Rink Round Up - Week 1

As usual Frozen Steel will cover the rest of the Elite League action in a separate article. Well the opening weekend was an interesting one to say the least with a couple of surprises already. Let's now look back on it.

Challenge Cup holders Cardiff Devils started their defence of the trophy with a visit from Elite League newcomers Milton Keynes Lightning. Former Manchester Storm defenceman Paul Phillips silenced the majority of the 2917 crowd inside Ice Arena Wales with the opening salvo midway through the first period. However goals from Gleason Fournier and Patrick Asselin had the holders ahead by the end of the first. Paul Crowder's first goal as a Devil extended that lead to 3-1 at 21:26 before a Christian Isackson powerplay strike reduced it to a one goal game only for an Andrew Hotham effort moments later to restore the two goal Cardiff lead. Matt Pope's empty netter with two seconds left sealed the deal for Andrew Lord's men in an ill tempered game which included former teammates Hotham and Carl Hudson having a wee tilt towards the end of the first.

The other newcomers to the league, Guildford Flames, had an equally tough assignment in the League as they travelled to Belfast Giants now under the tutelage of Adam Keefe. Despite playing with back-up Mike Will in goal, Flames were only just beaten by 6-4. Belfast had six different scorers and it took a midway third period goal from the experienced Colin Shields to secure the two points. In the Midlands derby, Champions Hockey League surprise packet Nottingham Panthers weren't at their best but edged the Coventry Blaze 4-3; the all important game winning goal coming from Brett Perlini (his second of the game) as early as 32:04. GB internationalist Evan Mosey also missed a penalty shot midway through the third period for Corey Neilson's team.

Onto Sunday, Coventry completed a zero start when they were defeated 4-1 in the Sky Dome by Ryan Finnerty's Manchester Storm. Former Braehead forward Matt Beca scored twice and assisted on another as Storm made a winning away start. It was heated affair which erupted at 36:57 which saw both Blaze's Dax Lauwers and Storm's Gerard Hanson both being ejected from the game. However, the big surprises came in the games that followed.

Fresh from their opening night win against Guildford, most expected Belfast to record the same to Milton Keynes but an early goal from Ben Foster soon got them thinking otherwise. Giants' woes increased when defenceman Jim Vandermeer was ejected on a 5+game for slashing by referee Stefan Hogarth. Come the early part of the second period, Lightning had roared to a 4-1 lead and they never looked back; finishing with a comprehensive 6-3 triumph and hot prospect Lewis Hook taking the plaudits with a brace.

Also scoring a brace in that game was former Cardiff Devil Guillaume Doucet, and his old side had a bump of their own in the Spectrum's first top division game since it opened for business. Ian Watters was the man who did the damage predominantly with a hat-trick in a game at that ended 8-4 in Guildford's favour. Defenceman Drew Paris did score twice for the Devils but it was a match they never led in and four unanswered goals from the home team sealed the deal for Paul Dixon's team.

And finally, the four Scottish teams held the inaugural Scottish Cup tournament: this year being held in Murrayfield, Edinburgh. John Tripp's Braehead Clan were victorious in the Final as they overcame Fife Flyers 3-1 in a very hot headed Final. Clan had beaten 4-2 Edinburgh in their semi-final and Flyers had defeated Dundee 6-2 in the other semi-final to progress.

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