Newcastle Vipers 3, Belfast Giants 6

Nov 19 2007 The Journal

HIT for six at home on two consecutive nights, the Vipers must quickly regroup and rediscover the form that made them a force to be reckoned with.

The Vipers’ alarming dip in form comes after their ascent to the top of the table and they must try to get back to winning ways for tomorrow night’s visit to Nottingham to take on the Panthers in the first leg of the Challenge Cup semi-final.

After Saturday’s 2-6 home loss to Coventry Blaze the Vipers could blame poor officiating. But last night there were no excuses and coach Rob Wilson offered none. He said: “We are much better than we have played this weekend. Coventry had a terrible weekend last time and I guess this was our turn.

“We were very flat and did not play at the level or at the intensity you need to win hockey games.”

For the second night in a row the Vipers effectively lost in the first period. Left unmarked in the middle, Peter Campbell gave netminder Ryan MacDonald no chance with his powerful and well-placed shot to give the Giants a ninth minute lead.

The gap between the two sides increased just under five minutes later. Defenceman Peter Krakty failed to clear and the predatory Campbell flicked it over the netminder.

MacDonald’s luck deserted him again when he skated behind his goal to intercept but the puck took a totally unpredictable bounce and flew towards the face of the goal, where Lee Jamieson had the simplest of chances to score.

A minute into the second period the Vipers were back in the game, defenceman Ben Storey missing with a deflected shot but the visitors responded swiftly and a three on two break concluded with Ed Courtenay firing across MacDonald’s body.

The unusually quiet Derek Campbell showed what he could do when he won possession and found Colin Shields with a precise cross pass, the winger scoring with an instant connection.

Game on for the Vipers ? No. Seconds later a counter-attack saw Carl Lewis make it 2-5. Another flash of Derek Campbell brilliance put the Vipers back in with a shout on 39 minutes but once again the Giants hit back, Scott Cameron being given the time and space to shoot and score.

:: MORE than 3,000 people filled the Metro Radio Arena for Saturday’s top of the table clash against the Blaze. The night began badly when the Vipers paid for being a skater short with the game a minute old, Curtis Huppe slotting home the power play marker.

Referee Andy Carson then called two more penalties against the Vipers and the visitors made the most of their chances.

The Vipers survived the five on three power play but on 11 minutes there was no one near Adam Calder when he received the puck in the slot and let fly an unstoppable wrist shot. It got worse while the Vipers were running power play. Danny Stewart successfully went one on one with net minder Ryan MacDonald, who got his left leg pad to the shot but did not get enough on it to deflect the puck wide of his goal. There was to be no coming back from that.

VIPERS: Shields 1+2, D Campbell 1+1, Storey 1+0, Hutchins and Longstaff 0+1.

GIANTS: P Campbell 2+2, Courtenay 1+4, Lewis 1+1, Cameron and Jamieson 1+0, Morrison 0+1.

VIPERS (Saturday): Shields 1+1, Storey 1+0, D Campbell, Jackson and Longstaff 0+1.

BLAZE: Huppe 2+1, Carlson 1+2, Caulder, Stewart and Timmons 1+0, Clouthier 0+4, Coenig and Soderstrom 0+1.