Injury-hit Stingrays are made to suffer

ICE HOCKEY: Hull Stingrays endured a third-period collapse as they slipped to their heaviest defeat of the season, a 9-3 loss to Elite League title contenders Nottingham Panthers.

Despite being heavily outshot, Sylvain Cloutier’s under-strength team had managed to go in tied at 3-3 at the end of the second period before the floodgates opened in the final session with six goals getting past netminder Christian Boucher.

Hull had taken the lead at 6.52 through Jason Silverthorn and Jeff Heerema levelled on the powerplay for the second-placed visitors within two minutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

David-Alexandre Beauregard edged Panthers ahead at 27.11 before Heerema’s second of the night seven minutes later made it 3-1 to Corey Neilson’s side.

But a Hull team missing key defenceman and captain Kurtis Dulle as well as British forward Matty Davies, rallied soon after with Dominic Osman making it a one-goal game at 35.02 before 16-year-old Bobby Chamberlain levelled with his first Elite League goal with less than a minute of the second period remaining.

But just over five minutes into the third and all of Hull’s momentum had been lost as goals from David Clarke, Robert Lachowicz and Marc Levers put the Panthers clear.

Further goals in the last five minutes from Stephen Lee, Jordan Fox and Lachowicz put the result beyond doubt.