Week 14 in the EIHL

09 Dec 2012 | Ollie Hampson

Drew Miller and Matt Beleskey showed off their skills as the both grabbed a 4 and 3 goals respectively on Wednesday night, in the same week where the Fife Flyers upset the Belfast Giants allowing the Nottingham Panthers to take the top spot in the EIHL.

Wednesday 5 December

Braehead Clan V Fife Flyers 3:5

Just the one goal in a evenly matched opening period that saw 12 shots each, But Braehead managed to get on the scoreboard through NHLer Drew Miller, in the first of a handful of goals from him that night.

Fife pulled one back at 28.07 through Todd Dutiaume, and then took the lead through former Clan man Bobby Chaumont at 33.56

But as the period drew to a close, at 39.59 Drew Miller leveled the game with just a second left in the period.

With the scores level, Braehead wasted no time in taking the lead again, Drew Miller completed his hattrick at 41.45, and the lead was doubled at 43.54 through Ash Goldie for his 15th of the year.

Fife did manage to pull one back through Kris Hogg at 54.59, but as Bryan Pitton skated to the bench for the extra attacker, Drew Miller added his fourth of the night into the empty net to take a 5:3 victory.

Coventry Blaze V Nottingham Panthers 3:4

In his 499th EIHL game, Matt Myers opened the scoring for the visiting panthers with a shorthanded strike at 8.33, which proved to be the only goal of the first 20 minutes of play.

Myers than added a second goal at 21.21, and the lead was extended further through Bruce Graham at 27.10 to give Nottingham a 3:0 lead.

Matt Beleskey of the Anaheim Ducks, with the Coventry Blaze during the NHL lockout then responded with two goals, one on the powerplay at 29.16 and a second at 15.38 to end the period with the Blaze trailing by just one.

Both teams struck early in the third, Pat Galivan gave Nottingham a two goal lead at 41.15, but 19 seconds later, Matt Beleskey completed his hattrick but it was the final goal of the game, and the Nottingham Panthers crept even closer to the top of the league with a 4:3 win.

Saturday 8 December

Cardiff Devils V Nottingham Panthers 2:3 (Shootout)

Neither side could get on the board after the openinng 20 minutes despite Nottingham outshooting the Devils 14:5

It didn't take long for the scoring to start in the second period, just 11 seconds in, Devils Captain Stuart MacRae scored a shorthanded goal to give the home team a 1:0 lead.

Nottingham cut the lead through Pat Galivan at 22.29 after very nice passing infront of the net between Galivan and David Clarke.

Cardiff grabbed their second shorthanded goal of the night through Mac Faulkner after a defensive collapse by the Panthers, but as the period came to an end, Guillaume Lepine leveled the game at 2.

A goalless third period and overtime period meant the two sides went to a shootout.

Chris Blight of the Devils and Matt Francis of the Panthers both scored in the best of three round, but Matt Francis scored on his second shot to give the Panthers the 2 points which put them top of the EIHL.

Edinburgh Capitals V Sheffield Steelers 2:1

Neither side could get on the board after the first period, but it was Edinburgh who would take the lead in the second.

Curtis Leinweber found the net at 25.19 as Matt Stephenson was called on a Delay of Game penalty.

Late in the period, Matt Stephenson levelled the game again at 39.40 with a powerplay goal of his own, as Michal Dobron was given a two minute penalty for interference.

Edinburgh would ultimately take the two points as Willie Nicolson scored his first of the year at 53.46 to give the last place Edinburgh Capitals a shock win against the Sheffield Steelers.

Fife Flyers V Belfast Giants 4:1

Infront of a packed Fife Ice Arena, the Fife Flyers stunned the table toppers Belfast Giants, and with Nottingham winning their saturday game, Belfast slipped to second in the league.

Belfast put the first goal up through Craig Peacock, who would later skate of with a nasty cut to his face.

Casey Haines managed to tie the game up less than a minute after they fell behind with a powerplay goal at 12.59, and the period ended with the scores level at 1 a piece.

Jason Pitton put the Flyers ahead at 26.29, and then in the third period he added his second and third goals to upset the Giants and give the Flyers a much deserved 4:1 victory.

Sunday 9 December

Nottingham Panthers V Hull Stingrays 8:4

It didn't take long for the goals to start coming in this encounter, just 29 seconds into the game Jason Beckett gave the Panthers a one goal lead, but Tom Squires of the Stingrays leveled it up at 2.08.

Shortly after, Matt Davies gave Hull a lead at 3.41, and at 12.08, Head Coach Sylvain Cloutier gave the Stingrays a suprising 3:1 lead going into the first break.

Nottingham pulled the game back midway in the second, Jonathan Weaver converted on the powerplay at 11.56, and less than a minute later, Bruce Graham added his 13th of the year to tie the game up.

Late in the period, David Ling gave the Panthers a one goal lead going into the break with the score at 4:3.

Nottingham continued their run with Bruce Grahams' second of the night with a 5 on 3 powerplay goal, and 58 seconds later Brandon Benedict added a third powerplay goal for a 6:3 lead.

Matt Myers grabbed his 10th of the year after being held pointless in his 500th game the night before to give Nottingham a 7:3 lead.

With the game won already, Nottingham gave Dan Green a chance in goal for the final 8 minutes of the game.

Pat Galivan scored the Panthers seventh unanswered goal at 18.05, but Janis Ozolins did manage to beat Dan Green at 19.26 to give the Panthers a convincing 8:4 victory and stay top of the table.

Coventry Blaze V Sheffield Steelers 1:2

Both teams failed to find the net in the first period, so at 25.52 Jason Hewitt opened the scoring to give the Steelers the lead.

Just over two minutes later, Russ Cowley levelled the game again, but Jason Hewitt found the net again at 13.02, the last goal of the game to give Sheffield a 2:1 victory in a close and physical clash which saw a total of 75 penalty minutes.

Edinburgh Capitals V Belfast Giants 1:4

The Belfast Giants bounced back from the shock 4:1 defeat to the Fife Flyers the previous night with a 4:1 victory of their own.

Belfast took the away lead as Will Colbert scored at 9.04

Edinburgh responded quickly after Mark Garside was called for holding, giving Curtis Leinweber the chance to convert on the powerplay to level the game at 10.58

It took all of 97 seconds to take the lead again, Scott Champagne added his fourth goal of the year to take the game into the break at 2:1

Belfast extended their lead at 31.38 through Daryll Lloyd beat Tomas Hiadlovsky in the Capitals net to make it 3:1 and in the third period, Noah Clarke closed the game at 51.24 to give Belfast a 4:1 victory.

Dundee Stars V Braehead Clan 1:4

Tim Kraus opened the scoring for the Stars at 8.40 but the lead was quickly cut as Matt Haywood tied the game at 10.00

From their Dundee converted more chances, despite being outshot 36:27 by the Clan.

Sami Ryhanen grabbed his 16th goal of the year at 21.59, then two third period goals from Billy Bagron sealed the 4:1 victory for the Dundee Stars.