Ice Hockey: Vipers have the edge in play-off

Mar 30 2008 Sunday Sun

Belfast Giants 3 Newcastle Vipers 5

IN a result the Vipers would have settled for beforehand, the team takes a deserved two-goal lead into tonight’s play-off quarter-final second leg but the advantage could have been greater.

At 28 minutes the Vipers were 4-0 ahead, and, after the Giants had threatened a comeback, Jeff Hutchins perhaps crucially scored on 45 minutes to make it 5-2.

When the Vipers left the ice for the first break they were in a very commanding position after scoring in the fifth, eighth and 16th minute.

Rob Wilson’s team took the lead in the exact second Hutchins’ early-charging penalty had been killed.

GB Internationals David Longstaff and Shaun Johnson combined, before defenceman Mark Gouett struck his 10th goal of the season by firing through traffic from long range.

After the expected fight between Vipers enforcer Andre Payette and Carlyle Lewis the lead doubled and it was Gouett’s usual playing partner on the blue line, Ben Storey, who scored after making his move between the face-off circles.

There were four minutes of the period to play when Hutchins set up the unmarked Johnson for the Vipers third, which ended a 16-game goal less run for the hard-working centre.

Eight minutes into the second period the Vipers edged even nearer to a semi-final tie in Nottingham next weekend when the in-form Colin Shields tapped in from close range his fifth goal and eighth point in three games.

Shields score caused one very upset Giants fan to pull off his replica shirt and throw it onto the ice before storming out of the building.

He missed his team halving the deficit as 15 seconds before the hooter goalie Ryan MacDonald’s hopes of achieving a fourth shut-out were controversially dashed when Peter Campbell put the Giants on the scoreboard, even though player/coach Ed Courtenay appeared to be standing in the crease.

Three minutes into the final period and the puck was again eluding MacDonald’s reach and hitting the webbing, this time Shaun Sutter being the successful shooter to make it 4-2.

The fight back was then stopped while the Vipers were operating a powerplay and Hutchins made a scoring connection after Shields had shot the puck at goal.

With just under 10 minutes remaining the dangerous Campbell latched on to Mark Dutiaume’s pass and scored to again threaten the Vipers grip on the game.

Gouett was penalised for charging on 54 minutes, but the Vipers penalty killing unit effectively did their jobs to protect the precious two-goal lead.

Tonight’s second leg tie faces off at the MetroRadio Arena at 5.30pm.

GIANTS SCORERS: Campbell 2+1, Sutter 1+0, Awada 0+2, Dutiaume and Gavalier 0+1.

VIPERS SCORERS: Hutchins, Johnson & Shields 1+1, Gouett & Storey 1+0, Henderson, Jackson & Longstaff 0+1.