Mobilx Newcastle Vipers 2 LBM Belfast Giants 6

Mar 29 2010 by Peter Adams, The Journal

THE Rob Wilson era ended on a flat note as the Vipers went out of the play-offs by a 10-3 aggregate score.

Going into the quarter-final second leg trailing 4-1, the Vipers went behind on the night when Jeff Swzez shot through goalie Michel Robinson’s legs for a seventh-minute power score.

The Vipers equalised while operating their first powerplay of the night, Matic |Kralj picking out Jermaine Domish in the slot from where the defenceman sent the puck over netminder Stephen Murphy’s left shoulder on nine minutes.

Evan Cheverie made a scoring connection on an airborne puck for the Giants’ 12th-minute second goal, but the Vipers equalised again soon after they had killed an early second-period penalty (24 minutes).

Kralj had just sprung from the penalty box when he was picked out by Domish and the forward advanced on Murphy before sending the puck over the goalie’s left-hand shoulder and into the roof of the net.

Unfortunately the Vipers' next powerplay resulted in a shorthanded marker on 35 minutes.

George Awada broke away along the right and released a shot which Robinson got behind. The rebound off the netminder sent the puck into the air and the Giants’ player-coach Steve Thornton’s hand and eye co-ordinatiion was good enough to make a scoring connection.

It became 4-2 on the night during a powerplay, Robinson this time being beaten by Pat Bateman’s shot which flew across his body on 43 minutes. With 13 minutes left, Wilson gambled by withdrawing Robinson while the Vipers were operating a powerplay.

However, the gamble failed when ex-Viper Colin Shield sent the puck from inside his own zone into the unguarded goal.

The Vipers were then hit for six on 49 minutes when Cheverie was allowed to spin and shoot on the edge of the crease.

The goal ended Robinson’s night and for the last 10 minutes he was replaced by back-up Richie Lawson. On Saturday night, Robinson kept the Vipers in with a chance by saving 60 of the shots targeted directly at his goal.

He saved 22 of them in the scoreless first period, but then conceded three goals during the second.

The first came less than four minutes after Mike Berry had given the Vipers a surprise lead just 35 seconds from the restart.

Cheverie scored the 24th minute powerplay equaliser and Swzez the go-ahead goal (29 mins) which was followed by the third on 35 minutes by Cheverie.

Swzez then added his second with 11 minutes of the game remaining to give the Vipers a three-goal deficit to make up in the second leg.

SATURDAY

Giants: Cheverie and Swzez 2+0, Bateman and Walsh 0+2, Benedict and Peacock 0+1.

Vipers: Berry 1+0, Campbell 0+1.

SUNDAY

Vipers: Domish and Kralj 1+1, Hughes 0+1.

Giants: Shields 1+2, Bateman and Cheverie 1+1, Swzez and Thornton 1+0, Benedict and Jacobsen 0+2, Awada, Cook and Peacock 0+1.