The table topping Belfast Giants were the visitors at the Storm Shelter on a busy Friday evening – currently sitting 5 points clear ahead of the Steelers.

A tentative start to the game by both sides saw few meaningful chances on net. In the fifth minute however, it was Critchlow who opened the scoring after a well worked play straight from the face off which saw the puck hit the back of the net on a low shot through traffic. The Storm doubled their lead at the midway point of the period when Hughes combined nicely, after some handy one touch passing, with D’Aoust and Critchlow on the powerplay.

The Storm soaked up a lot of pressure throughout the middle period as the Giants visibly upped their tempo. Tendeck was in fine form showing off some highlight reel glove saves to keep the Storm’s lead intact. As Ehrhardt sat a slashing minor however, the visitor’s powerplay pinned down the Storm’s defence and finally found a way past Tendeck with a heavy one timer from Mismash. A timely end to the period saw the Storm hold on to a one goal advantage heading in to the third.

The Storm came out all guns blazing in the third and scored early as Hughes found Hinam all alone at the back post and rifled the puck past McCollum who couldn’t cover his crease in time. A goal that put the home team back up by two. The Giants replied not long after when a lapse in concentration by the Storm’s defence afforded Goodwin the time and space to skate in at the far post and latch on to Conway’s accurate pass. An equalising third goal for the Giants followed as a pile up out in front of Tendeck was put away by Bast assisted Lake and Lee. After surviving a couple of powerplays and somewhat against the run of play the league’s top point scorer D’Aoust lasered an accurate wrist shot in to the top corner of McCollum’s net to restore the one goal lead with just a few minutes remaining in regulation. D’Aoust’s goal proved to be the game winner as the Giants failed to find an equaliser in the final moments.