Experienced goaltender Shane Owen “stood on his head” as he backstopped Fife Flyers to a four-point weekend, according to the club’s head coach, Jamie Russell.
Jubilant Russell also praised the character of his squad as they secured their back-to-back wins, a 3-2 overtime success over third-placed Cardiff Devils at The Fife Ice Arena on Sunday and a 6-5 overtime win at Manchester Storm on Friday.
Russell said: “We have so many guys out of the line-up and playing such a short bench.
“On Friday night, Giordano Finoro played 30 minutes of hockey. For the guys to step-up with that short bench and find a way to win, it was ugly at times, it was an incredible character win for the guys.”
On Sunday, it was another great effort, according to the Canadian playcaller, and the coach said Owen was “absolutely amazing” against Cardiff.
He added: “I thought he stood on his head and he stole the game for us as we were outshot by a pretty high margin. He was outstanding.”
In fact, the official statistics show that Fife were outshot 40-16 during the 60-minutes.
Josh Winquist, he said, got “the monkey off his back” and scored a big goals against Devils, his double netted in regulation time before Keaton Jameson popped in a rebound in the extra session for the win.
Overall, Russell said: “A lot of guys put in a great effort.”
His opposite number, Paul Thompson, said: “I was pretty angry, to be honest.”
He added: “We are very well looked after by our club, they send us up the day before and put us in a nice hotel, it’s not like we have just got off the bus after nine hours.
“The first shift we give a point-blank opportunity away and the second shift Flyers score a goal so we are a little bit loose and we are playing catch-up all game.
“We dominate offensively and we don’t take our chances. Fife hung around. Good for them, I know they have had a tough time. We have not been good enough.”
Fife can now rest until they make the long journey to Surrey to face seventh-placed Guildford Flames on Saturday (6pm), a side which blew Dundee Stars away 8-1 at Guildford Spectrum on Sunday.
Russell’s men come home overnight to square-up to former league pace-setters, Nottingham Panthers (5pm) on Sunday. They slipped to second spot behind arch rivals, Sheffield Steelers, at the weekend.
MAIN PICTURE: Shane Owen is centre stage. Picture coutrtesy of the Elie League and both pictures taken by Jillian McFarlane
