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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Emotional Belfast Giants coach Adam Keefe celebrates historic Grand Slam success

Belfast Giants' players etched their name in the history books on Sunday evening as they clinched the Elite League play-off final with a brilliant 4-1 win over the Cardiff Devils.

Adam Keefe's men completed the Grand Slam after already lifting the Challenge Cup and regular season title this season.

It also saw them end two years of hurt after losing to the Devils in successive play-off finals.

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They did it the hard way, coming from behind after Mark Richardson gave Cardiff a first-period lead.

The Giants responded with a goal from Jeff Baum in the second period before Steven Owre forged them ahead in the third.

Donovan Neuls added a third quickly after and Mark Cooper finished into an empty-net late on to seal a historic win for the Giants.

Belfast Giants coach Adam Keefe (William Cherry/Presseye)

It was third time lucky for the Giants and Keefe who finally completed a first-ever Grand Slam.

A visibly emotional Keefe paid tribute to former Giants player Ray Sawada who died of a heart attack during the week at the age of just 38.

The ex-NHL star played one season for the Belfast side, whose coaching and support staff all wore ‘Sawada 12’ badges in the build-up to Sunday's game.

Keefe placed one of the badges on the trophy before his team lifted the silverware.

Ray Sawada spent one season with the Belfast Giants (Getty)

He said: "It was just devastating news before the play-offs. He is a guy I had a lot of respect for and...I don't know if I have many words.

"He was with us tonight."

Reflecting on the game, Keefe added: "We talked about it not being easy. Cardiff came out the first period and it was like 2010, the way they were running around.

"And that made it difficult for us to get anything going, and it put us on our heels for a little bit. But credit to that locker room, they wouldn't be denied tonight.

"They kept going and going and they finally got their reward for their play. It is credit to those guys in the locker room, they wanted it tonight."

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