Vipers stopped in their tracks

Nov 12 2007 The Journal

Sheffield Steelers 4, Newcastle Vipers 1

NEWCASTLE Vipers’ fine run of form, which had seen them become the first team to beat league-leading Coventry Blaze at home this season on Saturday night, came to an abrupt end during the middle period against the Steelers last night.

Going into Ice Sheffield the Vipers had won three successive games but two rapid-fire goals inside the opening two minutes and a powerplay third just before the period concluded effectively finished Rob Wilson’s team off.

The Vipers had already qualified for the Challenge Cup semi-finals and the result means the team finish the group stages in second place behind the Steelers on goal difference.

A semi-final contest will now take place against Group A winners the Nottingham Panthers, while Steelers will play the Vipers’ current bogey side Cardiff Devils for a place in the trophy-winning game.

Steelers’ coach Dave Matsos changed his forward lines for what was a win or not qualify game for his team and Joe Talbot justified his promotion to the first line with the opening score on 20 minutes. Just over a minute later Vipers’ netminder Ryan MacDonald was beaten for a second time, the puck being put past him by Doug Sheppard.

The match-winner against the Blaze, winger Derek Campbell, was sitting out a hooking penalty when the Vipers went further behind, Talbot hitting his second of the night with just over a minute left of the period to play.

Back-up netminder Richie Lawson replaced MacDonald for the third period before Jeff Ligue put the home side further ahead.

Facing the ignominy of being shut out for the first time this season, the Vipers managed a belated response on 47 minutes, Dean Holland scoring.

Saturday’s road win put the Vipers on equal points with the Blaze at the top of the Elite League table but in second place on goal difference. The first two periods were tense affairs with the impressive MacDonald having to save 25 shots to keep the Blaze at bay.

But his luck didn’t hold long after the resumption of play. A breakaway goal scored by Adam Calder put the Blaze ahead 33 seconds into the final period.

The Vipers responded with two goals in as many minutes to win 2-1.

STEELERS: Talbot 2+0, Legue 1+1, Sheppard 1+0, A. Tait 0+2, Finnerty and Sarich 0+1.

VIPERS: Holland 0+1.

BLAZE: Calder 1-0, Carlson and Pease 0+1.

VIPERS: D Campbell and Longstaff 0+1, Johnson, Payette, Shields and Storey 0+1.

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Whitley Warriors 5, Kingston Jets 4

THE Whitley Warriors edged a nine-goal thriller at home to rapidly-improving Kingston Jets last night to maintain their lead at the top of English National Ice Hockey League North.

Jordan Davies scored a powerplay goal at 8.17 to open the scoring for the visitors, but a short-handed marker from DJ Good saw Whitley level four minutes later.

However, Kingston again edged ahead early in the second session and it was not until 31.27 that Ryan Sample fired home the equaliser.

On Saturday, the Warriors were too strong for Blackburn Hawks, running out 6-3 winners despite the absence of injured player-coaches Andrew Carter and Karl Culley for the English National League encounter. Adam Hendry netted the only goal of the opening period to put Whitley ahead, with Ryan Sample extending the advantage early in the middle session.

The Hawks did, though, manage to pull one back before the break.

However, the game was won in the first 10 minutes of the last period as Callum Watson (2) and Michael Allinson took the Whitley lead to 5-1.

Blackburn then pulled a couple back but a further Ryan Sample strike completed the scoring, Thomas Murdy then denied David Meikle a hat-trick for the home side when he saved a last-minute penalty shot.

WHITLEY WARRIORS (v Kingston Jets): D Good and M Good 1+1, R Sample, S Zajac and Carter 1+0, Tindale 0+2, Wilson, Mole and D Murdy 0+1.

WHITLEY WARRIORS (v Blackburn Hawks): R Sample 2+1, Watson 2+0, Hendry and Allison 1+0, T Murdy, Barrett, Wilson and Mole 0+1.