IT'S A STAMPEDE!!!!

The Belfast Giants well and truely dispelled their bogie team of this season to overcome the Basingstoke Bison for only the second time at the Odyssey Arena. Goals from Huppe, Kelman, Johnson, Awada, Kelly and Levers gave the Giants just revenge for the road defeat at the Bisonâ??s hands only 6 days previous.

Returning from a long road trip, it was the Giants first game at home in nearly a month, and despite a few disappointing results on that road trip (most notably at the hands of tonightâ??s visiting team) they gave the home support a great display. Sending a signal to the rest of the Elite League that title race is far from over!

In a thrilling game it was Diarmuid Kelly who opened the scoring in the first period. Scoring on the backhand and unassisted. And it remained 1-0 for the remainder of that period.

Giants came out with all guns blazing in the second period. Tony Hand took the puck round the back of the net, as he frequently does, a quick pass forward collided with the Bison netminder, it was picked off the floor by Shane Johnson, who dragged it round the stranded keeper and placed it, backhanded again, into the back of the Bison goal to make it two.

This was quickly followed by the Giants third. Hard work by Kelly in the corner laid the puck off to Marc Levers who made no mistake in slotting the puck home. It was Curtis Huppe, however who had jaws dropping with two minutes left in the period. A link up from Fredrick Nasvall and Curt Bowen, gave the puck to Huppe who, from the right circle side, shot at an impossibly acute angle into the back of the net. Leaving the Giants with a clear advantage, leading in to the final period.

It didnâ??t take the Giants long into the final session to score again. Bison replaced their netminder with backup Dean Skinns. But it only took George Awada a single minute to score against the cold netminder. A Giants powerplay gave Jason Bowen the puck to place Awada in the position to put the put in the net, top shelf, glove side. 5-0!

Bison were unable to capitalise on a 43 second 5 on 3 opportunity with Nasvall and Jason Bowen in the box.

For different reasons, it was the Giants who replaced their netminder next, with Chris McGimpsey entering play and 13 minutes left of the game. Tony Hand pulling the eventual Man of the Match Martin Klempa, denying him a possible shut-out, to give the popular local keeper the ice for the end of the game.

Giants didnâ??t give the Bison long to try out the replacement. Ewasko was put in the box for the Bison, and on the PP, Curt Bowen and Curtis Huppe became providers for Todd Kelman to hammer it past Skinns who was nowhere.

A convincing disciplined win for the Giants to signal their return home. Theyâ??ll be hoping to continue this form tomorrow night for the first visit of the Bracknell Bees to the Odyssey since the days of the old Ice Hockey Superleague. However they will not be underestimating the side who have, this week, become the champions of the British National League.

Patrick Smyth