2007 ends in heavy defeat as team slip to sixth

11:11am Wednesday 2nd January 2008

Saturday, December 29, 2007 Elite League: Mobilx Newcastle Vipers 4-2 Hull Stingrays
Sunday, December 30, 2007 Elite League: Edinburgh Capitals 7-3 Mobilx Newcastle Vipers

VIPERS finished 2007 with a heavy defeat against basement boys the Edinburgh Capitals and a fall to sixth place in the Elite League.

Capitals' player coach Doug Christiansen led the way for the home side with a hat-trick as he hopes to drive his side into 2008 looking for a play-off spot, but it leaves Rob Wilson's team with only one win in six.

It was the visitors who drew first blood, however, with the rejuvenated Sergiy Rublivsky scoring at 4.24. Before the period end Capitals did tie the game as Christiansen netted on a five-on-three powerplay opportunity.

The home side took control of the game in the middle session, scoring three without reply by the halfway mark; Christiansen netted his 12th and 13th of the season, completing a straight hat trick at 27.19 on the powerplay and then at 28.28 to put the home side 3-1 ahead.

Colin Hemingway added a fourth at 30.01. Vipers managed to stem the flow somewhat when David Longstaff grabbed their second at 34.58.

The home side were in no mood to relinquish the game, however, and powered to a 7-2 lead with goals by Mike Stutzel on the powerplay at 50.39, Neil Hay at 52.00 and finally Mark Garside at 57.49 with Capitals' fourth powerplay strike of the night.

Ben Campbell added a consolation for Vipers with 30 seconds remaining but the visitors were a well beaten side by then.

That single win in the last half dozen had come only 24 hours earlier on Tyneside as the Hull Stingrays came to town for a match which saw Richie Thornton added to Rob Wilson's injury woes.

Both sides traded penalties before Andre Payette traded blows with Cole Byers on 10.50, leaving the Stingrays man needing to be helped from the ice with a recurrence of a knee injury, apparently in his fall to the ice. While Byres failed to return at all, Payette was himself missing in action for 17 straight minutes following instigation, roughing and misconduct penalties for his part.

It wasn't until the 24th minute that the Vipers managed to break down Ladislav Kudrna and the defence in front of him and it was a former Stingray, Rublivsky, a recent favourite to depart Tyneside, who netted from close range following some good play around the net by Derek Campbell and Mark Gouett.

Stingrays pulled level on 25.30 through Jake Riddle, who tucked away a loose puck to Ryan MacDonald's right.

Rublivsky, flourishing as first line understudy to the injured Colin Shields, set up the Vipers second as Making his return to action from a groin injury, Todd Jackson put the puck in off Kudrna from behind the goal line on 38.31.

Jackson rounded off his return with the game winner only 40 seconds into the final period, again assisted by Rublivsky, who whipped the puck in from the right for the New Yorker to finish.

A hat-trick almost came, but when Jackson tried to round Kudrna he was denied by a great save, A scrappy third period almost saw Hull pull themselves back into the game when Jeff Glowa netted with only ten seconds to play, but it was too little too late as the visitors pulled Kudrna, only to see David Longstaff add a fourth on 59.59.

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