The Flyers welcomed the Manchester Storm for their second visit to Kirkcaldy in the league this season. The Storm were coming off a 4-3 shootout loss at home to the Coventry Blaze the previous evening. The visitors were without the suspended Dallas Ehrhardt and Loren Ulett and were also missing Chase Harrison, Cameron Critchlow and Stephen Johnson. The Flyers were without the injured Johnny Curran and scratched Artur Gatiyatov whilst they welcomed back Brodie Kay and gave a debut to Martin Látal following his recovery from preseason injury.

30 seconds in and Shane Owen had to look sharp to cover up a loose puck around his crease. The Flyers were next to threaten and Maxim Musorov fired just wide after 60 seconds which was followed by Evan Weninger swallowing the puck as Noah Delmas let rip from the circles. The Storm almost opened the scoring in the 3^rd minute when a tip in the slot from Grant Hebert pinged the outside of Owen’s righthand post. A goal did arrive however moments later as Látal touched the puck off in centre ice to a speeding Phélix Martineau who drove the net and managed to slide the puck underneath Weninger. The Flyers had their tails up at this point and for the next couple of minutes they swarmed the Storm goal and almost increased their lead in the 6th minute when Musorov, with a lot of net to aim at, struck the inside of the post before the play was halted when Joe Morrow caught Michael Cichy with a high stick which drew blood and a double minor. The Flyers power play tested the Storm netminder early with Daniel Krenželok powering a shot on goal from just inside the blueline. CJ Garcia had a long range short handed attempt gloved by Owen. There was a lot of patient set up play by the Flyers with their man advantage but Weninger was seeing the puck well. As the penalty was nearing an end Látal almost had a debut goal as his backhand shot struck a defender and landed on the goal line before being cleared as the visitors survived. A Musorov snapshot in the 11^th minute from the circles was held by Weninger. Owen had to make two saves in quick succession in the 13^th minute from Morrow who fired in shots from an angle that the keeper got his blocker on. The Storm went on the power play in the 14^th minute when Lucas Chiodo was called for hooking. The Storm power play looked dangerous from the get go and Owen did well to keep Alexis D’Aoust from equalising as he slid post to post. The same player moments later was again denied by Owen but the Fife keeper could do nothing to stop a Gianluca Esteves tip from the slot finding the net. Cichy returned from the room after repairs at this point. In the 18^th minute Austin Farley split the defence but couldn’t get much on his shot on goal as he went tumbling to the ice and a few moments later a let off for the Flyers as Esteves fanned on the puck with a wide open net.

In the 21^st minute D’Aoust from distance had his shot held by Owen who then denied the same player in the 23^rd minute with the Flyers quickly going the other way and Weninger forced to make a  decent save on a rising shot from Cichy. Patrick Kyte retired to the Flyers room after a big collision with Owen and the goalpost and didn’t return for the remainder of the game. In the 27^th minute Jake Durflinger couldn’t beat Owen who was out at the top of his crease to make a strong save. The Flyers replied with a Krenželok rip that Weninger stopped with his chest. The Flyers went ahead again in the 28^th minute when Weninger couldn’t hold a powerful shot from Tyler Heidt and Martineau was on hand to stuff the puck home from the edge of the crease. A Musorov shot struck the outside of the goal in the 31^st minute and in the 33^rd minute Ryan Hughes dangled through the Flyers defence but he couldn’t solve Owen. The visitors tied the game up again in the 35th minute when Tyler Hinam sniped a face off win and his shot seemed to fool Owen who was perhaps unsighted. A minute later and the Storm were back in the power play as Cichy was called for slashing. Craig Martin had a blast at the Flyers goal from the high slot but Owen made a great leg save as the Flyers killed the man advantage. Approaching the final minute Owen gathered a shot from D’Aoust to his chest before the Storm were penalised with Owen Griffiths getting the gate for tripping Chiodo. Heidt had a strong shot which Weninger just got a piece off but Owen had to be sharp to stop a shorthanded breakaway by Hebert as the teams went in at the interval all square with a minute of power play time remaining.

The Flyers opened the third period with pressure on the visitors during the remainder of their power play time and Heidt saw a shot go in and out of Weninger’s glove and float over the crossbar but it was Storm who almost snatched a shorthanded goal when Hebert tried to take advantage of a couple of slips in the Flyers rearguard but couldn’t provide the finish. In the 43^rd minute a bad angled shot by Drake Pilon had Weninger scrambling then Storm hit back a couple of minutes later when D’Aoust almost caught the Flyers on a line change but he couldn’t beat Owen. Hinam was stoned by a fantastic close in save by Owen as Storm played 6 on 5 following a delayed tripping penalty on Brodie Kay. The Flyers penalty kill was resolute as the only chance fell for D’Aoust who hit the side netting which then started a scrum around the Flyers cage. Weninger stopped Chiodo in the 48^th minute before Hebert again tested Owen as Storm quickly transitioned the puck with the Flyers keeper at full stretch to make the save. Musorov drove the net in the 49^th minute but Weninger sprawled to gather the puck as the net came off the moorings. Noah Carrol was called for a two minute boarding minor in the 52^nd minute and the Flyers with the extra man almost took the lead again but Martineau was denied by a fine toe save by Weninger. At the other end a breakdown in communication allowed Hebert to steal the puck and skate in all alone on Owen but he pulled his shot wide of the target in what was a huge let off for the home side. The crucial go ahead goal and ultimately the game winner arrived in the 54^th minute as the Flyers had an odd man rush with Musorov supplying the pass to Cichy who steadied himself before sniping the puck top shelf stick side on Weninger. Farley weaved his way in on goal in the 57^th minute but Weninger stretched out a pad to make a fantastic save. With two minutes remaining Storm called their time out but elected not to pull the goalie for the extra skater. The clocked ticked down to 49 seconds to go and with a face off in the Fife zone Weninger was pulled. Storm controlled the puck in the Fife end for the remainder of the game with Morrow having a shot blocked and D’Aoust then having a final shot on the buzzer through a mass of humanity which was held by Owen to secure the win.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Wednesday 9th October when they entertain the Belfast Giants – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.