The Fife Flyers and Dundee Stars got their respective preseason underway at the Dundee Ice Arena. For the home side they were without Ben O’Connor who was on international duty and netminder Richard Sabol who was announced earlier in the day. Flyers were similarly short of a player due to GB commitments with Johnny Curran not icing. Also scratched were Martin Látal after warm up and Fynn Page. Shane Owen was called upon to make the games first save after 11 seconds but it was in the routine category. As expected both teams were playing with a lot of pace in the early stages as they went up and down the ice at each other without seriously troubling either netminder. Flyers first chance came in the 5th minute when Daniel Krenželok stepped in and went short side on Jarrett Fiske who made a blocker save. A minute later and dogged lead up work by Keanu Yamamoto for the Stars set up a chance for Brett Gravelle in close but Owen produced a fine leg save. The Stars went on the only powerplay of the period when Patrick Kyte was called for boarding and it was Gravelle again who threatened when he missed an open net from the top of the crease. The Flyers kill was pretty solid after than and only a long range floater that Owen gloved was all that Stars could muster. Fife were next to go close when Maxim Musorov forced a pad save from Fiske who followed that up by stopping a close in tip from Austin Farley. Fiske was sharp again in the 15th minute when he produced a great pad save to stop a snapshot from the slot by Nikolai Shilga. Drydn Dow was just inches wide with a shot in the 18th minute and with 90 seconds to go in the period Stars almost opened the scoring but Jake Elmer was denied by a superb reaction save with his leg by Owen.
The Flyers went on their first power play of the night a minute into the period as the Stars were called for too many men. It took Shulga just 5 seconds to get a chance as he scooped over and Fife controlled the entire man advantage with lots of patient puck possession with Artur Gatiyatov bringing the best save out of a busy Fiske. Phélix Martineau ended the power play with a shot that the Stars keeper swallowed but the visitors were once again on their special team when Brendan Harms was called for hooking. Stars did a much better job on this kill and Fife found it difficult to get anything set up although Austin Farley went close when he fired wide after coming in at the back door. With Stars at full strength Fiske let a puck get away from him in the 27th minute but recovered to stop James Spence and then the keeper made a smart pad save to deny Michael Cichy. Moments later the Stars burst up the ice and Domenico Alberga went through the middle of the Flyers defence to finish past Owen with the puck going in off both posts. Flyers responded and they had a couple of half chances as they buzzed around Fiske’s net. Shane Owen made way for Brython Preece at the halfway point and he was quickly called into action to make a save. Cichy played a lovely pass to Farley in the 33rd minute but Fiske was one again quick with his pad. Preece made an instinctive stop in the 36th minute as he sprawled across his goal to keep out an effort from Gravelle. Seconds later and Yamamoto was very close as he poked the puck just wide of the target. Xavier Pouliot was called for charging with just over two minutes remaining in the period and the Flyers made the hosts pay. Patient build up again fed the puck down to Drake Pilon on the edge of the crease who had two whacks at it to get it past Fiske and tie things up going into the third.
The Flyers generated the first chance of the final period in the 42nd minute when Farley came in late down the slot and his shot was stopped by Fiske’s pads. Fiske then took a shot from Martineau in the logo in the 44th minute and shortly after against the run of play the Stars regained the lead when Alexander Tonge picked up a feed from behind the net in the high slot to fire glove side on Preece. In the 46th minute Brodie Kay was called for tripping and Preece made a save from Elmer before Gravelle again missed a tip in from the edge of the crease. Back to full strength the Flyers had Preece to thank on the 50th minute when he did well to deny Harms from close range but moments later the same player was on hand at the side of the net to deflect a shot past the Fife goalie with his skate. The Flyers went on the power play in the 51st minute after Jonathon McBean got the gate for tripping but the Stars had a comfortable kill. McBean returned to the action and almost added another for the home side by Preece denied him. In the 54th minute Alberga forced Preece into a top save and the Flyers broke up ice 2 on 1 with Lucas Chiodo feeding Cichy who was stymied by the Stars goalie. Almost immediately Stars made it 4-1 when Gravelle eventually got his goal as his wrister from the top of the circles handcuffed Preece and the puck trickled into the net off his pads. The Flyers got a consolation goal in 56 minutes after nice work by Tyler Heidt who drew Fiske out of his crease and centered to Farley who knocked the puck home from the blue paint. A late interference call on Madi Dikhanbek gave Stars a final power play where Harms came closest with Preece making a strong save.
Pic Credits – Derek Black
The Flyers are next at home on Sunday 25th August when they entertain the Dundee Stars – tickets can be bought online here: Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.
