TRADE-MART DUNDEE STARS 1 GLASGOW CLAN 3
The Trade-Mart Dundee Stars welcomed Glasgow Clan to the Dundee Ice Arena on Sunday evening for their final regular season meeting with their Scottish rivals, on what was also reverse retro night.
By Kris Smith
The Stars made some changes to their line-up as forwards, Jonathan McBean and Romans Semjonovs missed out again but netminder, Anton Svensson came back into the starting spot for Brython Preece as the Welshman missed out through injury, meaning 19-year-old, Harry Elder came in as the backup.
Both teams came out looking for an early goal and were quick to work both keepers, as Glasgow’s Ty Taylor was first to be called into action, although Ben Sokay blew his chance to get Dundee in front early.
The Canadian was left unmarked at the back post and had a clear bit of net to shot at but put his effort wide of goal.
Meanwhile in the other net, Svensson had to produce a fine double save to keep the game scoreless as the Clan went close on the powerplay, with Erik Näslund in the box for a hooking foul in the sixth minute.
Glasgow’s Mitch Jones first tested the Swedish keeper with a shot from range, before Dyson Stevenson attempted to bat in the rebound, but Svensson got his pads out to deny both efforts.
Dundee then had their own chance on the powerplay in the 13th minute as Steven McParland was also punished for a hooking foul.
The Stars worked their opponents well but were unable to find the first breakthrough and after the penalty expired, McParland returned to the ice and began to mix things up with Dundee’s Cole Fraser and after a few heated exchanges and some cross-checks, the pair were finally separated.
There was a feisty end to the first period but as both teams returned to the ice for the second period, the focus went back on playing hockey and after failing to capitalise on another man advantage, the Clan finally broke the deadlock on 28 minutes.
Stevenson was perfectly placed to whack the pass from former Star, Jordan Cownie straight past Svensson from right in front of goal and the Clan quickly grabbed control of the game, but that did not stop Dundee from making their push forward to try and get back on level terms.
However, their hopes of getting back in the game took a blow when Gabriel Chabot blasted home a second on 36 minutes, after he peeled away from his marker and fired home from between the face-off circles.
In the third period, the Braehead club quickly killed off any hopes of the Stars getting off to a quick start as Gary Haden tipped a shot out of mid-air past Svensson, after only 31 seconds of play.
With Dundee down by three they needed something to spark a late comeback and they finally got their chance to make something happen as Ben Sokay finally got them on the board in the 53rd minute with a powerplay goal.
McParland returned to the box for interference and Jeff Mason’s powerplay unit quickly capitalised as they put a few shots on Taylor before for Sokay was able to smack home a rebound, cutting the lead back down to two.
The Tayside team pushed for another goal in the dying minutes but were unable to break down the West Coast club again and the Clan also failed to score into an empty net as Dundee gambled with their goaltender in the final 90 seconds.
After taking a point from a shootout loss to Cardiff on Saturday night, the Stars now sit four points behind Fife Flyers in ninth and eight points away from the Clan, who occupy the last playoff spot.
However, they have the chance to take all four points on home ice next weekend as they welcome Guildford Flames and Nottingham Panthers, in what will be a decisive weekend in their season.
Man of the Match
Dundee: #10 Philippe Sanche
Glasgow: #1 Ty Taylor
Goals
1st:
2nd:
0-1 Dyson Stevenson (Jordan Cownie) 28:03
0-2 Gabriel Chabot (Brad Kennedy, Andrew McLean) 36:28
3rd:
0-3 Gary Haden (Steven McParland, John Dunbar) 40:31
1-3 Ben Sokay (Drydn Dow, Johan Eriksson) 52:49 PPG
All images: Derek Black.
