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Match Report – Friday 18th October 2024

It was a game where both teams were desperate to pick up points in the chase for second spot and qualification in the Challenge Cup. Flyers were looking to snap a three game losing skid and with Olivier LeBlanc, Nikolai Shulga, Fynn Page and Johnny Curran, who had earlier been confirmed as suffering a long term injury all scratched. They handed a debut to centreman Ryan Foss who arrived in the country less than 24 hours before puck drop. Patrick Kyte was also welcomed back into the line up after recovering from injury. The Stars were without Xavier Pouliot and Brogan O’Brien.

The Stars were first to threaten in 30 seconds when Jake Elmer split the visitors defence and Shane Owen had to make a save. The home side got the breakthrough with just over 90 seconds on the clock when the Flyers turned the puck over in the neutral zone allowing the Stars to break 3 on 2. A tic tac toe play set up the chance for Alex Tonge to hit the open net with Owen having no chance. In the 4th minute debutant Ryan Foss won a puck battle behind the Stars net and he stepped out to try and stuff the puck home but Richard Sabol was alert and smothered the puck. The Flyers again threatened in the 6th minute when Lucas Chiodo combined with Michael Cichy whose redirect of the puck slithered just wide of the post. A good forecheck by Austin Farley and Chiodo set up a chance for Foss whose shot was straight into the logo of Sabol. Back came the Stars in the 8th minute when Domenic Alberga stickhandled his way through the Flyers defence and forced a pad save from Owen. The Stars gave the puck away in their own zone in the 10th minute and Sabol had to deal with a long range effort from the right hand point. Moments later and Owen was thankful to cover up a puck with a pile of bodies around his net after the Flyers gave the puck up in their own zone. In the 11th minute a huge save from Owen who denied Brendan Harms on the top of his crease after he had been set up by Elmer. Flyers responded and Martin Látal fed the puck to Phélix Martineau and Sabol made a smart blocker save. Owen held on to an Elmer backhand shot in the 13th minute but 30 seconds later could do nothing about a tip from Brett Gravelle from the slot that found the bottom corner after a puck through from the blueline by Drydn Dow. In the 16th minute Sabol made his bid for save of the week as Chiodo set up Cichy who had a wide open net to aim for but the Stars goalie flicked out his stick to get something on the puck to deflect it clear. Sabol was under pressure in the 17th minute when he covered up with Daniel Krenželok down low on the play looking for an opening. A minute later and it was Krenželok again with a shot from the circles that forced a fine pad save from the Stars goalie. In the final minute of the period Sabol had to make two saves in quick succession to preserve the Stars two goal lead as he denied Farley who was on the edge of his crease.

The Flyers were first to show in the second period when Martineau stole the puck and drove the net but Sabol made the save. A shot by Látal in the 24th minute was too hot to handle for Sabol and Martineau pounced on the rebound but the Stars goalie got a piece of the puck and finally calmed things down when he held a snapshot from the slot by Maxim Musorov. The Stars hadn’t been a threat in the period until the 26th minute when they increased their lead with Cole MacDonald up on the rush and the blueliner picked the bottom corner on Owen’s glove side. In the 27th minute there were offsetting minors for roughing for Harms and Martineau and as the teams skated 4 on 4 the Stars found the twine again in the 28th minute when a Tonge shot rebounded and the puck was recycled by the Stars by Alberga who fed Ben O’Connor to laser one past Owen. Stars were full of confidence now and Zachary Tsekos went down the right wing and his shot was well saved by Owen who moments later was happy to see a backhand effort from close range by Keanu Yamamoto go over the crossbar. The Stars went on the first power play of the game in the 32nd minute as Drake Pilon was called for interference. The Flyers had a brief 3 on 1 break but were too slow with their deliberations and the Stars recovered to mop up the danger. Owen made a fine save on a huge Elmer blast and from the ensuing scrum around the net Owen was called for a cross check with Harms and Patrick Kyte getting offsetting minors for roughing putting Stars on a 5 on 3 for a minute. O’Connor missed the net with a blast as the Flyers returned to four skaters and were able to kill the rest of the penalty. In the 35th minute a shot from the right wing by Kameron Kielly rebounded off the pads of Owen out into the slot and landed on the stick of Gravelle who made no mistake. Sabol again produced a wonder save in the 37th minute when he went post to post to rob Chiodo who couldn’t elevate the puck enough following a Farley feed. Krenželok had a drive from the top of the circles in the 38th minute held by Sabol before the Stars almost added another in the final minute when Jonathan McBean stole the puck from Tyler Heidt and his feed into the slot to Elmer was fired wide.

Within the opening minute of the 3rd period Látal stung the shoulder of Sabol with a slapshot. The Flyers were on the power play in the 42nd minute when Kris Inglis was called for a trip on Chiodo. Krenželok put the first of several shots on net but somehow it hit Sabol and landed between his legs before he fell backwards on the puck to cover it up. Farley was next to be denied this time by a blocker save by Sabol as the Stars killed the penalty. In the 44th minute Sabol got the shaft of his stick on a shot by Heidt. The Stars added to their tally in the 46th minute with an absolute rip of shot by Alberga from the right hand face off dot that went top corner on Owen. Sabol continued to thwart the Flyers with a mixtures of solid saves and unconventional stops all of which however proved to be effective. The Flyers went back on the man advantage in the 49th minute when Yamamoto was called for tripping. Krenželok had a booming shot saved and the Stars somehow survived another couple of scrambles around their net as the visitors did everything apart from put the puck in the net with that man Sabol again standing tall. Owen scrambled across his crease to deny Tsekos in the 54th minute but a seventh goal was just delayed as Noah Delmas lost possession in the neutral zone as he tried to lug the puck up ice and Alberga broke into the Flyers zone to pick the stick side on Owen. Owen stopped a hard shot by O’Connor a minute later and Krenželok sold out his body to make a brave shot block as the Stars kept pushing. Another Flyers power play followed in the 56th minute after a high stick by Harms on Kyte.  Sabol scrambled the puck away to safety following a Krenželok effort before he stoned Kyte from close in on a night where he would simply not be beaten as the Flyers continued to look for their first win on the road after having played six games so far this season.

Pic Credits – Derek Black

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Saturday 19th October when they entertain the Guildford Flames – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.