Fife Comeback Condemns Giants To Defeat

Goals from Mike Lee, Sam Jones and Jake Gaudet helped Adam Keefe’s side move level with the Dundee Stars in the standings but the two points on the night belonged to the home team as they grabbed three goals in the shootout to the Giants’ two.

First period

The Giants had the first chances of the game as a holding penalty on Johan Porsberger overlapped with a tripping penalty against Keaton Jameson, giving them a brief 5-on-3, however the best opportunities came shorthanded for Fife as Garet Hunt was denied on the breakaway by Alexis Gravel and then former Giant Mason Alderson almost netted a fluke goal in close.

At the other end, JJ Piccinich was blanked by a great save from Christian Purboo, but there was nothing the Flyers netminder could do as Lee opened the scoring at 13:17 on the Giants’ third powerplay of the night, hammering in the slapshot from the left circle through traffic (0-1).

Although they were dominating possession and zone time, the Giants couldn’t add to their tally before the first intermission, the closest they came falling to Bo Hanson, but the defenceman couldn’t hit the target as he wandered into the slot unchallenged.

Second period

A fast start to the middle frame saw Fife think they had equalised twice when Alderson only just missed the net with a one-timer and then Didrik Nokleby Svendsen just missed on the backhand after forcing Gravel to the ice, but instead the Giants doubled their lead at 22:57 when Jones netted his first goal for the club, his one-timer from the left circle finding the top corner via a deflection (0-2).

Belfast had to go on its first penalty kill of the night when Patrick Grasso took a slashing minor and Gravel had to be alert to deny Alderson again, before a flurry of Giants pressure saw first Reid Irwin flash an effort wide before Hanson again had a look only this time his attempt nicked the post on the way by.

But the Flyers did get on the board at 32:37 as Alderson got his goal, his shot trickling through the legs of Gravel where it was unfortunately knocked into his own net by Lee, with the Giants ending the period on the powerplay after Jeremy Masella was called for boarding.

Third period

It was another quick start to the period from the Flyers as they looked to try and get back into the game, but Gaudet would put a little breathing room between the two sides at 45:37 when he spun, shot and managed to squeeze the puck past Purboo from a tight angle for the visitors’ third of the game (1-3).

Ryan Smith had a chance to add to the Giants’ tally when he took a stretch pass into the zone but only found the pads of Purboo, and instead Porsberger made it a one-goal game again at 52:35 as he was found one-on-one with Gravel and managed to work it around the netminder for the hosts’ second (2-3).

Despite Svendsen being called for slashing, it was Josh Winquist who had the best chance of the powerplay for the Flyers but he was denied in close by Gravel, but the game would be tied right at the death as Ian Scheid found the equaliser at 56:30, managing to flick the puck over the shoulder of the Belfast netminder (3-3) to force overtime.

Overtime

A fairly uneventful overtime period saw the Giants have the lion’s share of possession but they were unable to truly test Purboo, taking the game to a shoot-out.

Shootout

A gripping shootout saw Winquist and Scott Conway trade goals in the fourth round to take it to sudden death, and Jordan Kawaguchi thought he had won it in the sixth round for the Giants only for Jaka Sturm to score with his next shot, and Keaton Jameson secured the extra point for the home side when he finished in round eight (4-3).

Next up

The Belfast Giants continue their Challenge Cup campaign with the second game of their Scottish double-header when they head to the Dundee Stars on Sunday October 5, before heading back on European duty when they face Swiss side Bern in their fifth Champions Hockey League regular season game on Wednesday October 8.