Dundee Stars edged Fife Flyers over 120 minutes of ice hockey at the weekend, one game going to overtime and the second to penalty shots. Great entertainment and brilliant for box office moving forward.
On Sunday, Fife were denied victory over their arch rivals before a near packed house at the Fife Ice Arena by a strike five seconds from time.
Winger Kameron Keilly then slotted in penalty shots to complete the double over. On Saturday, in the Dundee Ice Arena, an overtime strike from Drydn Dow after 63min 16sec separated the teams after the home side had taken a 2-0 lead.
Keanu Yamamoto opened the scoring after 3min 15sec on a power play and Brad Schoonbaert netting the second after 7min 32sec.
Mason Alderson pulled one back 3min 59sec into the middle session and the levelled 1min 11sec into the third through Josh Winquist.
On Sunday, Flyers started with newly-appointed skipper Garet Hunt, Mason Alderson, Ben Brown, Ryan Nicholson, Jeremy Masella and Christian Purboo and it was Purboo who kept his cool early on with a double save as Stars turned up the heat.
Fife, countered, and Czech power forward Vlastimil Dostalek had a shooting chance after slackness in the Dundee zone. It was snuffed out by netminder Jarrett Fiske and his blue line team. A stramash in front of the Stars goal was quickly followed by a chance for Justin Ducharme but, once again, Stars denied the eager Fife forward.
Flyers put real pressure on the Stars defence on a power play inside the final five minutes of the opening session, but failed to break through, and on a breakaway Kelly fired straight at Purboo at the near post.
Fife powered to the other end and the fans were on their feet when their favourites broke the deadlock with 2min 28sec left, Jonas Emmerdahl providing the finishing touch and the Fife fans stood to applaud their heroes as they made their way back to the dressing-room.
Johan Porsberger was first to have a chance for Fife in the second, Fiske was equal to the task, and so was his opposite number Purboo who gloved after a dangerous Stars raid which followed a period of sustained pressure with Flyers under penalty.
Stars were on a five-on-three with Winquist and Hunt in the sin bin. Purboo batted away an early shot, and Fife were on the edge as Stars buzzed around their zone. Winquist returned to the ice as Purboo denied Stars again and as the home side were back to full strength Hunt missed on a one-and-one with Fiske, hitting the boards with his shot.
Didrik Nokleby Svendsen had sight of goal seconds later but failed and Purboo came to the rescue at the other end, gloving a close-in shot while Winquist had the final say with a long-range shot just before the whistle.
Flyers increased their lead on a breakaway with 16min 30sec left, and the fans were on their feet again, Norway-born Svendsen set up by busy Windquist, and the home fans were in full voice.
Winquist had a chance on the power play for Fife soon after but American goaltender, Fiske, gloved, before Fife had a five-on-three opportunity with two Stars players in the sin-bin, but the Tayside team survived.
Dostalek received a two minute penalty with just over five minutes left for high sticks and Dundee capitalised, Finnish forward Otto Nieminen netting from close in with 4min 20sec remaining and Purboo saved low late-on but Stars snatched a late leveller with a close in deflection from Hampus Olsson.
Both goaltenders excelled in overtime but the sides could not be separated so the game went to penalty shots.
Next weekend, Fife travel to Glasgow Clan on Saturday and entertain Belfast Giants on Sunday, both in the Challenge Cup.
PICTURE: Fife Flyers enjoyed an almost full house for the visit of Dundee on Sunday. Picture Nigel Duncan
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