By Kris Smith
Stars travelled to Guildford to play their third last game of the season but they only had their pride to compete for after they were eliminated from the race for the final playoff spot.
Travis Fullerton remained in nets for Dundee, while Brian Stewart was his opposite number in the Guildford goal. Riley Stadel and captain Chris Lawrence did not ice for Stars and the home team were only without the indefinitely injured Liam Stewart and spare keeper, Chris Carrozzi.
Both teams started off well and cancelled each other out for the first half of the opening period. A penalty against former Star, Mikael Lidhammar for a tripping infraction gave Dundee the chance to break the deadlock but they failed to capitalise with the man advantage.
Flames then gained their first powerplay after Brian Hart picked up a slashing minor with sixty-five seconds left to play in the first period. It then became a 5-on-3 powerplay for the home team as Omar Pacha joined Hart in the box after he was penalised for kneeing with thirty-eight seconds to play.
Paul Dixon’s men were working the puck around well with their two-man advantage, John Dunbar and Kruise Reddick exchanged passes before Reddick set-up the one-timer for Calle Ackered and he smashed the puck past Fullerton at 19:51.
Guildford got off to a better start in the second period as Ben Davies received a pass from Lidhmmar before beating the Stars netminder to double Flames lead on the twenty-third minute mark.
Geoff Walker made it 3-0 at 30:42, Ackered picked out the Canadian with a cross ice pass and he beat Fullerton as the Dundee keeper moved from post-to-post. Mike Krieg went to the penalty box for hooking, as Stars were gifted a chance to get back in the game but once gain they were let down by their powerplay unit.
Anthony Mastrodicasa was next to take a seat in the sin bin as the Dundee defencemen was punished for an interference infraction with twenty-six seconds left to play in the middle period. Flames took a 3-0 lead into the final break and were playing comfortably on their home ice.
The third period lacked any major action as Dundee’s defensive performance improved and they were able to keep out the Flames during the final twenty minutes of play. Emerson Hrynyk and Johan Andersson both picked up minor penalties late in the period, but Stewart denied all seventeen shots he faced from Dundee to secure a shutout and 3-0 win for his side.
Brian Stewart and Stars’ Jimmy Jensen picked up the ‘man of the Match’ accolades and Omar Pacha must now prepare his squad for the final home game of the season. Dundee welcome Nottingham Panthers for the final time in this campaign on Saturday evening.
