Ice hockey – Fife march on into final four

Jeff Hutchins, Fife’s Edinburgh-based assistant coach, said he was “speechless” after helping steer Flyers to their third semi-final

Elite League play-off, quarter-final: Fife Flyers 1, Manchester Storm 4 (Saturday); Manchester Storm 1, Fife Flyers 5 (Sunday). Fife win 5-6 on aggregate after sudden death overtime.

Carlo Finucci said he did not want to suffer the same agony a second time round after Fife Flyers crashed out of the Elite League play-off quarter-finals last season.

And the 31-year-old Canadian winger came up trumps with a goal only 47 seconds into sudden-death overtime to take the Kirkcaldy club to the semi-finals for the third time.

Fired-up Flyers battled back from a three-goal deficit after the first-leg in their own building to book their place in at Nottingham on Saturday.

Fife were facing elimination after the 4-1 defeat but responded positively at The Storm Shelter after coach Todd Dutiaume set his men a target.

It was simple, win every period in Manchester. And the coach said every one of his players believed the tie was not over.

Fire-up Fife led 3-0 after 31 minutes before Storm opened their account and Liam Heelis took the tie into sudden death overtime.

Then Finucci took command to confirm Scottish presence in the finals weekend.