Belfast Giants beat Manchester Storm in shoot-out at SSE arena to secure back-to back wins

Tyler Beskorowany made four saves in the shoot-out to lead the Belfast Giants to a 3-2 win over the Manchester Storm and complete a four-point weekend from their double-header at The SSE Arena, Belfast.

Goals from Daniel Tedesco and Ara Nazarian in regulation had taken it to the extra period and then into the shoot-out, where Ben Lake and Matt McLeod both found the net and Beskorowany shut the door to complete a perfect weekend for Adam Keefe’s men.

The Giants were ahead just 3:51 into the game as Mark Cooper’s pass through the crease was tapped in at the back door by Tedesco , a goal that sparked the annual Teddy Bear Toss as hundreds of stuffed toys were thrown onto the ice that will be donated to children who will spend Christmas in hospitals across Northern Ireland.

The Giants had a huge opportunity to open the scoring just 54 seconds into the middle frame when Lake beat Weninger on the back hand, only for the netminder to make an absolutely incredible no-look save to keep the bouncing puck out, and then Beskorowany did likewise to deny Matt Murphy all alone in front at the other end.

But it would be a tied game at the second intermission as Tyler Hinam tied it up , the puck landing on his stick after a deflection off Murphy’s shot and he was able to find the top corner. 

It was a rapid start to the final frame as the visitors were the ones to pull ahead,  Murphy produced the perfect finish over the shoulder of Beskorowany , but the lead lasted less than two minutes as Charlie Curti’s pass to the crease was jabbed in by Nazarian to tie it up again to force overtime.

No goals in the sudden death overtime period took it to the shoot-out, but it would be the Giants who would prevail as Lake and McLeod found the net and, although Will Merchant would also strike for the Storm, Beskorowany would turn away the other four shots he faced to seal the win

The Belfast Giants will switch their focus to the second leg of the Challenge Cup quarter-final against the Coventry Blaze on Wednesday 20 December before facing the Fife Flyers at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday December 22.

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