Shock Tactics Down Giants

In the much anticipated clash between the Giants and Newcastle Vipers, following just a week after the Giants handed the Vipers an 8-2 pasting and Rob Wilson started a line brawl on Odyssey ice, it was the rarely seen skilled Vipers who appeared on the ice of the Metro Radio Arena on Saturday night.

Early on it looked like the Vipers usual discipline problems may cost them with the Giants receiving a 5 on 3 powerplay. However the red hot powerplay that had been seen the previous week was nowehere to be seen and the Vipers easily killed the penalty claiming some momentum behind the display of Andrew Verner in their goal who was standing on his head, stomach and goodness knows what other body parts!

This momentum carried on giving the Vipers the impetus, despite being heavily outshot, and by the end of the first period they had stolen a 2-0 lead with Burt Henderson on the powerplay and Rob Wilson beating Stevie Lyle.

The break came at a good time for the Giants and out they came for the second period with a renewed sense of urgency. Bobby Robins continued his early season form finally getting past the brick wall Verner 5.24 into the period. But within 30 seconds the Vipers had reclaimed their 2 goal cushion when a breakdown in the offensive zone from the Giants allowed Todd Griffith to break in on Stevie Lyle and fire the puck past him to make it 3-1.

Once more Verner was being peppered in the Viper goal while Lyle was left with little to do, but once more it was the Vipers who found the net with Derek Campbell forcing home a scramble in front to make it 4-1 at 36.37.

Was this a step too far for the Giants to come back? Tyler Howells gave us a glimmer of hope right at the end of the second period when the powerplay finally clicked and his wrist shot beat Verner with just 13 seconds to go, giving the Giants players and fans hope as the hooter sounded to end the second.

In the final period, the Giants really turned the screws, once more having shot after shot saved by Andrew Verner. It took some great play from Robins and Deniset to work space from behind the net before finding George Awada alone in front to crash home the puck and make it a 1 goal game with twelve minutes to go.

As the period went on the frustration leve;s among all Giants present grew as Andrew Verner kept the puck out, and as Lyle went to the bench for the extra attacker with under a minute to go the tension was almost unbearable. Several scrambles around the goal brought fans to their feet, but as the puck floated toward the net once more the hooter sounded and the puck bounced off the post, sending the Giants to a first defeat of the season.

Aaron Kernohan

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