Preston hits hat trick in Giants win

Photo: William Cherry

Belfast Giants responded to their midweek elimination from the Challenge Cup with a three-goal league win over Fife Flyers in front of 6,483 fans at the SSE Arena. 

The hosts fell a goal behind to Lucas Chiodo netting shorthanded at 7:43 while Aleksi Makela was in the box, but had Quinn Preston to thanks for the equaliser just three minutes later. Fife re-took the lead through Teemu Pulkkinen with five minutes left in the period, but again Preston brought the score back level - this time only 23 seconds after the Flyers had gone back ahead. 

Preston scored 1:16 into the second to put the Giants ahead with his hat trick goal, and it was to be a lead they never gave up. Ara Nazarian scored at 34:44, and then hit an insurance marker on the powerplay to round off a 5-2 win that moved the Giants up to third.