TRADE-MART DUNDEE STARS 0 FIFE FLYERS 4
On Sunday evening, the Trade-Mart Dundee Stars played their first home game of the 2023-2024 season in front of a busy crowd at the DIA, as they welcomed their local rivals, Fife Flyers.
By Kris Smith
After taking a 3-2 overtime victory in Kirkcaldy on Saturday, the two teams did it all again in Dundee and after getting familiar with each other the night before, it was a much calmer start to match.
However, the Stars could not make an instant improvement on their discipline as Tommy Parrottino was boxed just 77 seconds into the game for tripping up his opponent, but the home team would kill off the early powerplay with ease.
With both teams playing some quick and free-flowing hockey, the gritty elements soon began to show as there were some handbags in the Fife end at the midway point of the first period.
Fife defender, Reece Harsh had Stars forward, Craig Garrigan pinned in the corner and after he delivered two cross-checks into the back of the Dundonian, forcing him face first into the board, Harsch would receive a two-minute minor.
Although, Dundee’s potential man advantage was wiped out after Johnny Walker went rushing into Garrigan’s defence and quickly started roughing up Harsch, leaving both teams a man down for two minutes.
A few fights would break out later in the period and they came either side of the opening goal, as Fife’s Johan Eriksson buried the rebound high into the Dundee net after Kevin Carr had denied Max Humitz’s powerful effort from close range.
First to drop the gloves was Dundee’s Sean Allen as he and Ben Hawerchuk went toe-to-toe before the goal in a short bout and then straight from the restart, Fife’s Fynn Page accepted Johnny Walker’s invitation for some fisticuffs and another quick scrap followed.
In the second session, Tom Coolen’s side quickly accelerated into a three-goal lead as they capitalised on some poor defending from Dundee.
Anthon Eriksson would make it 2-0 on the 23rd minute-mark as the puck was deflected past Carr via the Swede’s skate and then two minutes later, Hawerchuk would finish off the rebound from Teemu Pulkkinen’s shot to give the Kirkcaldy club a comfortable lead heading into the third period.
Dundee had created a number of chances but were struggling to find any way past Owen as the bounces fell away from them at most opportunities.
The Flyers continued to shut down the Stars for the rest of the night and would round-off the night with a last-minute goal to make it 4-0, as Page slotted the puck past Carr.
Both teams now have a week to prepare for their final preseason challenge as each club will host both, ASC Corona Brasov from Romania and Tilburg Trappers from Holland, in a double header weekend.
Man of the Match
Dundee: #8 Spencer Naas
Fife: #50 Shane Owen
Goals
1st:
0-1 Johan Eriksson (Max Humitz) 17:31
2nd:
0-2 Anthon Eriksson (Unassisted) 23:00
0-3 Ben Hawerchuk (Teemu Pulkkinen) 25:08
3rd:
0-4 Fynn Page (Collin Shirley, Teemu Pulkkinen) 59:08
All images: Derek Black.
