heading into the third.
The Stingrays desperately need to start the third period well and they got the jump they required early on in the final stanza with some continued pressure, only for Miller to complete his hat-trick with an easy finish two minutes in that effectively ended the tie as a contest.
Rays enforcer Ryan Hand and rangy Clan debutant Martin Tuma - signed from Nottingham this week - dropped the gloves in the only notable moment of the final 40 minutes of the game as far as Rays fans were concerned. Tuma tied up Hand and got some good early upper cuts in before Hand came back into the contest - seemingly landing the decisive blow - with the Czech defenceman leaving the game with an injured hand.
Further misery was heaped on the home fans as Farmer added his second of the game and tenth of the season with a neat deke around Bowns - ending his participation in the fixture - before Goldie rounded off the rout by beating replacement Greg Blais for a seventh with under seven minutes remaining.
The defeat is a tough one to take given the Rays now face a Scottish double header this weekend and there were very few bright sparks on show this evening. While two goals from Tendler and the performance of Martin Ondrej and Shane Lovdahl as a defensive pairing was impressive, the exactly opposite could perhaps be leveled at the Smith and Dulle partnership - which was all at sea. Injuries to Silverthorn and niggling doubts to Janis Ozolins and netminder Bowns - who went to the dressing room with the physio after being replaced this evening - will also be a concern.
Regardless, there are no doubts this was comfortably the Stingrays worst showing of the season and Cloutier and his side will be all too aware of that.
They will hope to bounce back on Saturday with the last of three consecutive fixtures against Braehead - this time in Glasgow - leveling the the series - which stands at 2-1 in favour of the Clan - in the process. On Sunday they then travel to Edinburgh to face a Capitals side that has received a welcome boost in strength and depth this week with he signing of two import defencemen.
FBB Three Stars
1. Jereme Tendler
2. Martin Ondrej
3. Shane Lovdahl
