Belfast Giants and GKS Katowice proceed to Final
The first finalists for the Continental Cup final were decided yesterday.
The Belfast Giants
(EIHL) are in the final group of the IIHF Continental Cup despite suffering a
4-2 loss to Polish side GKS Katowice (Polska Hokej Liga) in their climatic third stage game.
After picking up full points
in their previous two games, they weren’t able to finish with the 100% record
they wanted as Katowice joined them in the final.
Earlier in the day,
Medvescak Zagreb finished their campaign on a high note with a 3-1 success over
Ritten Sport.
Despite ending with the same
points as Belfast and Katowice, they were squeezed out, finishing their
campaign on a bittersweet note.
Belfast will have to
wait until the completion of the other semi final group in Lyon tomorrow before
they’ll know who’ll await them in the final in January, with the venue to be
set once all four teams are confirmed.
The Stena Line Belfast Giants opened their games as they
defeated Croatian champions Medvescak Zagreb in an impressive display on the
opening night of the International Ice-Hockey Federation Continental Cup
Semi-Final group in Belfast.
Tyler Beskorowany posted a shutout, turning away 34 shots with
as goals from Jim Vandermeer, Lewis Hook, Dustin Johner and Pat Dwyer helped
the Giants to a win in the first of three games in as many nights at The SSE
Arena.
They then defeated Ritten Sport 6-2, the Italian champions,
leaving them one win away from a place in the IIHF Continental Cup Final. Blair
Riley scored the game winning goal in the middle period, his second of the
game, to make it two wins in as many nights for the Giants following Thursday’s
win vs Medvescak Zagreb.