Hard work pays off for Cloutier’s Hull

The success came 24 hours after the East Yorkshire club had been edged out 3-2 at home by defending champions Belfast Giants, a game Cloutier felt his team deserved to win.

Last night’s triumph moved Hull back up to second in the Gardiner Conference standings, although they remain eighth in the overall Elite League table.

“It was a massive win for us,” said Cloutier. “I felt we should have won against Belfast so it was a good response.

“Ben Bowns (goaltender) made some big saves and gave us a chance to win which is all you can ask. Defensively we were strong and Dulle had a great game for us and came up with a big goal.

“It was good to see Silver (Jason Silverthorn) get a couple of goals this weekend too.

“He has been working hard but we needed more from him offensively and hopefully the spark is back for him now.”

Jason Silverthorn put Stingrays in front at 18.50 but Martin Cingel levelled at 30.35. Captain Kurtis Dulle restored Stingrays’ advantage at 33.23 and Jereme Tendler – with his 14th goal of the season and third in as many games – added a late third.

Belfast went 3-0 ahead after 33 minutes at Hull Arena on Saturday through goals from Craig Peacock, Andrew Fournier and Noah Clarke. Tendler and Silverthorn got Hull back to within one goal, but they could not find a third.

Sheffield Steelers bounced back from Friday’s disappointing 3-2 defeat at Nottingham Panthers in the Challenge Cup – and with it the loss of leadership of Group B – to win 4-2 at home to Fife Flyers.

Shawn Limpright, Colin Shields and Jonathan Phillips put Steelers 3-0 ahead in the first period , before Kyle Horne replied for the visitors at 13.26.

Casey Haines made it a one-goal game at 35.39, but Jeff Legue secured both points and settled some home nerves with a late empty-net strike.

In the English Premier League, Sheffield Steeldogs beat Telford Tigers 2-1 at home on Saturday before going down 5-3 at Basingstoke Bison on Sunday.

Player-coach Andre Payette and Derek Campbell were on the scoresheet against Telford, when the Steeldogs came from behind after Tim Burrows had put the visitors ahead at on the powerplay at 20.37.

Payette levelled for the Steeldogs 32.54, leaving Campbell to secure two much-needed points for the South Yorkshire club at 45.26.

On a disappointing night in Basingstoke, Pavel Gomeniuk, Ben Morgan and Lloyd Gibson found the net for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough to prevent defeat against the Bison, for who Greg Chambers (2), Greg Owen (2) and Joe Rand were on target.