TRADE-MART DUNDEE STARS 3 BELFAST GIANTS 7
The Trade-Mart Dundee Stars got off to a good start but the let the game slip away from them as they fell to a 7-3 loss in their opening Challenge Cup Group A match.
By Kris Smith
The Stars started off with a good pace and created some dangerous chances with Craig Garrigan and Zach Tsekos almost putting them ahead in the opening minutes, if not for Tom McCollum in the Belfast goal.
However, the Giants would go down the ice and open the scoring on four minutes as Jordan Kawaguchi fooled everyone with a shot that looked set to be a pass across goal but the puck slipped under Jarrett Fiske and into the Dundee goal.
The Taysiders responded well and were hammering pucks towards the Belfast goal in an attempt to find the equaliser but McCollum had an answer for everything they threw at him and he continued to stonewall the Scots through two penalty kills in the first period.
Just as the opening session was coming to a close, Dundee defenseman Kris Inglis trapped the puck along the boards before playing it out to Jonathan McBean and he would pass across to Craig Moore, who put the puck on net and saw his effort tipped past McCollum via a Belfast stick.
The two teams were level heading into the second period but the Giants were on a powerplay as Ben O’Connor was punished with a two-minute penalty for clipping before the break and the visitors cashed in 54 seconds after the restart as former Star, Elijiah Barriga picked out his teammate, Joe Cassetti at the back post for a tap in.
Marc LeFebvre’s men would find another equaliser seven minutes later as they rushed forward on the counter-attack and Jake Elmer would control the puck in the right corner before sending the puck into the middle for the arriving McBean to smack into the corner of McCollum’s goal.
The Stars were heavily out-shooting their opponents but would fall behind for a third time as Cassetti netted a second with some fast hands to deke the puck around Fiske on 30 minutes and in the 38th minute, Kawaguchi made it a brace for himself as well as a deflected shot bounced right onto the blade of his stick for a back post finish.
Adam Keefe’s men held a 4-2 lead going into the third period and in the 47th minute, they would extend it with a shorthanded goal from Mark Cooper as he was free in the slot to fire past Fiske, as Gabe Bast served a two-minute minor for interfering with the Dundee goalie previously.
Cooper then became the third Giant to bag a second goal on the night as he poked home a loose puck in the Dundee crease, after the Stars failed to clear their lines on 53 minutes, although the Taysiders hit back instantly as Domenic Alberga fed Jake Elmer a pass that he shot past McCollum on his far-left side.
The scoring would be wrapped up with just under five minutes to play as Ciaran Long made it 7-3 to Belfast by lifting home Cooper’s pass from behind the Stars goal and that sealed his side’s first victory of the season.
Dundee now face Glasgow Clan on home ice on Sunday night and look to salvage their weekend with a first victory to get them off the mark, but both teams are reeling from defeat in their opening games and will be hungry for the two points.
Dundee scratches: #1 Jaglar (Two-Way), #10 Kielly (Travel), #45 Kelly (Injured) & #77 Saunders (Two-Way).
Belfast scratches: #10 Conway, #14 Hamill, #17 Mitchell-King, #21 Beattie, #35 Dickson, #46 Howells, #62 Pound, #86 Stewart & #90 Alderson.
Man of the Match
Dundee: #12 Jonathan McBean
Belfast: #29 Jordan Kawaguchi
Goals
1st:
0-1 Jordan Kawaguchi (Josh Roach) 04:04
1-1 Craig Moore (Jonathan McBean, Kris Inglis) 18:17
2nd:
1-2 Joe Cassetti (Grant Mismash, Elijiah Barriga) 20:54 PPG
2-2 Jonathan McBean (Jake Elmer, Kyle Pouncy) 27:23
2-3 Joe Cassetti (Mark Cooper, Josh Roach) 30:25
2-4 Jordan Kawaguchi (Kyle Osterberg, Gabe Bast) 37:49
3rd:
2-5 Mark Cooper (Ben Lake, Mike Lee) 46:45 SHG
2-6 Mark Cooper (Elijiah Barriga, Jordan Kawaguchi) 53:38
3-6 Jake Elmer (Domenic Alberga, Jonathan McBean) 53:53
3-7 Ciaran Long (Mark Cooper, Elijiah Barriga) 55:48
All images: Derek Black.
