They meet again on two more occasions, both on the road and these games could well prove vital to the outcome of the championship. Winning both these games could indeed vault the Giants into first place but if beating the Blaze at all was the first hurdle, then beating them on the road in their own barn is the next one and it is bigger still.

The Giants took a first period lead in the contest through man-of-the-match Jeff Szwez who put in a real team effort all night long and was a big factor in the Giants win and would also go on to assist on the Giants game winner. Coventry tied it up mid-way through the contest though on the power play and it was late in the second when the Giants grabbed the all important and decisive goal through Pat Bateman that would stand as the game winner. Into the final five minutes and the Giants decided to shut up shop and sit back trying to hold onto the lead, striking fear into the Odyssey crowd. What was a risky move paid off though and the Blaze could not take advantage as the Giants took the huge victory.

Tomorrow night the Giants are in Nottingham for a game against the third place Panthers who tonight lost a big one to rivals Sheffield, a result which definitely played into the hands of the Giants. Here’s hoping our boys to continue this form.

Both Pat Bateman and Steve Thornton picked up two goals and three assists while six other players registered multi-point games including Mark Morrison who grabbed his first goal of the season. Captain and top points scorer Colin Shields took until the seventh goal to get on the board and that was only with an assist as his quiet night allowed for nearly everyone else to get on board. In fact, only defenseman Michael Jacobsen and young forward Robbie Brown failed to pick up a point.

The highlight of the night however was the McMorrow goal. While on a hat trick Pat Bateman decided to pass up the opportunity to shoot for a team-mate who normally does the dirty work with his fists. McMorrow finished the tap-in and his celebration though was one that had the Giants benched doubled over laughing and the crowd equally entertained: He threw his glove in the air and proceeded to replicate shooting it with the but-end of his stick like a someone with a shut-gun hunting a bird. I guess when you don’t score very often as an enforcer and finally get your first goal at home, you have to make the most of it. An entertainer with his fists tonight he did it by putting the puck in the net.

The win sent the Giants back on top of the Elite League at least for a day or so until Coventry, who with games in hand, played again. But the team is really coming together now, everyone is contributing and the message to the league is clear that with an 11-3 win here and an 8-2 win last week against Edinburgh, the Giants mean business. Their next opposition is indeed the Capitals on Sunday.

The core of the team is certainly looking strong with this signing and his young age certainly bodes well for a pretty youthful squad unlike some previous years. Steve Thornton has compared him to Bobby Robins from last season and whether he is a direct replacement for Robins remains to be seen though their has been rumors of Robins heading to mainland Europe. If Bateman could put up the strong numbers he did in the ECHL then he should be a star in the Elite League. This University of Ulster set up certainly is a great move by the Giants and is pulling in players they might otherwise have missed out on.

Pat Bateman
Forward
Born May 20 1982  -- Calgary, ALTA
Height 6.01 -- Weight 195 -- Shoots L

                                           -Regular Season-  --- Playoffs ---
Season   Team                        Lge   GP  G  A Pts PIM  GP  G  A Pts PIM
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2002-03  Crowsnest Pass Timberwolv   AJHL  34 14 31  45 145
2003-04  Northern Michigan Univers   NCAA  36  7  7  14  66
2004-05  Northern Michigan Univers   NCAA  35 12 17  29  87
2005-06  Northern Michigan Univers   NCAA  39 10 19  29  87
2006-07  Northern Michigan Univers   NCAA  41  7  8  15  89
2006-07  Milwaukee Admirals          AHL    3  0  0   0   2  -- -- --  --  --
2007-08  Stockton Thunder            ECHL  40  5  6  11  21  -- -- --  --  --
2008-09  Gwinnett Gladiators         ECHL  72 24 28  52 124   5  2  1   3  10
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