Predators hung out to dry

The Islanders faced off in their first meeting this season with the Newcastle Predators Monday 14th January 2008 at the Hillheads rink.

Both teams iced full benches of players with the Islanders starting newly signed netminder James "Latts" Latimer between the pipes, and Stevie Armstrong tending goal, as ever, for the Predators at the other end.

The Islanders didnt take long to get on the score board. Club captain Craig Thompson slotted away a wrister to the bottom corner following a good break out play assisted Glazzard and Brown at 01:13.

The same line struck again evenhanded at 09:25. A good cycling play deep in the zone by Thompson and Dunn fed Tom Glazzard who banged home the puck from in front of the Preds net.

The Islanders showed that they were not to be taken lightly in this game and applied more pressure in the Predators zone. This lead to another strike at 11:27 by Simon Kennedy, assisted Cowey.

A too many men call was assessed to the Isles at 13:14 which the Islanders managed to covert into a short handed goal at 14:57 by Raymond Haslam unassisted with a long range cannon of a shot.

The Islanders killed off a minor penalty assessed to Haslam at 16:11 for roughing before finishing up the first period 4-0 ahead.

The pace of the game dropped off in the second period and the condition of the ice began to deteriate. The Islanders power play failed to convert an opportunity early on in the period allowing the Predators to finally get on the scoreboard at 29:11 through Elgie assisted Davis and Smith.

However another powerplay chance for the Islanders minutes later was capitalised by Richie Crowe unassisted at 31:22. "Oh no! Its Crowe!" was the shout by the Preds netminder as Crowe struck again on another powerplay at 35:37 assisted Elliot, and Scott.

A holding penalty assessed to Isles defenceman Dan Minnick at 36:35 put the Predators on the powerplay. Depsite struggling to string a pass together the Preds managed to score on a speculative long range wrist shot from Elgie that hit Latimers blocker in the Whitley net and bobbled up into the air and over into the net.

Score 6 - 2 Islanders end of the second period.

The Islanders pushed on into the third period of the game but the poor quality of both the ice and the opposition made it hard to play a flowing game.

The game desended into a penalty fest as the Predators feebly tried to rough up the Islanders making themselves out to be a laughing stock as they stumbled about the ice trying to act like tough guys - what a bunch of clowns!

In an attempt to control the game the referee started assessing penalties to both sides for the slightest thing. This led to an unlikely power play for the Predators at 47:38 which they converted at 48:34 by Willis assisted Wilkinson and Smith.

The Islanders then added a final strike at 54:42 as panic reigned supreme in the Predators end. With the opposition running about like headless chickens, Craig Thompson deked the netmeninder and made an unselfish pass to Wayne Dunn who simply tapped the puck into the net.

A final flurry of penalties dragged the game out even further as handbags were drawn by both sides towards the final buzzer.

Final score Islanders 7 - Predators 3

Coaches Comment:

"That was a geat team effort. We didnt really fire on all cylinders tonight but we got the job done."

"The Predators tried that horrible dump and chase game plan again - how many times are they going to try that crap?"

"If those clowns want to try and rough us up in our barn they have got another thing coming to them."

"I was really impressed with Latimer in our net stoning the Predators several times - way to go Latts!"

Man of the match awards went to Anth Richardson for the Islanders and John Shreeve for the Predators.

Full stats from the game can be found here