The Giants done everything they could and had to hope London took the win but it wasn’t to be as the Blaze ran out comfortable 5-1 winners.

A goal and assist from on form Mel Angelstad and a penalty shot goal from Awada where just a few of the highlight moments of a 6 goal victory for the Giants as they found themselves disappointed in victory when the news of the Coventry win sank in.

The Giants had to battle for their win however and Sheffield kept the pressure on, taking an early lead and then tying the game at 2-2 before the Giants raced ahead for the win in the third period. Giants goals came from Kelman and Hand on the Power play and then from Levers, Nasval, Awada with a penalty shot and then Mel Angelstad.

Although the league is now gone for the Giants their will be much pride to be taken from next weekends double header with the new Champions along with a rhythm to be built going into the playoffs and also to send a message to the Blaze that the Giants will be no push over come playoff time in only a few weeks.

Sheffield Steelers 3-6 Belfast Giants

SCORING SUMMARY
G Per  Time   Team  Goal Scorer       Assist        Assist
1  1   08:09  SHE   J. CHRISTIAN      D. COUSINEAU  E. ANDERSON  (PP)
2  1   12:19  BEL   T. KELMAN (9)     T. HAND       C. HUPPE     (PP)
3  1   16:56  BEL   T. HAND (18)      C. HUPPE      C. BOWEN     (PP)
4  2   37:29  SHE   E. ANDERSON       D. ANDREWS    M. PERON
5  3   42:29  BEL   M. LEVERS (8)     T. KELMAN
6  3   47:29  BEL   F. NASVAL (23)    M. ANGELSTAD  D. KELLY
7  3   53:29  SHE   E. ANDERSON       D. DARLING    M. PERON
8  3   54:55  BEL   G. AWADA (30)                                (PS)
9  3   55:28  BEL   M. ANGELSTAD (3)  C. BOWEN      F. NASVAL

SHOTS ON GOAL                            POWERPLAY SUMMARY
              1   2   3   T
Sheffield     8   8   6  22              SHE   1-8
Belfast       9   8   9  26              BEL   2-6

NETMINDER SUMMARY                        MAN OF THE MATCH
Team   Netminder       GA   MIN   SH     SHE   E. ANDERSON
SHE    - -              6  60:00  26     BEL   T. HAND
BEL    M KLEMPA         3  60:00  22

PLAYER SUMMARY
No. PLAYER              POS   G   A  PTS  PIM  PP  SH
 6  Leigh Jamieson       D    0   0    0    2   0   0
 9  Tony Hand            C    1   1    2    2   1   0
14  Fredrik Nasval       RW   1   1    2    4   0   0
16  Marc Levers          LW   1   0    1    0   0   0
17  Roman Gavallier      D    0   0    0    2   0   0
20  Mark Morrison        LW   0   0    0    0   0   0
21  Graeme Walton        D    0   0    0    0   0   0
22  Curtis Bowen         C    0   2    2    2   0   0
23  Dairmuid Kelly       C    0   1    1    2   0   0
24  Mel Angelstad        D    1   1    2    2   0   0
25  Curtis Huppe         LW   0   2    2    0   0   0
28  Jason Bowen          D    0   0    0    2   0   0
41  George Awada         RW   1   0    1    0   0   0
44  Todd Kelman          D    1   1    2    0   1   0
 1  Chris McGimpsey      G    0   0    0    0   0   0
 2  Martin Klempa        G    0   0    0    0   0   0

Lines:
Johnson – Hand – Awada
Huppe – C.Bowen – Nasval
Kelly – Levers – Morrison

Kelman – Gavalier
Angelstad – J.Bowen
Jamieson – Walton

The Devils came out flying and went 2-0 up early on but a Giants fight back made it 2-1 by the end of the first and then later in the second Fredrik Nasval tied the score. The game went into overtime but it ended with the teams sharing the points.

The Giants now sit 3 points behind the Blaze with one game in hand and still all to play for.

Cardiff Devils 2-2 Belfast Giants

Devils: Becker (pp) 4:34, Tait 10:51.
Giants: Awada 13:38, Nasval (pp) 45:17.

Lines:
Huppe – Hand – Awada
Johnson – C.Bowen – Nasval
Kelly – Levers – Morrison

Kelman – Gavalier
Angelstad – J.Bowen
Jamieson – Walton

It was the Giants who took the lead in a game that looked to be heading for a 0-0 tie after two periods of no scoring, when player-coach Tony Hand stepped up and scored his 8th goal of the season to make it 1-0 with a goal that looked to have sealed the points for the Giants.

But just as fans where thinking their team had grabbed the points and Klempa had got a magnificent shut-out they where stunned into silence when ex-Giant star Dave Matsos scored with only 22 seconds remaining.

With a guaranteed point on the board for both teams the Giants really needed to grab that extra point and keep in contention with the league leaders and that goal came only 24 seconds into the over-time period when Fredrik Nasval popped up to score his 14th goal in 21 games and win it for the Giants.

Cardiff Devils 1-2 Belfast Giants

Devils: Matsos 59:38.
Giants: Hand 52:22, Nasval 60:24.

Lines:
Huppe – Hand – Nasval
Kelly – C.Bowen – Awada
Morrison – Walton – Levers

J.Bowen – Johnson
Angelstad – Gavalier

They rallied in the third period however with a goal from Awada and then a tying goal from Jason Bowen. Kelly also picked up an assist on the night as he earned his first man of the match.

They rallied in the third period however with a goal from Awada and then a tying goal from Jason Bowen. Kelly also picked up an assist on the night as he earned his first man of the match.

Although the Giants out shot the Bison by 46 shots to 23 they could not muster anymore than three goals and spend the last half of the game trying to pull back a two goal deficit. The first period was tight with the Giants out shooting the Bison by 11-8 but a Massive 20 shots in he second period alone by Belfast could only see them grab one goal and that was on the power-play by Diarmuid Kelly.

Although the Giants out shot the Bison by 46 shots to 23 they could not muster anymore than three goals and spend the last half of the game trying to pull back a two goal deficit. The first period was tight with the Giants out shooting the Bison by 11-8 but a Massive 20 shots in he second period alone by Belfast could only see them grab one goal and that was on the power-play by Diarmuid Kelly.

Then three goals in a five and a half minute spell by the Bison put the Giants against the wall but credit to them they kept at it and kept raining in the shots and it paid off in the third period when a goal by George Awada and then a first of the season by big Jason Bowen assisted on by Kelly gave the Giants some hope for overtime.

Then three goals in a five and a half minute spell by the Bison put the Giants against the wall but credit to them they kept at it and kept raining in the shots and it paid off in the third period when a goal by George Awada and then a first of the season by big Jason Bowen assisted on by Kelly gave the Giants some hope for overtime.

It wasn’t to be and the points where split. Overall this weekend it will be seen as two points dropped against London and Basingstoke in total more so than two points gained. But the positives to take out of the weekend has got to be Diarmuid picking up his first goal and man of the match after a fine display on the top line with Curtis Bowen and George Awada.

Basingstoke Bison 3-3 Belfast Giants

Bison: Ford 26:54, Sheppard 27:37, Maltby 32:37.
Giants: Kelly (pp) 21:19, Awada 49:42, J.Bowen 55:24.

Lines:
Huppe – Hand – Nasval
Kelly – C.Bowen – Awada
Morrison – Walton – Levers

J.Bowen – Johnson
Angelstad – Gavalier

As the period wore on and the hits kept going in it was inevitable that another fight was brewing. The most noticeable hit of the night going to Graeme Walton, who had moved up forward instead of his usual defensive role, on man mountain Eric Cairns. A small altercation broke out in centre ice and when Mel Angelstad now out of the box after his previous fight went over to talk to Cairns it seemed like both where going to go. Instead the referees got in the way and broke it up and sent those two the box for delay of game.

Back on the ice a matter of seconds they collided and talked. Mel was waiting for the referees to blow the whistle before dropping the gloves. With two fights on the board Mel was going out of the game and in waiting for the whistle he also took London’s top defenseman Eric Cairns with him.

The two circled and finally came together with Cairns getting the better of the early punches. As Cairns tired, Mel took over having absorbed everything Cairns could throw and with a few rapid fire punches he unbalanced Cairns sending him two the ice. It was a great fight indeed and the Giants benched looked really pumped from it and up for the game.

The fighting wasn’t done however and soon young Leigh Jamieson was taking on another one of the Racers NHL’ers when he dropped the gloves with Scott Nichol. It didn’t last long as they scrapped near the benches and as Nichol was falling over Jamieson caught him with a huge punch to the face leaving Nichol down on the ice while Jamieson headed to the box.

With the fighting over and the hockey about to break out the second period got under way. A period of fights and now it was time for a period of goals as Belfast piled on the pressure racing out two a two goal lead. It took only a matter of seconds in to the period when Curtis Bowen converted a power play opportunity that had carried over from the previous period.

Then while short handed by two men the Giants managed a break away through player coach Tony Hand who put on a superb move, completely fooling the Racers net minder and sending the Giants 2-0 up. London battled back though and a few defensive errors let in the bruised Scott Nichol to pull one goal back and then before the end of the period Jason Hewitt levelled the score.

Now with the fighting and scoring done it was time for some tight hockey as both teams net minders took over to keep the score level. The Giants dominated the period but could not force home the winner. It went into overtime and again the Giants where all on top but still they couldn’t get the black rubber into the back of the net.

The hooter went and both team shared the spoils on what turned out to be a superb night of hockey with fights, goals and goal keeping.

Belfast Giants 2-2 London Racers

Giants: C.Bowen (pp) 20:49, Hand (sh) 32:23.
Racers: Nichol 34:07, Hewitt 39:29.
(Odyssey Arena, Belfast) 

Lines:
Kelly – C.Bowen – Awada
Huppe – Hand – Nasval
Morrison – Walton – Levers

J.Bowen – Johnson
Angelstad – Gavalier
Jamieson

Notes:
— Mel Angelstad fought both Jeremy Cornish and Eric Cairns in the first period.
— Leigh Jamieson fought Scott Nichol. 
— Todd Kelman missed the game through injury.