The Flyers returned to Planet Ice Altrincham having started the month of October on the road to the Manchester Storm and now closed it on All Hallows’ Eve in Altrincham. The home side recently added Dallas Ehrhardt back into their line up as emergency cover with captain Chase Harrison out of their lineup. Storm man of the Match in the last meeting Drew DeRidder once again got the start in net.  For the visitors the only change from their last outing was Shane Owen returning in net with the absence still of injured reserve Dustin Ducharme.

The Flyers fired the first salvo of the game in the opening minute when DeRidder took a shot off the mask from the right  circle. A minute later and Keaton Jameson saw his blast gloved by the Storm goalie. Owen was in the game in the 3^rd minute when he saved a shot from a tight angle by Kaleb Ergang. The home side opened the scoring at 4:48 when the Flyers turned the puck over as they attempted to exit their zone and the puck was fed to Brady Gilmour who skated in on the Fife net and walked the puck around Owen. Gilmour had another chance on the next shift but Owen was equal to his effort. The Flyers went to the games first powerplay after Harrison Caines caught Ian Scheid with a high stick. The Flyers wasted no time in drawing level as 8 seconds in after a face off win the puck found Garet Hunt and from the right circle he sniped the puck top shelf over the glove of DeRidder at 6:14. In the 9^th minute a stretch pass released Gilmour who went in behind the Flyers defence but Owen flashed the leather to save his shot. An Andrew McLean shot from the point in the 10^th minute went close with Ethan Somoza providing the screen. Ryan Nicholson a minute later again from the blueline saw his shot fought off by DeRidder as the Flyers hemmed the Storm in their own zone. Moments later the Flyers again looked dangerous as a shot from Jameson was shut down by Deridder with Hunt sniffing out any rebounds. The Storm passed up a Grade A chance in the 15^th minute when Loren Ulett found space in the slot but Owen made another glove save. The home side did however get in front again at 15:58 as the Flyers couldn’t clear a bobbling puck around their net and Stephen Johnson swooped to flick it into the top of the net. Owen covered up in the 18^th minute as he denied Brandon Cutler on the wraparound. Entering the final minute Vlastimil Dostalek was assessed a tripping call but not before the Storm enjoyed almost one minute of 6 on 5 on the delayed call.

The Flyers who had lost the services of Jonas Emmerdahl in the first period were down to five defencemen as they started the second killing all but 10 seconds of the Dostalek penalty  and they returned to full strength unscathed with Owen only having a big blast from Cutler to deal with. The Storm passed up another great chance as they broke 2 on 0 in the 25^th minute but Owen performed heroics to make stops from Johnson and Joseph Nardi. The following shift Owen was called upon again as he denied Nick Welsh. In the 28^th minute Gilmour again looked lively with a try from an angle and then from right down main street Gary Haden drifted his shot wide of Owen’s net. The Storm went back on the powerplay in the 29^th minute as Jeremy Masella took a slashing penalty. The Flyers again did a solid job on the kill with only one scramble around Owen as they returned to full strength unscathed. The Flyers keeper made a stunning glove save in the 33^rd minute on Kyle Locke who came in unchallenged from the circles and tried to pick the top corner. The Flyers dug themselves another shorthanded hole in the 34^th minute as after taking a cross check in front of the net McLean then got called on a double minor for the same infraction as he laid the lumber four times on Ergang. Owen held a wrister from Cutler before the Flyers almost carved out a short handed chance when Giordano Finoro found Somoza in front of the Storm net but he had to stretch for the puck and his two swats were dealt with by DeRidder. Still on the man advantage a back door play saw Ergang stoned by Owen as the Flyers completed the kill to end the period just one goal behind despite the territorial advantage enjoyed by the home side.

The next goal was always going to be crucial and at 41:16 it went the way of the Storm as the Flyers coughed up the puck just outside their blueline and the Storm transitioned quickly with Haden setting up Gilmour to beat a sprawling Owen. In the 49^th minute Ulett anticipated an ariel pass by Dallas Ehrhardt and he went in 1 on 1 with Owen who once again came up with a big save. Masella went back to the bin in the 51^st minute for a another slashing infraction and the Flyers survived a big scramble around their net but with 23 seconds still to kill they were down two men as Josh Winquist was called for delay of game after batting the puck out of the air and over the benches. The Flyers survived to get Masella back on the ice but shortly afterwards the puck dropped nicely for Dennis Busby who had a lot of net to shoot at to add another for the Storm at 52:20. Brodie Kay gave DeRidder a test in the 54^th minute and the Storm goalie then had to stay alert to make a shoulder save on a snapshot.  The Storm had the final word in the game at 55:05 when Brendon Clavelle was able to break in from the neutral zone unchallenged and from below the circles he picked his spot glove side on a helpless Owen.

Pic Credits – Manchester Storm

Fife Flyers are next at home on  Saturday 1st November when they entertain the Glasgow Clan – tickets can be bought online here:  Tickets – Fife Flyers or look out on social media channels for box office opening times.