Stingrays find their shoot-out range to deny Steelers

Player-coach Sylvain Cloutier's side had thrown away a four-goal lead at Newcastle Vipers on Saturday before eventually losing out 5-4 on penalties but they were able to make it two successive victories over Yorkshire rivals Steelers – following up a first-ever away win in South Yorkshire last month – with a 3-2 win on home ice following penalty shots last night.

The win sees Hull remain bottom, 10 points behind Steelers who took just the one point from their three-game weekend after successive defeats to Belfast Giants on Friday and Saturday.

Matt Hubbauer gave Steelers an eighth-minute lead in Hull before Adam Knight levelled for the home side at 15.20.

After a goalless second period, Konstantin Kalmikov scored his 29th goal of the season to make it 2-1 but Robert Farmer dragged Steelers level in the 53rd minute leading to a goalless overtime period.

In the shootout which followed, Jason Silverthorn and Kalmikov were on target to secure the extra point.

On Saturday in Whitley Bay, Stingrays led 2-0 at the end of the first period thanks to goals from Kalmikov and Cloutier. Stingrays then scored two shorthanded goals with Kalmikov adding his second at 23.11 and captain Jeff Glowa making it 4-0 at 24.41.

Mike Berry pulled back one for the home side at 26.38 but it wasn't until the final period that the fightback began in earnest.

A powerplay goal by Brent Hughes at 51.55 gave Vipers hope before Ryan Mahrle scored at 54.22 to make it a one-goal game. Hughes grabbed his second to tie the match at 56.40 and – after overtime could not separate the sides – was the hero once again when he was the only player to hit the target.

Despite playing four games in five days, Steelers will take heart from the fact they pushed their opponents close in their weekend match-ups.

After letting a 4-1 lead slip at Belfast on Friday to lose 5-4, it was another tight affair when the two sides met up again at Sheffield Arena on Saturday.

Six goals were shared in a wide open first period with Jeff Legue putting Steelers ahead at 5.53 on the powerplay, before Pat Bateman levelled at 11.24, also on the powerplay.

Two more powerplay goals came Steelers' way through Joey Talbot at 12.53 and Scott Basiuk three minutes later, but they allowed the visitors to draw level by the end of the first when Jeff Szwez netted at 17.33 before Evan Cheverie levelled at 19.20.

The home side edged ahead again with a powerplay strike from Talbot at 23.44 before Tim Cook drew Belfast level three minutes later. Bateman then put the visitors ahead for the first time on the powerplay at 39.54.

The reliable Legue struck with his 33rd goal of the season with an even-handed strike at 45.05, but the game winner came from the league's top points scorer, Colin Shields, who secured both points for title-chasing Belfast with a 56th-minute strike.