GAME REPORT: GLASGOW CLAN 2 BELFAST GIANTS 4

The Premier Sports sponsored Glasgow Clan were frustratingly held back in a loss to the Belfast Giants in the Challenge Cup despite a strong performance.

Belfast were quick to open the scoring as Jordan Kawaguchi swept a loose puck in the crease into the emtpy net after Lucas Brine was drawn off his line by a Patrick Grasso shot.

Brine then made an unbelievable stop as he batted away two close-range shots before sprawling from the deck to snatch Jake Gaudet’s shot out of the air in a fantastic triple save.

Nicolas Guay then doubled Belfast’s lead though as he knocked the puck past Brine from the high slot before Hugo Roy saw his effort tipped onto the post by Jackson Whistle’s elbow.

The game got feisty after that as the Clan started to aggressively push to get back in the game, with Chris McKay and Ben Lake exchanging a few shoves behind the Clan net.

Glasgow halved the deficit later in the period as Brayden Burke tipped Brett Neumann into the offensive zone with a slick drop off pass before the #68 found Tristin Langan in front of the crease who sent the puck fizzing past Whistle to get the Clan on the boards.

An unfortunate bounce off of Mike Lee’s skate did then see the Giants reclaim their two-goal lead in the final minute of the first period though.

Whistle was then caught in a bizarre moment as he lost his footing in the crease with no one around him, which allowed Colton Poolman to send the puck into the Belfast net for a second Clan goal early in the second period.

Rylan Schwartz came close to equalising for the hosts when Mitch Heard put the puck on his stick at the backdoor but his shot went over the bar.

Both goaltenders continued their fine form as the Clan came away with the only goal of the period, setting up a tantalising third period with one goal between the sides.

Brine got off to a flying start in the third as he made a show-stopping save on a breakaway chance for Scott Conway.

Schwartz was then denied on the line as he dragged the puck through the crease to the backdoor and saw his backhand attempt cut off by the stretching pad of Whistle.

The Clan continued to push for an equaliser with Heard, Langan, and Deven Sideroff generating chances, but none could find a breakthrough as Belfast held off for the win with David Goodwin scoring an empty net goal to close out the game