Fife Flyers are next in action at Belfast Giants on Saturday (19.00) and at home to Glasgow Clan on Sunday (17.00) boosted by a 4-0 road win at in-form Dundee Stars.
Goaltender Shane Owen was played a significant role as the Kirkcaldy club earned their first Challenge Cup win of the season with a shutout victory.
The 35-year-old Canadian, now in his seventh season at The Fife Ice Arena, made 32 saves on the night – his opposite number, Jarrett Fiske made 21 – in a 4-0 win, a scoreline which stunned home fans in the 1,729 crowd, after the first period was blanked.
Josh Winquist opened the scoring after 21min 08sec and Ethan Somoza added a second after 31min 24sec.
Goal No 3 arrived from Ryan Nicholson after 44min 18sec and Winquist added the fourth, and claimed his second, with 53min 10sec on the clock.
The victory was all the more praiseworthy as Fife lost both weekend games, away at Glasgow Clan (3-1) and at home to Belfast Giants (4-1), and they were short-benched through injuries.
Stars came into the game on the back of a weekend win double at Belfast (7-4) and at home to Glasgow Clan (6-2) raising expectations, particularly as the Tayside team had edged Fife twice in pre-season, in overtime at Dundee and after penalty shots at Kirkcaldy.
Fife’s penalty kill was again strong, a clean sheet after three Dundee power play chances, and the win came despite Dundee winning 34 of the face-offs. Fife won 23.
Jamie Russell, Fife’s head coach, said: “It was a great effort by the guys. We have a real short bench here, with a lot of guys injured, banged up, and we come on the road.”
The Canadian added: “We did not play very well on Sunday (against Belfast), and we had a great response, great bounce back.”
He mentioned Garet Hunt, saying his captain was “outstanding”, and he added: “Shane (Owen) was outstanding to get a shutout.”
The Kirkcaldy club still prop up the four-strong section with two points from three games, the same at Clan and Giants, who have only played on two occasions, and two behind pace-setting Dundee who have also iced on three occasions.
TOP FORM: Shane Owen earned a shutout at Dundee in midweek. Picture courtesy of Fife Flyers images
