Ice Hockey: Panthers savaged by Devils

NOTTINGHAM Panthers finally won a Heineken Premier Division game after 10 starts, beating Durham Wasps 7-6 last weekend. However, they were then crushed 13-6 at Cardiff Devils and remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the table.

Panthers led the Wasps 3-1 after 10 minutes, but the score was 5-5 at the end of the second period. Terry Kurtenbach made it 6-5, Neil Richards, of Wasps, equalised, and it was left to Dan Dorion to score the winner.

The Devils' biggest win over the Panthers would have been even greater if goalminder Jim Graves, who faced 53 shots, had not been in excellent form.

After drawing 8-8 with Bracknell Bees (John Newberry netted their tying goal in the last second), Murrayfield Racers must have thought that slotting 10 past Whitley Warriors would guarantee them the points. But the Warriors scored 14 as the sides reached double figures against each other in the league for the fifth time.

Murrayfield's compatriots, Fife Flyers, lost twice, 7-4 at home to Whitley and 9-7 at Billingham Bombers. The score against the Bombers would have been 9-5, but Fife scored twice in the last two minutes as their hosts eased up.

Last week Telford Tigers showed that the runaway First Division leaders, Basingstoke Beavers, can be beaten. Swindon Wildcats, trying to do the same, led twice early on before three goals from Rock Fera made it 5-3 to the Beavers. Wildcats trailed 7-5 with 10 minutes remaining before goals from Paul Grech and Daryl Lipsey earned them a well-deserved point.

PREMIER DIVISION: Billingham 9 Fife 7; Cardiff 13 Nottingham 6; Humberside 3 Durham 5; Peterborough 5 Bracknell 2; Whitley 14 Murrayfield 10. FIRST DIVISION: Lee Valley 7 Milton Keynes 14; Sheffield 10 Medway 7; Swindon 7 Basingstoke 7.