‘You never tire of cup success,’ says Giants’ head coach Adam Keefe
Belfast Giants’ head coach Adam Keefe was delighted with his squad’s performance in the the final.
Speaking at the end of the game he said: “You never get tired with moments like these. It was extra special being able to get this cup win in front of our fans here at the SSE Arena.”
It was his fourth Challenge Cup in his five seasons with the Giants, he said: “When I started coaching there wasn’t any specific focus on winning the Challenge Cup, if you win the cup it is just as much fun as winning the league itself or the playoffs. I enjoy every trophy that I can win.
“Any trophy that is up for grabs we want to win it. That selfish mindset drives you on, especially in the early days of the season when you are on the ferry and across in Dundee, Fife and Glasgow.
“Those trips can be the dog days of the season at times, but when you look at wins that we picked up while on the road, they were so important for us securing the home ice advantage tonight.
“The guys got the message, they got the job done and it's paying off tonight.”
The need for the Giants to jump into a good start to the game was crucial explained Keefe, he said: “I told them that we needed to have energy, intensity and passion right from the first drop of the puck.
“We knew we needed to start the game well and didn’t want them to settle in. Getting that 3-0 lead was excellent, but then you worry about complacency kicking in.
“I thought the last 10 minutes of the second period that Fife had a good pushback and scared us a little. Credit to our players they answered them every time.”