Blaze facing new Vipers challenge; ICE HOCKEY: Panthers defeat means Coventry collect League runners-up honours.

Byline: By Antony Hopker

BY DEFAULT rather than by judgement, Cassidy Coventry Blaze secured second place in the bmibaby Elite League last night.

Despite losing 3-2 to Newcastle Vipers, who they will now meet in the play-off quarter finals, Blaze earned second spot courtesy of Nottingham losing to Cardiff.

The defeat followed a good last gasp win over Belfast as Blaze wrapped up their home league campaign with a 5-4 overtime victory.

Blaze dallied with defeat in their final league home game on Saturday but battled off indifferent defending and controversial officiating to claim a last-gasp win against Belfast.

Barrie Moore, who was selected as fans' player of the year and has announced his retirement at the end of the season, collected a rebound as the puck was driven across the net on an early powerplay. In fact, all the major award winners from Friday's end of season ceremony were to feature during the evening.

But then there was a by-now typical defensive implosion as Belfast scored three goals in less than two minutes to leave Blaze on the ropes.

The first looked like it went in off a skate. Former Coventry centre Evan Cheverie was sent clear on JF Perras for the second and Blaze failed to clear the zone and Mark Morrison was left unguarded at the back post for the third.

The game was taking a familiar shape, but Blaze showed good character as they fought back to snap their recent home losing streak.

Jonathan Weaver, the highest scoring defenceman in the league and scorer of the goal of the year, arrived in space to take a pass and start the comeback. Russ Cowley, who was chosen as the coach's and player's player of the year as well as the best British forward, and was the driving force for much of the evening, started a move that saw defenceman of the year Matt Soderstrom lift the puck over the prone Stevie Lyle in the Giants goal.

And at the end of the period Adam Calder set Dan Carlson free while Coventry were killing one of many penalties - both sides were called for a string of minor infractions - and the centreman, chosen as forward of the year by the fans, beat Lyle to put Coventry in front.

The third period was quiet until tempers flared as referee Tom Darnell got his whistle back out of his pocket following a 20 minute pause in the procession to the penalty box.

Danny Stewart was incensed to be called as he battled for the puck from a face off. Weaver was next to be called and as Carlson tried to get a loose puck in the goal following a shot on Belfast's empty net he was yanked down - and promptly called for diving. Coventry lost their focus and the inevitable gap appeared for Bobby Robins to equalise with 23 seconds remaining.

Feeling a sense of injustice, Blaze upped the ante in overtime, with Carlson, Calder and Sylvain Deschatelets all coming close. The winner came from an unlikely source: Leigh Jamieson collecting the spoils from a Calder shot and firing the puck home in the final minute.

There was an end-of-term feel in Newcastle last night, with neither side willing to give away much before the play-offs.

Blaze dominated Newcastle but couldn't get the goals in a game lacking passion and intensity.

Coventry again slipped to a two goal deficit with back-to-back goals in the 11th-minute putting them in difficulties.

Rob Rankin scored with a one timer, and player-coach Rob Wilson hammered in a shot from the blue line 19 seconds later.

"We really have to knuckle down," said coach Paul Thompson, who has to wait for the fixtures between Blaze and Vipers to be resolved but is expecting the Coventry home game to be in the traditional Sunday slot next weekend.

"We didn't go to lose but we had some defensive mistakes and Andrew Verner had a good game."

Eik Hjalmarsson gave Coventry a route back into the game, first getting a quick wrist shot past the defence, the only goal of the second period despite Blaze having a sequence of powerplay opportunities.

The goodwork was undone early in the final period with Ed Courtenay and Jeff Hutchins breaking and losing Ben O'Connor to create a two on one, from which Courtenay scored.

Blaze tried to stage their own comeback with JF Perras pulled from the net, the Swede finding the net with 19 seconds to go.

Russ Cowley then went close in the dying seconds but Coventry couldn't pull a second successive comeback out of the bag, leaving Blaze to end the league campaign reflecting, yet again, what might have been.

CAPTION(S):

MATCH WINNER... Leigh Jamieson