Individual News
18th of January 2008
Last week was a busy one for the team as we played three matches in the space of four days.
The first game was in Belfast for which we had to leave Basingstoke in the early hours of Thursday morning for our flight, which was not ideal game preparation.
We started the better team and led 2-0, but the early morning start came back to haunt us and by the final period the boys had nothing left in tank and the Giants ran out 7-4 winners.
Saturday night proved to be a great one and it was good to a see a 1,100 crowd and they were treated to a real goal feast as we beat the Caps (Edinburgh) 10-2.
Greg Chambers had a super night with four goals as once again the shirt staffed team came up with the goods. Even Dan Green got some ice time as Curtis Cruickshank was feeling unwell during the game. Something we did not know about until the end of the first period.
Brad Cruikshank took a couple of shots to his foot during that game and went to hospital to get it checked out to make sure nothing was broken. He just managed to squeeze his foot into a skate on Sunday night to play.
But that is Brad, he always wants to play and leads by example the sign of a great captain and leader.
The Newcastle game saw us run of stream which was to be expected being so short benched, but I don't think referee Andy Carson had a good game, as he is just intimated by the Vipers team who shout at him all game.
Also in Newcastle we lost Mikko Purontakanen after being hit in the eye with the puck.
All the checks he has had say there is no lasting damage which is good news and Mikko is upbeat about it.
So I will be playing on defence and facing good friend Mike Ellis who is also playing defence for Nottingham on Saturday. That was something both of us did not expect at the beginning of the season.
I would like to finish with a few thanks, to Domino's Pizza for our after game food, the IsoSpa Fitness Studios in the Aquadrome which help keep the guys fit and to the Gazette for their continued excellent coverage of the team.
Ryan Writes appears on the Follow the Herd page in Thursday's Gazette.
The first game was in Belfast for which we had to leave Basingstoke in the early hours of Thursday morning for our flight, which was not ideal game preparation.
We started the better team and led 2-0, but the early morning start came back to haunt us and by the final period the boys had nothing left in tank and the Giants ran out 7-4 winners.
Saturday night proved to be a great one and it was good to a see a 1,100 crowd and they were treated to a real goal feast as we beat the Caps (Edinburgh) 10-2.
Greg Chambers had a super night with four goals as once again the shirt staffed team came up with the goods. Even Dan Green got some ice time as Curtis Cruickshank was feeling unwell during the game. Something we did not know about until the end of the first period.
Brad Cruikshank took a couple of shots to his foot during that game and went to hospital to get it checked out to make sure nothing was broken. He just managed to squeeze his foot into a skate on Sunday night to play.
But that is Brad, he always wants to play and leads by example the sign of a great captain and leader.
The Newcastle game saw us run of stream which was to be expected being so short benched, but I don't think referee Andy Carson had a good game, as he is just intimated by the Vipers team who shout at him all game.
Also in Newcastle we lost Mikko Purontakanen after being hit in the eye with the puck.
All the checks he has had say there is no lasting damage which is good news and Mikko is upbeat about it.
So I will be playing on defence and facing good friend Mike Ellis who is also playing defence for Nottingham on Saturday. That was something both of us did not expect at the beginning of the season.
I would like to finish with a few thanks, to Domino's Pizza for our after game food, the IsoSpa Fitness Studios in the Aquadrome which help keep the guys fit and to the Gazette for their continued excellent coverage of the team.
Ryan Writes appears on the Follow the Herd page in Thursday's Gazette.