The Flyers finally got their preseason action underway following the disappointment of the cancelled games against Brasov the previous weekend. The wraps came off the newly assembled roster with a trip over the Tay to meet the Stars who had one game under their belts as they lost out the Canadian University side Concordia Stingers at Dundee Ice Arena last weekend. The Stars scratched Spencer Naas whilst the Flyers started without Didrik Nøkleby Svendsen along with youngster Ethan Hadden.

The game sparked to life immediately after Griffin Luce threw a big hit on Ben Brown after just 72 seconds that created a reaction from Garet Hunt who stepped in and came out on the wrong side of a 2+2 for roughing with the Stars man getting just the single minor to send the home side on the first power play of the evening. The Stars moved the puck around well with the man advantage and Shane Owen was dragged out of position but Matt Berry missed the wide open net. Dundee did however strike at 3.15 when a give and go between Bradley Schoonbaert and Keanu Yamamoto saw the later beat Owen with a rising shot from the high slot. The Stars were back on the powerplay in the 6^th minute when Jeremy Masella was called for holding. Once more the Stars looked dangerous as they moved the puck around and Berry again had the goal at his mercy with Owen dragged out of position but again he missed the target. Ian Scheid then had a shorthanded bid that was thwarted by Emil Kruse in the Stars net. The Flyers completed the kill but the Stars retained possession of the puck in the Flyers zone and a shot from the high slot from Justin Bean beat Owen on the short side with the puck being deflected by Schoonbaert who was credited with the goal. In the 9^th minute Vlastimil Dostalek stripped the puck in the Stars zone and set up Ethan Somoza who had his shot deflect off a Stars stick and up into the netting. In the 13^th minute the Stars had all sorts of time and space in the Flyers zone as Kameron Kielly gained entry to slip the puck to Yamamoto but Own flashed the leather. A Craig Moore shot in the 15^th minute clipped the top of Owen’s crossbar. Hampus Olsson was binned in the 18^th minute for a hold on Scheid as the Flyers had their first man advantage. The Stars penalty kill came up with an incredible four successive shot blocks in quick succession to maintain their advantage at the interval.

The Stars completed the kill to start the second period. Justin Ducharme snapped a shot just wide of the post in the 21^st minute and a couple of minutes later Matthew Boudens was called for a hook to put the Flyers back on the powerplay. Somoza had a clear shot at goal but Kruze was square in his net to make the save. The Flyers did however make their man advantage count as down low pressure eventually saw the puck land on the stick of Mason Alderson in the slot and he poked it home to reduce the deficit. Brodie Kay had a blue line shot bobbled by Kruse in the 28^th minute and a minute later the Stars were on another powerplay as Alderson tripped Schoonbaert in the neutral zone. Ducharme went coast to coast in a short handed bid only to have the puck stripped from him as he was getting ready to get his shot away and the Flyers completed the kill. Scheid and Boudens both sat for coincidental holding minors in the 32^nd minute. In the 33^rd minute Olsson was released by a great stretch pass by Dow and as he streaked in on Owen Kay was forced to impede him and the referee called a penalty shot. Olsson tried to beat the Fife goalie with a backhand glove side but was denied. In the 34^th minute Kruse paddled away a Josh Winquist one timer. Owen made a blocker save in the 35^th minute on Schoonbaert and the Stars ended the period with another man advantage as Keaton Jameson was given the gate for goalie interference on Kruse. Owen had to make one smart save on a one timer from Benjamin Almquist as the period ended.

Flyers completed the kill to start the third period. The Flyers forecheck created the game tying goal as first Winquist had a shot saved by Kruse but the visitors dogged the puck and Ducharme recycled it for Winquist again who this time found a hole in Kruse to sneak the puck home at 41.11. In the 45th minute Kruse couldn’t hold a snap shot from the slot from Ducharme as the visitors began to take control of the match. Morten Jurgens was called in the 50th minute for an elbow on Ben Brown. Almost immediately Johan Porsberger rang the puck off the post with Kruse completely unsighted. Flyers had lots of downlow pressure but couldn’t find the killer touch as the Stars managed to return to full strength unscathed. Kruse fought of a shot in the 54th minute from Masella as the visitors continued to press. In the 56th minute both Olsson and Masella dropped the gloves at the side of Owen’s net and they both sat for five minutes. The Stars survived a scramble around their net in the 57th minute as both Dostalek and Somoza had whacks at the puck but Kruse stood tall and the game drifted to overtime.
The Flyers possessed the puck straight from the face off but in their first attack the Stars broke 2 on 1 with Dow drifting a shot wide of the post. Ducharme then set up Jameson but Kruse came up with a huge save before Dow was released by Berry with a stretch pass and went in one on one against Owen to beat the Fife goalie for the game winner.

Pic Credits – Derek Black

Fife Flyers are next at home on Sunday 7th September 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.