Coors Belfast Giants 4, Newcastle Vipers 1

Jan 31 2009 The Journal

OUTPLAYED from the beginning to the end of the game, the Vipers were lucky to leave the Odyssey Arena ice having conceded only four goals.

Netminder Andrew Verner was the primary reason why the defeat wasn’t heavier and he thoroughly deserved his man-of-the-match honour after making 46 saves.

In a pre-match interview, general manager Todd Kelman had described the Vipers as the Giants’ “most hated rival” and the animosity between the clubs flared up five minutes into the game when the home side’s Jason Rushton fought with Andre Payette. The two players were to clash again in the middle period and they clearly hadn’t cooled down as they left the ice for the second break.

Both Payette and Rushton were still serving their penalties from their opening bout when the Vipers’ defence was breached for the first time on seven minutes. The Giants broke away along the left flank and after the puck was passed inside, Tyler Howell’s shot travelled through netminder Andre Verner’s leg.

Less than two minutes later, the Vipers went further behind while forward Rob Rankin was sitting out play on a roughing penalty. Verner was this time beaten at his far post by Michael Burgoyne. Verner had made 19 saves and he made another 17 in the second, letting one shot bypass him early in the second period. Giants’ player- coach Steve Thornton got ahead of his Vipers’ counterpart, Rob Wilson, in the slot and was successful with a back-handed goal attempt.

Six minutes into the final period the Vipers, who had only managed 13 shots in 40 minutes of play, finally got on to the scoreboard. From a wide right position, defenceman Chris McAllister let fly and the puck seemed to take a deflection on its path into the net by netminder Stevie Lyle’s near post. The Vipers were operating a powerplay when the Giants went 4-1 ahead on 50 minutes.

Rushton had just finished serving a penalty when he was at the centre of melee with 25 seconds of the game remaining. Payette broke free and then seemed to challenge the whole of the Giants’ bench to a fight before being manhandled on to the Vipers’ bench.

Tonight the Vipers may go into the second of the back-to-back games against the Giants at the Odyssey without forward Jeff Hutchins. The team’s fourth highest points scorer failed to ice for the second period last night.

GIANTS: Martin 1+1, Burgoyne, Howells and Thornton 1+0, Awada, Macmillan and Walton 0+1.

VIPERS: McAllister 1+0, Courtenay and Longstaff 0+1.