Posted by radiojones on January 04, 1998 at 22:43:09:
In Reply to: WOT A LOAD OF GARBAGE!! posted by Andy B on January 04, 1998 at 22:23:08:
Eagles played 17 points 25
Panthers played 18 points 23
Storm played 19 points 22
Ayr Scottish Eagles maintained their number one position in British ice hockey
tonight, coming from behind to win 5-4 at Sheffield Steelers and stay top of
Superleague.
David Longstaff and Frank Kovacs gave Steelers a great start with two goals
inside the first eight minutes - but markers from Sam Groleau and Jamie Steer
tied things up at the 20-minute mark.
Steelers took the second session 2-1 and at that stage the Benson and Hedges
Cup winners and runaway leaders of the Express Cup were facing defeat.
But Danuse Bauba tied the scores on 42:36, and then Groleau's second goal of
the night, with just under 15 minutes remaining, turned things around in favour
of the Scottish side, maintaining their two-point lead at the top as the chase
for glory hots up with seven weeks of the season proper remaining.
Manchester Storm's bid to keep up the pressure came unstuck at the hands of
title rivals Nottingham Panthers, in front of another 10,000 plus crowd at the
Nynex Arena.
Stefan Ketola gave Storm the lead, but Derek Laxdal netted on the powerplay to
even things up when the first buzzer sounded.
A burst of three goals between 28:14 and 35:42 proved decisive for Panthers,
who welcomed back big defenceman Mike Bishop. But they are still without the
influential quartet of Graham Waghorn. Steve Carpenter, Neil Morgan and Brent
Bobyck.
Powerplay goals from Paul Adey and former Manchester favourite Jeff Sebastien
stretched Nottingham's lead to 3-1, and then Jamie Leach netted even-handed to
make it 4-1.
Storm's Dale Jago broke through on the powerplay to narrow the deficit to 4-2,
and then in the final period Brad Rubachuk made it 4-3 to set up a frantic
finale.
Manchester coach Kurt Kleinendorst pulled netminder Jim Hrivnak to give his
side the extra skater - but hopes of a comeback were killed when Laxdal found
the empty net with five seconds left to seal the win.
Wooden spoon candidates Newcastle Cobras and Basingstoke Bison met in the
north-east tonight in Superleague's other game, with the hosts winning a crunch
game to cut the deficit on their fellow strugglers from Hampshire to just three
points.
Bison trailed 4-2 but hit back to lead 5-4 with goals from Kevin Conway - his
second of the night - Paddy Scott and Joe Stefan.
But Xavier Majic's second of the night took the game into sudden-death
overtime on 52:17 - and then 58 seconds into it Chris Norton netted the winner
for Newcastle. Brett Stewart (2) and Randy Smith got Newcastle's other goals,
with Greg Gatto the other Bison marksman.
In the Express Cup, Cardiff Devils came from behind to record their second win
of the weekend, 2-1 at Bracknell Bees.
Colin Ward gave Bracknell the lead at 7:01 - and that was how things stayed
until the last 20 minutes.
Cardiff's Frank Evans levelled the scores on 42:46, and then Vezio Sacratini
sent Marty Yewchuk clear for the winner on 49:52.
The result means Cardiff join Nottingham and Bracknell on 10 points - but Ayr
have 16, and a game in hand.
end
042210 JAN 98