By Kris Smith
The Dundee Stars are looking to make it four home wins in a row as they look to continue their climb up the league standings.
They face the Guildford Flames for third time this season, the Surrey side sit in 10th place, ranked one above Dundee. With one game between the Stars and the Flames yet to be rescheduled after being postponed due to ice problems. Omar Pacha’s men are yet to beat Guildford’s after losing 3-2 in overtime at the DIA last month after a freak bounce handed the extra point to Guildford.
Carl Ackered put the home side ahead in the first period before Marc-Olivier Mimar drew Dundee level on the powerplay in the middle stanza. Pacha had put his team up in the final period but the Stars could not hold the lead as Jesse Craige’s powerplay goal tied the game up with five minutes left to play. Rhett Rachinski found the overtime winner when a dodgy bounce off of the glass behind Travis Fullerton’s goal fell in front of him and he batted it into the goal from mid-air.
The next meeting was supposed to be the following day but after a long 10-hour drive south the game was abandoned after just 20 minutes due to holes in the ice, the game is yet to be rescheduled by the league.
Guildford have lost four from the six games they have played this month, their last game however was a 6-1 demolishing of a strong and inform Fife Flyers side at the Spectrum. Ian Watters, Kruise Reddick, Jeremy Lundin, Ben Campbell and Tomas Nechala were all on the scoresheet against the Flyers. The only other November win for Paul Dixon’s team was at home against the Edinburgh Capitals when they put seven goals past the Scottish side.
A defeat last weekend in Glasgow ended the Stars huge momentum run and two game winning streak. The Braehead Clan were down 2-1 after Malcolm Gould and Riley Stadel put Dundee in front inside the first period but the Clan came back to defeat their conference rivals 3-2.The Stars have won three games out of seven this month with all three wins coming inside the Dundee Ice Arena.
Three huge victories over the Manchester Storm, the current league champions the Cardiff Devils and last year’s playoff semi-finalists the Belfast Giants have made the DIA a very tough place for any team to win some points. Four points this weekend can draw Dundee level on points with the Flames in the Elite League standings.
“I think we are making a little bit of progress every weekend since the start of this month!”
Tonight’s game faces-off at 7pm with tickets still available from the DIA box office (01382 431900) and online..
