VALENTINE’S SERIES
TRADE-MART DUNDEE STARS 5 FIFE FLYERS 2
The Trade-Mart Dundee Stars hosted Fife Flyers on Saturday night in a friendly contest as the Elite League took an international break for Team GB’s games.
By Kris Smith
The two Tayside Rivals went head-to-head in back-to-back nights, the first in Dundee, to allow both teams to stay in top condition during the break and the Stars rotated their line-up to give a start to Welsh goaltender, Brython Preece.
Fellow Brits, Kris Inglis and Toms Rutkis were also given starts, as were Ian Parker and defenseman Ryan Verrier returned to his duties on the backend after being played in the forward lines in last week’s win over Manchester Storm.
However, Stars Head Coach, Jeff Mason would then test out another blueliner, Erik Näslund in the winger position as he completed the starting six.
Dundee got off to a flying start and were quick to pounce on the Flyers, as Rutkis opened the scoring just three minutes into the game.
The Latvian-born, Brit had found space in front of the Fife goal and was fed a pass by Parker, before turning on the spot and firing underneath, Andy Little in the Flyers goal.
Then just two minutes later, Dundee doubled their lead, this time Swedish forward, Johan Eriksson turned home from on the doorstep of Little’s crease and the home team were in full control after that.
The Stars would add another in the first period to make it a three-goal cushion as Ex-Flyer, Näslund buried Drydn Dow’s cross-ice pass past his old teammate, in the 14th minute.
In the second period, Janne Kivilahti brought Fife back into the game as he blasted a first-time shot past Preece on 23 minutes, but the Stars would respond instantly as Craig Moore netted his first goal since re-joining, just 31 seconds after the restart.
Although, Kivilahti cut the lead once again and made it a two-goal game in the 35th minute as he beat the Dundee netminder with a finish off the underside of the crossbar.
There would be only one goal in the final period and it went the way of the home side in the 56th minute, making it 5-2 as Cole Fraser, who had not long exited the sin bin after serving the game’s only penalty, picked out the top corner of the Fife net for his first goal in a Stars shirt.
Dundee cruised home to secure the victory but will have to do it all again tomorrow on the other side of the River Tay, but Ben Brown will be joining Jonathan McBean (two-way) and Romans Semjonovs (injured) in missing out as he fulfils his two-way contract.
Man of the Match
Dundee: #74 Cole Fraser
Fife: #24 Janne Kivilahti
Goals
1st:
1-0 Toms Rutkis (Ian Parker, Kris Inglis) 02:39
2-0 Johan Eriksson (Chris Lidjsman, Ben Sokay) 04:54
3-0 Erik Näslund (Drydn Dow) 13:09
2nd:
3-1 Janne Kivilahti (Dillon Lawrence, Fynn Page) 23:14
4-1 Craig Moore (Toms Rutkis, Philippe Sanche) 23:45
4-2 Janne Kivilahti (Kamerin Nault, Fynn Page) 34:38
3rd:
5-2 Cole Fraser (Drydn Dow, Elijiah Barriga) 55:52
All images: Derek Black.
