The Flyers faced the Belfast Giants for their second and final visit in Challenge Cup action this season at Fife Ice Arena. The home side continued their return to health with only Justin Ducharme sidelined through injury and the Flyers gave Christian Purboo the start in net. The Giants were without Josh Roach and Garrett McFadden was a game time scratch.

The Flyers were first out if the traps and in just 15 seconds Alexis Gravel had to be sharp as Josh Winquist went down the left wing and his centering pass found Johan Porsbereger who was too tight in on the Belfast goal to get his spinorama effort to land in the net. The Giants went on the first power play of the game in the 5^th minute when Porsberger was assessed a hold on Jordan Kawaguchi. The Flyers threatened with a shorthanded bid when Garet Hunt picked off a cross ice pass at his own blueline and skated down ice on Gravel who had to blocker away his shot. With time winding down the Giants went on a short 5 on 3 as Keaton Jameson was binned for a trip in the neutral zone. The Flyers survived the two man deficit and once again on the penalty kill almost came up with a shorthanded goal as Mason Alderson chased down Gabe Bast in front of the Giants net and Gravel was thankful to flop on the puck deep in his crease. JJ Piccinich almost opened for the Giants with a shot through the crease but the Flyers completed the kill. Jonas Emmerdahl saw his shot from the circles fought off by the Belfast goalie in the 9^th minute. A couple of minutes later and Christian Purboo had his first real test as he stopped a rising shot from Ryan Smith. In the 12^th minute the Flyers goalie survived a scramble around his crease but moments later the Flyers were back on the penalty kill as Andrew McLean got the gate for holding. The visitors made their advantage count this time as Mike Lee fired a shot high into the net passed a screened Purboo at 13:17. The in the 17^th minute Jeremy Masella and Ben Lake dropped the gloves in the neutral zone with the Flyers man getting the take down as both sat 5 minutes for fighting. The Giants missed a guilt edged chance in the 17^th minute as Bo Hanson fired wide from the slot. Smith was denied again by Purboo in the final minute before McLean brought the period to a close with a shot off the Giants keepers face mask.

The Flyers came close in the opening minute of the second period as a one timer from Porsberger struck the shoulder of Gravel. The Giants doubled their advantage at 22:47 when Purboo was again beaten from distance, this time by a wicked slap shot by Sam Jones that flew high into the net. Gravel stopped a slapshot from Winquist from the slot in the 24^th minute. The Flyers went on their first powerplay in the 26^th  minute when Patrick Grasso gave Masella a retaliatory slash around the ankles off the puck. The Flyers didn’t get much set up but in the dying seconds Jaka Sturm forced a save from Gravel as the Giants returned to full strength. In the 30^th minute a 2 on 1 break saw Sturm find Alderson but Gravel got enough of the puck to keep it out. Purboo made a fine stop on Brandon Whistle a minute later although the Giants missed a snip with the rebound opportunity. The home side were given a life line at 32:36 after persistence around the net by Alderson who got the puck past Gravel only for Mike Lee to bank the puck in off the rear end of his goalie.  A good follow up shift from the Flyers saw Gravel deny Jameson before Purboo had to look lively to keep out a shot from Reid Irwin with Masella then being called for boarding. Purboo went post to post to keep out Scott Conway as the Flyers completed the kill.

Into the third period and once again the Flyers were first to threaten when Winquist had a breakaway but a fantastic stick save by Gravel  kept the Giants lead as the rebound just wouldn’t fall on a Flyers stick. In the 45th minute Purboo was in good position to stop Conway but moments later at 45:37 Jake Gaudet managed to get the puck past the Flyers netminder as it appeared to take a hop on him. The Flyers kept pressing and they were within a goal again at 52:35 as Winquist and Somoza combined to set up Porsberger in the slot who managed to slide the puck beyond Gravel. The Giants had the chance to ice the contest as Didrik Svendsen was called for an off the puck slash. It was another solid kill by Fife who again created a shorthanded chance when Winquist got in behind the Giants defence and with Gabe Bast draped all of him he went careering into Gravel who kept the puck out with no call on the play. The Flyers having returned to full strength grabbed the leveler at 56:30 as McLean and Porsberger kept the puck alive for Ian Scheid to go down the right wing and from an acute angle he banked the puck off the back of Gravel and into the net. Purboo came up with a game saver with 2 minutes to go when he gloved a Piccinich shot from the slot and in the final few seconds Vlastimil Dostalek tried a back hand effort that Gravel smothered to send the game into overtime.

Overtime saw both teams have long spells of possession but the defensive marking was very good and although the Giants had a handful of shots they were all routine for Purboo as we went to a shootout.

After the first 5 rounds both Winquist and Conway had markers as we went then to sudden death. Sound 6 saw both scorers have their efforts saved before Bast and Somoza scored. Purboo then saved from Piccinich and the Flyers got the extra point with a fine deke by Jameson on the decisive penalty.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on Saturday 11th 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.