By Kris Smith
The Kitmart Dundee Stars got off to a flying start in their opening Challenge Cup match against Glasgow Clan.
Dundee took a 1-0 lead inside seven minutes as Anthony Beauregard lifted a shot over the sprawling Patrick Killeen.
Stars defenseman, Shawn Boutin had sent a shot in on goal but it was blocked by a Clan player before being won by Elgin Pearce.
Pearce then turned to face Killeen and waited out the Glasgow keeper until Beauregard arrived at the backdoor and provided the finish.
Omar Pacha’s men doubled their lead in nine minutes as Drydn Dow thumped a first-time effort past Killeen, from just inside the blueline.
After both teams failed to take their chances whilst having a powerplay, the game became all back and forth.
However, the home team thought they had scored as Nolan LaPorte went in on goal before bundling over Alex Leclerc into his own net.
Whilst Glasgow players celebrated, a quick check confirmed that Dundee’s two-goal lead was still intact.
Although, during the final minute of the first period, Jordan Cownie seen his saved shot turned in by Brett Stovin to make it 3-0 just before the break.
There was penalty trouble again in the opening minutes of the second period as both teams found themselves a man down.
Boutin and Glasgow’s Craig Peacock had a small tussle in front of the Stars goal, resulting in both players receiving minor roughing penalties.
However, 25 seconds later, Dundee went down to three skaters as Jagger Dirk was penalised for slashing in the 32nd minute.
That then gave the Clan their first goal, as Travis Ehrhardt drilled a shot from the blueline that was tipped by Mathieu Roy past Leclerc and into the top right corner.
The powerplay goal gave Zack Fitzgerald’s men a boost but Kevin Dufour’s 35th minute goal re-instated the Taysiders three-goal cushion and silenced the Clan fans.
Dufour made a quick break down the left wing before finishing high into the top corner on Killeen’s near post.
However, Matt Marquardt had nearly scored Dundee’s fourth goal just seconds before.
The Stars captain was clean through on a breakaway but after send Killeen the wrong way, the Clan keeper recovered tremendously and rolled over to stop the shot with his pads in mid-air.
The Glaswegians were not kept quiet for long as Roy sent a pass out from behind Leclerc’s goal and Peacock quickly turned it past the Dundee keeper to make it 4-2.
The Stars coach would have been happy to hold a lead going into the final intermission but a big third period lay ahead.
To the delight of Pacha, Elgin Pearce put the puck in the goal after just 64 seconds of play in the third period.
Pearce was in a good position to fire in the rebound from Beauregard’s shot that was spilled by Killeen.
Leclerc and his defence were putting on a fine display in their first competitive game but were eventually undone again after losing Matt Marquardt to delay of game penalty in the 55th minute.
Matt Beca send a shot towards the Stars net that was redirected past Leclerc by Roy after 56 minutes and that gave the home side a big boost in momentum as they began a final push with three minutes left.
However, Marquardt killed any hopes and dreams of a comeback as he blasted a close range slap shot past Killeen just 34 seconds after the Glasgow goal.
Dundee now led 6-3 and comfortably seen out the rest of the game to claim their first win of the regular season.
Man of the Match:
Dundee: #37 Matt Marquardt
Glasgow: #2 Travis Ehrhardt
Goals:
1st:
0-1 Beauregard (Boutin, Pearce) 06:29
0-2 Dow (Cownie, Speirs) 08:19
0-3 Stovin (Cownie, Boutin) 19:34
2nd:
1-3 Roy (Ehrhardt, Pitt) 32:10 PPG
1-4 Dufour (Stovin, Leclerc) 34:55
2-4 Peacock (Roy, Moore) 36:32
3rd:
2-5 Pearce (Beauregard, Boutin) 41:04
3-5 Roy (Beca, Ehrhardt) 56:32 PPG
3-6 Marquardt (Maylan, Kalns) 57:06
