Fife Flyers opened their season account on home ice with another derby against the Dundee Stars whom they visited the previous evening on Tayside. The Stars line up was unchanged with Ben O’Connor on GB duty and with non-homegrown players Kameron Kielly and Richard Sabol still to hit the ice with their new teammates. Fife also had the same line up with Martin Látal sitting out after his collision with Olivier LeBlanc in the warm up in Dundee. Johnny Curran was with GB and Fynn Page was also scratched ahead of him starting his two way deal with Bristol.

The Stars made a quick start to the game and were on the attack first with Shane Owen dealing with a shot from the half boards inside the opening 40 seconds. The Flyers were soon  around the Stars net and Jarrett Fiske continued his fine form of the previous evening when he made a double save from LeBlanc and then Drake Pilon who picked up the rebound in the 2^nd minute. A minute later and Maxim Musorov was denied by Fiske who then went on to stop Nikolai Shulga in the slot in the 6^th minute. Flyers went on the games first power play in the 7^th minute when Kyle Pouncy was called for tripping. It became a two man advantage for 44 seconds when Brendan Harms was called for a rough. The Flyers powerplay whilst methodical and patient didn’t register a shot as the Stars returned to four skaters and despite controlling the puck in the zone for the entire duration of the penalty only a Musorov drive had Friske called into action. Back at full strength LeBlanc then had his effort saved by Friske and in a rare foray up ice the Stars almost snatched the lead in the 12^th minute when Jake Elmer went on a breakaway but hit the outside of the post with Owen sprawling. The visitors did however open the scoring moments later completely against the run of play when Keanu Yamamoto broke through and beat Owen with a shot high into the net. Stars came close again in the 15^th minute with a shot off the outside of the post. Fiske produced a fine double save to deny Phélix Martineau in the 17^th minute before a heavy collision along the boards left Stars youngster Gary Kelly requiring medical attention and he was stretchered from the ice to warm applause.  Pouncy was denied by Owen on the restart before Xavier Pouliot took an interference penalty. The Flyers made their man advantage count with just 5 seconds remaining in the period when Musorov’s shot from the high slot beat the Stars keeper high glove.

The first chance of the second period fell to Artur Gatiyatov who hit the side netting from the angle and Michael Cichy saw a drive go in and out of Fiske’s glove. Flyers remained on top as regards chances created and James Spence was next to be thwarted by Fiske in the 25^th minute. The pressure finally told when the Flyers took the lead following a neat play down low that was finished by Austin Farley swatting the puck out of midair into the net. Stars almost immediately went on the power play with Patrick Kyte getting the gate for hooking. Zach Tsekos came closest in what was a very good kill by the Flyers. Back at full strength Owen made his best stop of the night when he shutdown Domenico Alberga who was clean through but couldn’t force the puck past the netminder. Brython Preece entered the game in place of Shane Owen and within seconds had to look lively to save from Alex Tonge. Within 90 seconds however the back up keeper was facing a penalty shot as Tsekos was pulled down on his way to goal and the Stars marksman expertly finished five hole to level the game. The match was turned on its head 16 seconds later when the Stars went in front with a shot high glove on Preece by Brett Gravelle. An intended shot off the pads of Fiske by Austin set up a rebound for Cichy who was absolutely stoned by the Stars netminder. The visitors threatened on an odd man rush in the closing minute but Noah Delmas got back to help break up the play before Drake Pilon finished the action forcing a leg save from Fiske.

The Stars took full control of the game 44 seconds into the 3^rd period when Elmer was able to drive the net from the side wall and he slipped the puck underneath Preece. The Flyers were penalised in the 44^th minute when Patrick Kyte took a holding penalty and Tsekos rang the puck off the inside of the post. With Kyte back on the ice he found himself playing on the wing and in the 46^th minute he was on hand in the slot to backhand the puck between Fiske’s pads to reduce the arrears. Martineau tried a wraparound on the Stars goalie in the 49^th minute but Fiske was alert and a minute later he did well to stop a Cichy effort from the top of his crease. Preece was busy moments later making three saves in a scramble before smothering the puck from a Yamamoto shot. The Flyers levelled the game in the 52^nd minute when nice set up play saw the puck reach Martineau in the slot who had a wide open net to hit. It looked at this point as though the Flyers would continue their ascendancy but the Stars retook the lead with under three minutes to play when a fortuitous bounce of the puck allowed Elmer to go in on goal and beat Preece. The Flyers pushed to tie the game in the final minute and withdrew Preece for an extra skater but Dundee won the puck and Tonge hit the empty net.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

The Flyers are next at home on  Saturday 31st August when they entertain Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières  – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.