Ice Hockey – Edinburgh Capitals v Belfast Giants

Capitals overcome the odds to beat league leaders, Belfast Giants, at Murrayfield.

Belfast Giants took the trip ‘across the water’ to play the Edinburgh Capitals at Murrayfield in the latest round of the Elite Ice Hockey League. With the teams at opposite ends of the table – Giants at the top, 18 points up on Edinburgh – it looked like an odds-on win for the Irish visitors. However, the Capitals didn’t see it that way and came back from being behind more than once to take the win.

The Giants were the first on the scoreboard after just 4 minutes of play through their No. 9, Evan Cheverie, in spite of the Edinburgh side having the majority of the play. After another ten minutes, during which time both sides suffered as a result of penalties, the Giants had the edge, but with 14 minutes on the clock, the home side broke down the right and their No. 36, Jade Portwood, came from behind the line of the goal to slip the puck past the Belfast keeper to bring the sides even. The remainder of the period was again dominated by the Giants, but the Edinburgh keeper performed a couple of miracle saves – a theme for the match – to hold the score line steady until the hooter.

The second period started well for the Capitals with a goal in three minutes from No. 88, Tomas Horna, to put them 2-1 ahead but the Giants struck back almost immediately with another strike from Cheverie. Cheverie was on the scoreboard again less than a minute later to give the visitors a 3-2 lead. With the Giants keeping the Capitals pinned back in their half for long periods it looked only to be a matter of time before they scored again, but with less than a minute of the second half left, Edinburgh’s No. 13 Peter Holecko pulled the home side level again.

With the match all square going into the third and final period, the Giants took control, but again the Capitals weathered the storm and put some pressure on the visitors’ goal. The pressure paid off as, just before the ten minute mark, No. 17, Richard Hartmann, found the back of the net to take the home side into the lead. Ten minutes later, Hartmann was on the score board again with his second and Edinburgh’s fifth goal of the night. All the home side needed to do now was to soak up the considerable pressure they were put under for the remainder of the match to take the win 5-3.

Given the respective records of the teams so far this season, Belfast looked likely winners, but, although Edinburgh had a shaky start to their season, their recent losses have been by the odd goal or two rather than four or five. Buoyed up by last week’s win against Nottingham, they soaked up the pressure on their goal and, taking advantage of Belfast’s string of penalties, coupled with sheer hard work and determination – not to mention an outstanding performance by the keeper – ran out deserving winners on the night.

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