Hard fought weekend lifts Vipers back to third

11:07am Monday 17th December 2007

Saturday, December 15, 2007: Elite League: Cardiff Devils 2-1 Mobilx Newcastle Vipers (after overtime)
Sunday, December 16, 2007: Elite League: Mobilx Newcastle Vipers 2-1 Sheffield Steelers (after penalty shots)

VIPERS lifted themselves back into third position and to within six points of Elite League leaders Coventry with a three-point weekend that saw them put in overtime on consecutive nights.

In a weekend which saw the Vipers lose Colin Shields to a broken thumb, Todd Jackson to a fresh groin injury and Dean Holland and Jez Lundin to international duty, the under-strength Tynesiders travelled to Cardiff Devils on Saturday night.

There was nothing to choose between these two teams but, in the end, it was the home side that ended a three-game losing streak with an overtime winner to take the two points.

The first period saw action at both ends, but it was the goaltenders who were coming up big and the teams went in after the first 20 minutes goalless.

After the re-start, the teams traded goals within a minute of one another.

The Devils were first to get on the board with a goal at 28.37 from Paul Sample and the Vipers reply came at 29.18 from the stick of David Longstaff, his eleventh of the season.

A goalless third period saw the game go into overtime and the all important goal came at 62.42 as former Vipers play-offs winning winger Matus Petricko netted the game winner to give the Devils the extra point.

The penalty count was added to after the Devils scored their winner as Vipers' Ben Storey, Andre Payette and Pavel Gomenyuk all received 10 minute misconducts, with the latter also receiving a game, as they claimed a foul in the build-up to the goal.

Sunday night's visit of arch rivals the Sheffield Steelers was a tense, yet exciting affair missed by large sections of the crowds which have attended Vipers matches this season - who chose not to bother for this one.

Despite a slow start, the Vipers picked up the pace after about five minutes and started to put on one of their best, hardest working performances in recent weeks.

Payette, who grafted throughout and refused to bite when provoked by the likes of Mark Thomas and Steve Munn, had one of the early chances as he tipped goalwards with the back of his stick, but failed to get enough power on the shot to beat the solid Jody Lehman.

Steelers took the lead at 18.02 as Ryan Finnerty sent a perfect wrist shot across Ryan MacDonald and over the Vipers stopper's left shoulder right into the top corner. The Vipers goalie never had chance to move.

Lehman's outstanding display would have earner him a shut-out on any other night and he denied both Longstaff and Payette in quick succession as the Vipers put pressure on for the equaliser.

Had Jeff Hutchins, who becomes the latest injury-based loss for the Vipers when he goes in for a hernia operation this week, had a better eye for goal on Sunday night, he could have had a couple, most notably when Longstaff set him up from the right, for the assistant to fire wide.

Many thought the equaliser had come just after the midway point when Mark Gouett fired in a shot, which appeared to ping the underside of the bar on its way into and then back out of the roof of the net. However, referee Michael Hicks gave nothing and the light stayed off.

Doug Sheppard hit the post for the visitors in the early part of the third period, but the next goal was to come the way of the Vipers as David Longstaff took the puck down the right and cut across Lehman's goal before firing high on the back stick at 53.36.

Further controversy followed at 54.50 as Payette followed Munn into the board, leading with the elbow, and with no penalty called, started to skate away. Out for revenge, Munn followed Payette and swung a punch, knocking the Viper to the ground. Showing unusual restraint, Payette got to his feet and skated away, only to find that he would be punished for the un-called elbows penalty while Munn sat out two minutes for roughing.

Vipers were on the back foot for most of overtime, failing to even touch the puck on the Steelers' side of the red line for the first 2.26 of the extra session. However, a string of MacDonald saves kept things level until the penalty shootout.

Joey Talbot was first to step up, but MacDonald was equal to his effort, while Longstaff's effort hit the inside of Lehman's post.

Randy Dagenats also failed to beat MacDonald, who made the save on the line and up stepped Ben Storey, who grabbed the goal which, when MacDonald made his third stop of the night - this time from Ashley Tait - won the game for the Vipers.

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