Belfast SSE Arena

Belfast Giants 3-4 Fife Flyers

EIHL Challenge Cup

Well, this was loads more fun than I thought it was going to be!  

Visiting Belfast SSE Arena to finally tick off the last of the currently in use Elite Ice Hockey League venues, I decided I wanted to have my (sorta) team The Fife Flyers accompany me.  But, aware how poor the Flyers have been this season so far - currently on a 12-game losing streak, and having shipped 7 goals to Belfast at home in October - I felt this really could be a long night for the visitors.  Me included.

This concern was not alleviated in any way, when The Giants opened the scoring after just 35 seconds through Mark COOPER.  But a series of infringements by the home lads meant that, for a few moments, Fife enjoyed a 6v4 manpower advantage, and Phelix MARTINEAUX equalised, to almost complete silence in the arena.  

Either I was the only Fife supporter amongst the 6,000 plus attendees.  Or, like me, those few other visiting fans had decided to sit on their hands rather than celebrate.

And these early exchanges kinda set the tone for much of the rest of the match, with the possession-hogging Giants twice easing back into the lead, but on both occasions Fife managing to manufacture equalisers, through Ryan ROSS, and then Tyler HEIDT.

Consequently, we ended the second period with the sides level on 3-3, although Flyers could easily have been ahead.  Maxim Musorov had found himself one-on-one with the wonderfully named Belfast goalie Jackson Whistle, but had failed to capitalise.  

Then moments later, a loose puck appeared to strike the home goalkeeper's skates and onto his own goalpost.  Why Whistle was skating towards the bench at this point, I could not work out.  I don't think he had been given a two-minute penalty.  I clearly don't know enough about the arcane intricacies of the game.

This particular match was a Challenge Cup group tie, and Belfast only needed a single point from the encounter to ensure top seeding in the knock-out phase.  I am not suggesting they deliberately shut up shop in the third period, but there did appear to be a reduction in intensity from both sides, as the end of regulation time approached.  

A very rare beast, I have found over the years, is a Fife Flyers win in overtime.  Which, I am pleased to relate, they managed here, to stun the Giants' support into silence 51 seconds into the overtime period.  

I know these extra periods are played 4 v 4, but the home players really did appear to allow Flyers' Noah Delmas loads of time and space to pick out teammate Lucas CHIODO to tap in the winner.

At this point, I did discover there was a small pocket of Flyers fans to my right, who certainly made their voices heard when the winner went in.

Yep - that first goal really did come along after 35 seconds.

There is a LOT of architecture up there!

We saw some silly on-ice shenanigans during the first break...

...and a very tender marriage proposal.

Some second period action.

Flyers' head coach Tom Coolen rallies his troops for the final push.

Flyers' Lucas Chiodo picks up his Visitors' Man of the Match award.

The visiting Fife contingent.

Aboard the ferry.