steve thornton

Steve Thornton and his Belfast Giants players have done all they can. Now they must wait and hope. And while they are waiting they must hope that Coventry Blaze lose at least one of their home-and-away double header against the Edinburgh Capitals this week in order to keep the Elite League title race alive until the last night, when the Giants go to Coventry on Sunday.  

It was a must win game for the Belfast Giants and at the end their dreams of clinching the Elite League title were still alive. Almost 5,500 turned up at the Odyssey Arena last night and they were treated to one of the best games of hockey seen this season as Steve Thornton's side shut-out the Cardiff Devils 2-0. There have been many games with more goals, but few as intense as this clash of two sides that went at each other from the first whistle.

We’ll be cheering on Nottingham   -Steve Thornton

 

SPEEDY centre Shaun McLaren steps into the starting line-up as Stockton try to close the gap at the top of Division One when they entertain ailing Consett. The Station Road side are third and six points behind leaders Northern, who travel to second-placed Team Northumbria. So while they will have an eye on events up the road, Stockton must take care of business on their own doorstep.  

Sean McMorrow won't be in the Belfast Giants team to face the Cardiff Devils tonight — but coach Steve Thornton is hoping to have his enforcer back in the line-up at least for the Play-offs. Tough guy McMorrow has headed back to north-America as he attempts to clear his name after allegations of drug trafficking came to light last weekend. He travelled with the team on their way to the double-header in Edinburgh last Saturday and Sunday, but turned back after discussions with Thornton.

Sean is obviously out of the games this weekend, but what’s going on with him hasn’t affected the team   -Steve Thornton

 

The Belfast Giants lost 4-3 in the second match of their weekend double-header against the Edinburgh Capitals at Murrayfield on Sunday night. Craig Peacock, Michael Jacobsen were the scorers for the Giants. The Giants had won 3-1 on Saturday night, Jacobsen scoring twice in the first period and a strike from Jeff Szwez made it 3-0.  

The Giants kept up their challenge for the Elite League title with victory in the first of two games between the sides this weekend at Murrayfield. Michael Jacobsen scored twice in the first period and a strike from Jeffrey Szwez made it 3-0. Netminder Stephen Murphy was man of the match as he thwarted any comeback and conceded just a consolation goal.  

A Yuba City woman took the stand Thursday in Sutter County Superior Court and described watching the final seconds of the incident that left Willie Dean Roberts Jr. lying dead under a pickup. It was the second day in the trial of alleged gang members Aaron Richard Ouellette and Michael Angelo Sanudo, charged with the dragging death of Roberts late Sept. 28, 2007. Christina Dearden testified she was lying in bed in her second-floor bedroom on Casita Drive when she head "skidding and screeching" noises  

Steve Thornton has told his Belfast Giants players that nothing less than a win will do when they face the Hull Stingrays this evening. And given that the Giants have an unbeaten record when they've played at the Dundonald Ice Bowl he has every reason to demand two points. As well as that, the plan is to keep the pressure on Elite League leaders Coventry Blaze as much as possible, despite the fact that they opened up a five-point gap on the Giants when they beat the Belfast men on Sunday night.

We’ve given ourselves work to do and we’ve found ourselves in a position now that I didn’t want to be in   -Steve Thornton

 

Steve Thornton is refusing to throw in the towel in the Elite League title race — even after the Belfast Giants fell five points behind leaders Coventry Blaze last night. The Giants slipped to a 6-4 defeat in Coventry last night and with seven games to go they now need Blaze to lose twice in order to go into the head-to-head meeting between the teams on the final night of the campaign with the title at stake. And that will only be possible if the Belfast men win every one of their games in the meantim

We were the better team five-on-five. We played well, created more and finished our hits   -Steve Thornton

 

Pat Bateman last night insisted that he and his Belfast Giants team-mates haven't let Sunday night's massive clash with Coventry Blaze sway their focus on a more immediate mission. The Elite League's top two teams go into battle in the Coventry Skydome with top of the table Blaze holding a three-point lead over the Giants. And while the title destiny won't completely rest on that particular 60 minutes, it will be very difficult for Steve Thornton's men to pip their rivals to the crown if they are beat

We'll be focusing on Edinburgh and only Edinburgh until after Saturday's game and only then can we shift our focus onto Sunday's game with Coventry.   -Pat Bateman