Vipers reach Cup semi final
Edinburgh Capitals 2 Mincoffs Vipers 1 (After Overtime)
(Aggregate 6-6) - Vipers won shootout 2-0
After last nights thrilling first leg tie the two teams served up a tense affair in Scotland that went all the way before the Vipers prevailed in a shootout with Jeff Hutchins and Todd Griffith scoring for the visitors against no reply by the home side.
ANDREW VERNER: man of the match with 36 saves and blocked two penalty shots
Vipers had started off this match with a single goal lead and they built on that with a strike by player/coach Rob Wilson (5th) at 6.31, this being the only goal of the first period.
Capitals pulled level on the night on the powerplay at 25.28 thanks to Mark Hurtubise (20th) but were unable to turn a slight edge in the play to their further advantage before the second period break.
The third period was a feisty affair, with Derek Campbell and Adam Stefishen picking up fighting majors, while the Capital was also shown to the dressing room for a game misconduct penalty. As the game wore on it looked like Vipers were going to scrape through- that was until Capitals own player/coach Doug Christiansen (12th) found the net at 58.54 to tie the contest on aggregate.
Into overtime and neither team could find the sudden death winner. So it was a penalty shootout, and with Hutchins and Griffith scoring on Vipers’ first two shots while Martin Cingel and Sean Perkins failed to convert for Capitals it was the visitors who claimed their place in the semi-finals.
Following the shootout, Derek Campbell was involved in an altercation with Joe Dustin, and received a Match penalty for excessive roughness. Campbell will miss Saturday’s home game with Manchester and may be subject to further censure from the Elite League disciplinary chiefs.
It overshadowed the Vipers first KO Cup semi final berth, and avenged a defeat to Edinburgh at the same stage last season.
Period Scores: 0-1, 1-0, 1-0, 0-0, (0-2)
Penalty Mins: Edi 47 - New 42
Powerplay: Edi 1/6 - New 0/6
Shots On: Pasi Ratainen 28 - Andrew Verner 38
Referee: Andy Carson
