The Flyers travelled West to Renfrewshire knowing that their Challenge Cup progression was already over but looked to play spoiler against a Clan side who very much had the next round of the competition within their own destiny. The home side were without Deven Sideroff whilst the visitors gave a debut to Giordano Finoro who arrived into Scotland a little more than 24 hours earlier and they also welcomed back Garet Hunt from his single game suspension. Justin Ducharme, Christian Purboo, Rowan Mills and Joe Lynch were the scratches.

Finoro made an instant impact with the first shot of the game after only 4 seconds that Sami Aittokallio had to make a pad save on. The Clan went on the first power play after 59 seconds as Ethan Somoza got his stick in the skates of a Clan defenceman and was called for tripping. Shane Owen made a right pad save on Tristan Langan but the Flyers had a shorthanded bid as Somoza went through and Aittokallio made the save but not before Brayden Burke was called for a slash meaning the teams skated 4 on 4 for 35 seconds. The Flyers returned to full strength and both Johan Porsberger and Keaton Jameson forced saves from the Clan keeper during the powerplay before the Clan returned to parity. In the 7^th minute Darien Kielb fired a shot off the shoulder of Owen and a minute later there was a chance at both ends as Jaka Sturm tried to go short side on Aittokallio and then Roy went through and Owen who made a superb toe save. The home side broke the deadlock at 9.06 when Langan set up behind the Flyers net and with plenty of defensive coverage out front Brett Neumann found space to receive the pass and fire past Owen. The following shift Owen made a big save on Richard Jarusek. The Clan doubled their advantage at 14.08 following a horrible turnover by the Flyers in their own end and the puck found Rylan Schwartz who picked the top corner. Owen held a shot from the circles from Roy in the 17^th minute and from a similar position Finoro was also stopped by Aittokallio. In the 18^th minute Joe Hazeldine was binned for a slash on Vlastimil Dostalek to put the Flyers on the powerplay and right on the buzzer the Clan keeper blockered away an Ian Scheid shot.

The Clan killed the remainder of the Flyers powerplay to start the second period and soon after Hugo Roy who came in late from the circles was once again denied by Owen. The Clan added a third goal at 22.20 when Schwartz at the half boards found Jason Fram skating into the high slot and with all of the time in the world he was able to find the corner of the net. In the 25^th minute a Fram shot from the point was redirected by Roy but Owen made a sharp glove save. A minute later and the Fife keeper just got a piece of a wrister from Neumann and the puck pinged off the crossbar. The Clan were well on top at this point and Kielb down low was next to test Owen. In a rare foray Aittokallio was way out of his blue paint to make a stop on Ryan Nicholson and moments later Porsberger made a huge shot block on Chris McKay that left him hobbled leaving the ice. The Clan coughed up the puck to Scheid in the 31^st minute but he couldn’t get any power behind his shot. Owen then made two highlight reel saves in the 32^nd minute as he firstly stopped Langan who was on one on one with him and then he snagged the follow up by Schwartz with his glove. The Flyers gave up another odd man rush in the 34^th minute but a great stick by McLean deflected the puck away from a Kielb shot. Owen was at full stretch to get a pad on a Brayden Burke shot in the 36^th minute but he was left helpless at 36.13 as Neumann sniped the puck stick side as the Clan once again were afforded an odd man situation. Jarusek found himself wide open in the 38^th minute but Owen got across to make the save and hold on. From the face off however Jarusek beat his marker and got a shot in that Owen saved but Robert Lachowicz was on hand to sweep the rebound into the net.

Both teams changed netminders for the start of the third period with Brine in for Aittokallio and Ben Keddie made his EIHL debut relieving Shane Owen.  Roy showed his speed once again in the 44^th minute as he burst through and as he was trying to find Burke with a centering pass McLean made a solid defensive play to swoop in and take the puck away. Brine made a blocker save on Scheid in the 49^th minute and in the first half of the period although there was a lot of action around Keddie’s net the youngster had only a couple of routine saves to make as the Flyers defence restricted the Clan opportunities. The Flyers got on the board at 51.00 after a puck battle by Ethan Hadden saw the puck go on net and Brine couldn’t cover up with Sturm then Dostalek swatting the puck into the net. The Clan were on the powerplay in the 52^nd minute as Somoza got the gate for a hook and it took the Clan until 8 seconds from the end of their man advantage to get a direct shot on Keddie which he swallowed but on the play Hunt was called for a minor penalty for checking to the head. The short 5 on 3 was killed as was the remainder of the Clan man advantage as the Flyers returned to full strength without giving up a direct shot on their net. The Flyers got a powerplay in the 56^th minute as Hunt was tripped by Kielb and the closest they came was a shot by Scheid off the mask of Brine as the Clan then ran out the rest of the clock.

Pic Credits – Glasgow Clan

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Saturday 25th October when they entertain the Coventry Blaze – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.