The Flyers would see out 2025 with the visit of the Dundee Stars following their meeting the previous night on Tayside. The visitors were unchanged and looking to avenge the 3-6 reversal whilst the Flyers were still without the injured Jeremy Masella and Josh Winquist and made one change with Shane Owen returning to the net with Christian Purboo the scratch.

The opening exchanges didn’t create any quality chances as the teams traded end to end rushes but with neither goalie seriously tested. David Booth burst through the centre of the Stars defence in the 5^th minute but he got in too tight on Jarrett Fiske who was able to make the save. In the 7^th minute Morten Jurgens from the circles tested Owen who blockered the puck to safety.  Fiske made a fine pad save on an Andrew McLean shot a minute later before the Stars went then other way and Owen had to make a couple of saves with Matt Berry on his doorstep. Stars threatened again with Spencer Naas moments later who went down the left wing and from an angle fired on net but Owen was square to the shot before the visitors stole the puck in the Flyers end and at 8:24 took the lead as it was fed out to a wide open Otto Nieminen who found the back of a gaping net.  The Stars took the first penalty of the game as Jackson Desouza was called for hooking in neutral ice and shortly after the Flyers had a two man advantage as Matthew Boudens caught Ethan Somoza with a high stick that drew blood for a double minor. The Flyers wasted little time getting back on terms as they moved the puck around crisply to set up Booth with a one timer from the circles that beat Fiske. There was just 30 seconds gone on the double minor as the Stars tried to kill the 5 on 4 powerplay. The home side worked the puck around and Somoza was in tight but Fiske saved his two bites of the cherry before Desouza made a huge shot block from Johan Porsberger whose eyes must have lit up at the yawning net but the Stars survived to return to full strength. The visitors retook the lead at 14:07 when the Flyers got caught on a partial 3 on 1 rush and Owen was beaten by a backdoor play with Berry shoveling the puck behind the Fife netminder. Booth had a shot in the 17^th minute that Fiske had difficulty dealing with and moments later Somoza set up Justin Ducharme down low but Fiske covered up his net to make the save. The Flyers were level again at 19:12 as Keaton Jameson won a faceoff draw straight to Milan Lucic and he fired high glove side on Fiske from the high slot. Garet Hunt then had a snapshot well dealt with by Fiske before the visitors retook the lead with just 10 seconds of the period remaining when Owen let out a rebound and Dow drove the net to fire home.

Within 30 seconds of the middle period Hunt tested Fiske once again who was able to get his arm on the puck to block. In the 22^nd minute Somoza was in close again on the Stars goal but Fiske tracked him. In the 24^th minute Fiske was unable to pick up a wicked release by Booth which smacked off the mask of the Stars goalie. That would be the last action of the night for Booth who retired to the room for the remainder of the game. In the 25^th minute a Dow slapshot from the circles caught Owen on the shoulder and a couple of minutes later the Fife keeper did well to get a pad on a shot from the blueline by Desouza as the puck came through traffic. Jurgens was denied a minute later by an Owen pad save before Fiske swallowed a one timer from the circle by Hunt. The Stars almost increased their advantage in the 29^th minute but the shot from Nieminen caught the inside of the post and stayed out. Giordano Finoro drove the net moments later and his shot went in and out of the glove of Fiske but the home side did get back on level terms at 30:24 following a nice three way passing move that set up Logan Neilson who powered a shot past Fiske.  The Stars were then penalised for too many men as the Flyers went back on the powerplay. The best chance came as Jameson went to the net but he couldn’t find any holes in Fiske to squeeze the puck home as the Stars competed the kill. Craig Moore who had served the penalty returned to the ice and got a breakaway as he went in all alone on Owen who made the initial stop but couldn’t find the loose puck and Kameron Kielly pounded it into the net to give the Stars the lead back again. In the final minute of the period Anton Karlsson gained the zone with speed and Fiske fought off his snapshot before Somoza skimmed the post.

Pic Credits – Jillian McFarlane and Derek Young

Fife Flyers are next at home on Sunday 4th January when they entertain the Manchester Storm – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.