Elite League play-off, semi-final: Belfast Giants 6, Dundee Stars 0 (at Nottingham)
Dundee Stars’ play-off dreams were shattered by Grand Slam-chasing Belfast Giants thanks to a hat-trick from Canadian-born winger Mark Cooper.
The Northern Irish heavyweights, who have already won the Challenge Cup and the Elite League, steamrollered the low-budget Scots 6-0 before a packed house at Nottingham.
Big-spending Giants broke the deadlock through 29-year-old Cooper after 14 minutes and they were 2-0 ahead seven minutes later when the Toronto-born player netted.
Seven minutes after that it was 3-0 with Cooper again on target and Jordan Boucher added No 4 after 37 minutes.
Lewis Hook joined in the goal spree with a fifth after 50 minutes and No 6 hit the rigging with less than two minutes left from David Goodwin in a game in which Stars outshot the opposition 24-19.
Stars now face the loser of the second semi-final, also at Nottingham, between Guildford Flames and Cardiff Devils today (SUN.
Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.
