Double whammy for Scottish-based Elite teams

In-form Guildford Flames, who have led the Viaplay Elite League league for several weeks, edged Glasgow Clan 3-2 on Friday, and they completed a Scottish double with a 6-2 win at Fife Flyers 24-hours later.

The Surrey-based side were on the scoresheet after 11 minutes when winger Robert Lachowicz netted and it was 2-0 just over a minute later when Peter Crinella scored.

Defenceman Brayden Sherbinin, who has been in scoring form recently, pulled one back after 14 minutes but the home fans joy was short-lived as Crinella scored his second and Flames third in the 16th minute.

Fife, sponsored by Wolseley, kept Flames at bay until Ian McNulty made it 4-1 after 37 minutes before Chris Gerrie pulled one back 33 seconds into the final session to give the home side hope at 4-2.

Six minutes later any chance of pulling off a result was dashed when Daniel Tedesco scored Flames’ fifth and Jordan Klimek popped in No 6 with less than two minutes remaining.

Laim Blackburn, another recent recruit by the injury-ravaged Fife side, and Fife’s Man of the Match, praised Flames who he said: “Hats off to Guildford who are a really good team, you give them a little bit and they take a lot, but we had a moments of really good play (in the game). We had a pretty good effort.”

The Glasgow Clan, sponsored by Aspray Glasgow West, suffered a damaging 7-1 loss to the Sheffield Steelers in a night to forget at the Braehead Arena.
 
Steven McParland and Sam Jones got the action started early as they dropped the gloves just four minutes in after their collision at the boards.
 
Sheffield thought they’d found the opener through a tipped shot by Jonathan Phillips but it was called off for high sticks.
 
The Steelers eventually found their way into the lead as Robert Dowd collected the puck in the crease and fired a shot past Ty Taylor on the spin.
 
McParland then put the Clan back level as he slotted the puck high into the net on a breakaway to claim a powerplay goal in the second period.
 
Sheffield put themselves back in front in the second period as Matthew Petgrave fired a shot into the top left corner before Martin Latal made it three shortly after. 
 
The Clan conceded a fourth while on the penalty kill just before the end of the second as Danny Kristo netted after picking up a loose puck in the crease after a goalmouth scramble, slotting high over Taylor.
 
In the third period, the Clan came close to pulling one back on the Steelers’ lead as Craig Peacock rebounded a John Dunbar shot, but Matthew Greenfield did well to keep it out.
 
The Steelers bagged a fifth goal through a Sebastian Piche ripper from the blue line which flew past Taylor into the Clan net.
 
Then Robert Dowd and Danny Kristo followed suit in the third as they unleashed heavy slapshots which found their way into the net to give the visitors a six-goal lead and confirm the points for the visitors.