ICE HOCKEY: Vipers pledge to improve
Newcastle are determined to give their fans something to cheer in Saturday's "must-win" home clash with Edinburgh.
The Vipers endured a dismal November, which ended with defeats over a single weekend by Nottingham and Coventry.
General manager Jaimie Longmuir said: "We owe the fans a performance, and we aim to start this weekend. The fans have every right to be frustrated by our form, but we aim to change this."
Result/fixture
| Wednesday, December 3 | | | |
| Challenge Cup Group B | | | |
| Cardiff | 1-0 | Hull | |
| Friday, December 5 | | | |
| bmibaby Elite League | | | |
| Belfast | v | Manchester | 1930 |
Fixtures | Saturday, December 6 | | | |
| bmibaby Elite League | | | |
| Basingstoke | v | Hull | 1830 |
| Cardiff | v | Manchester | 1900 |
| Newcastle | v | Edinburgh | 1830 |
| Sheffield | v | Belfast | 1900 |
Fixtures | Sunday, December 7 | | | |
| bmibaby Elite League | | | |
| Coventry | v | Cardiff | 1800 |
| Edinburgh | v | Sheffield | 1800 |
| Newcastle | v | Nottingham | 1730 |
| Challenge Cup Group B | | | |
| Hull | v | Basingstoke | 1800 |
Elite League table | | P | W | L | OL | PSL | F | A Pts |
| Sheffield | 21 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 83 | 47 34 |
| Coventry | 21 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 94 | 50 32 |
| Belfast | 19 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 52 30 |
| Nottingham | 21 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 94 | 69 30 |
| Manchester | 21 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 89 | 69 27 |
| Cardiff | 23 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 77 | 65 26 |
| Newcastle | 22 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 65 | 84 18 |
| Edinburgh | 25 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 77 | 127 16 |
| Bas'stoke | 25 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 74 | 121 16 |
| Hull | 24 | 6 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 61 | 109 14 |