What a game this one was. It was all action from the start as both teams took the game to each other as both sets of crowds tried to out sing each other also. Each side looked a little nervous and not wanting to over commit on the chance they might let in a goal espically with the netminders where Joel Laing and Ryan Bach and no team was likely to score two against the goalies when they where in the form they where in today. 

Three periods passed with numerous chances to win the game for each team, notably in overtime Rob Steward missing a one on one, but the game went into the dreaded penalties and both teams seasons hinged on this. They dont have a seven game series here, its all down to the best team on the day and there is no continuos overtime, its all down to which players have the bottle infront of goal.

After a number of misses (See Above), Kory Karlander slotted in his penalty to give the Giants the lead though Scott Levins scored with a superb wrist shot into the top cornor to bring it back. A miss for Kuwabara put pressure on Mark Dutiaume to score or else it would be in the Giants’ hands. He missed and all Kevin Riehl had to do was keep his nerve and put the Giants into the final with a goal. Through 172 competitive games for the Giants Kevin Riehl has notched up 59 goals so far so a great sniper needed just one here to put the Giants through. He scated up and wristed one high into the roof of the next almost sending the waterbottle into the crowd.

The Giants fans went mad and the flags waved and horns blew and the singing and dancing went on long into the night. What a win, now just one more…

Shots:
Giants - 32
Steelers - 31

Powerplay:
Belfast - 0-4
Steelers - 0-2

Shootout:

1. Sheffield, J.Sessa - MISS
1. Belfast, S.Thornton - MISS
2. Sheffield, R.Gordon - MISS
2. Belfast, R.Stevens - MISS
3. Sheffield, K.Simpson - MISS
3. Belfast, K.Karlander - SCORE
4. Sheffield, S.Levins - SCORE
4. Belfast, R.Kuwabara - MISS
5. Sheffield, M.Dutiaume - MISS
5. Belfast, K.Riehl - SCORE

Man of the Match:
Giants - Ryan Bach
Sheffield - Joel Laing

Giants Line-up:

Paul Kruse - Kory Karlander - David Matsos
Rod Stevens - Steve Thornton - Ryan Kuwabara
Paxton Schulte - Kevin Riehl - Colin Ward
Doug Macdonald - ________ - Curtis Bowen

Lee Sorochan - Robby Sandrock
Shane Johnson - Todd Kelman
Rob Stewart

Powerplay 1: Riehl - Karlander - Schulte - Stewart - Sandrock
Powerplay 2: Stevens - Thornton - Kuwabara - Johnson - Kelman

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