A fine 5-2 win tonight in Newcastle. After a close battle for the first two periods the Giants took over in the third and won a game that confirms their place in the Challenge Cup semi-final as the slow start to the season becomes a further distant memory and things continue to get better and better. Newboy Jeff Szwez had another two point night to continue his fine start to the season while McMorrow got onto the boxscore, not for his fighting skills, but for the scoring touch tonight when he also added a goal and an assist.

McMorrow has had it tough from some quarters of the Giants fanbase, even before he touched the ice for the club, but since arriving he has proved them wrong with his ability to turn the game by lifting the crowd and his bench via his fists through intimidation of the opposition and has now got into the scoring side of things. It’s been a feel good story and a great one to see develop as the team has come together so well over the last few weeks knocking up win after win.

At long long last.

Last night in Dundonald Ice Bowl the Giants done something they have never done before, they won the Challenge Cup Final, a final they could not complete in the Odyssey Arena back in 2002. Yes, the Giants are Challenge Cup Champions and add that piece of silverware to the two league titles and one playoff crown in the trophy cabinet through their nine years of playing.

Over two legs against the Manchester Phoenix neither team wanted to give up on the crown and coming into this game the Giants trailed the Phoenix 4-3 after the first leg in Manchester. Racing out to a two goal lead things looked to be going well for the Giants but not before ex-coach Tony Hand tied up the aggregate score through two periods. A 56th minute wonder goal by Mike Burgoyne however moved the Giants into a 6-5 overall lead and they made it stick to the final hooter insuring they finally got their hands on that illusive trophy.

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Thankfully for the Giants the Challenge Cup is a two-legged affair these days. For that reason they still have a chance to win the blasted tournament that has eluded them since they came into the league. Following their one an only final nightmare seven years ago when they lost 5-0 to Ayr they were back in the final tonight playing the Manchester Phoenix in the first leg in Manchester.

As I previously wrote the Giants were trailing 4-1 in what looked to be another final to forget for the Giants but a very strong third period and goals from Andrew Martin and Evan Cheverie to go with an earlier one from George Awada brought the score to 4-3 and enough to keep things alive for the second leg back in Belfast. 

Seven years ago the Giants lost their one and only Challenge Cup Final 5-0 to the Ayr Scottish Eagles in a final that became known as ‘Black Sunday’ among Giants fans because of the Black jersey’s the team wore for the game. The game was also broadcast on BBCni live — the first and last time that has ever happened to the Giants — and with a team that had dominted everyone all season long it was the perfect chance to show the people of Northern Ireland what these dominant Giants were all about.

Of course things didn’t go remotely to play as the Eagles shocked the Giants 5-0 and the boys never recovered. They had already won the league but following this defeat their season went to hell in a hand basket and they didn’t even make the playoffs final four.

Fast forward seven whole years, a league name change, local players now involved and a bunch of old teams gone and new teams in and the challenge cup remains and remains a trophy the Giants cannot get a trip on. In fact they cannot even get to the final. At least until tonight. Read More»

There will be plenty of time to build up this final — The first Challenge Cup final for the Giants since that last one that we never want to talk about. Unfortunately it will be my duty as a Giants blogger to mention it and even the Black shirts that came with it. It will also be up to me to investigate whether the team intend to wear Black in the final again. As to who they play in the final, that looks like it could be Manchester after they won their first leg semi-final 5-2 against Basingstoke. Tonight for the Giants though it was another win over a team they used to struggle against, Coventry, in a 4-1 result after a 1-1 tie in the first leg.

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