Glasgow Clan vs Nottingham Panthers

The Premier Sports sponsored Glasgow Clan commanded their way to a home win over the Nottingham Panthers in Mike Sirant’s first game in charge as interim head coach.

Liam Souliere made his home debut in his third consecutive start as Sirant elected to play the same lines from Sunday’s 6-1 thumping over the Dundee Stars.

Nottingham iced 18 skaters to match the Clan with captain, Mitch Fossier out since December as well as Matthew Marcinew and Chase Pearson out the line up tonight.

Clan got off to a hot start with Colton Poolman firing a shot at Jason Grande in the opening 10 seconds which the experienced netminder gloved down before Souliere made his first save at Braehead on a Cooper Zech blast from the blue line.

Poolman wasn’t deterred by his first attempt being saved though as he blasted a shot from the blue line which fizzed past Brady Risk who smartly blinded Grande to allow the shot t0 travel low into the Nottingham net.

Jason Fram doubled Glasgow’s advantage later in the period with a swashbuckling charge at net from the right wing before a tidy deke to wrap it round the back and tuck it into the far corner.

Souliere continued to shine on his home opener with a collection of saves on Matt Alfaro and David Noel as the Clan went into the first intermission ahead two zip.

Fram got his second of the night just 19 seconds into the middle frame with a shot from an acute angle which bounced off the pads of Grande and into the net after sneaking through the skates of Tristin Langan who parked outside the crease.

Brendan Harris got Nottingham off the mark when Jakob Stridsberg struck the bar with a wide open shot from the slot and the rebound fell to Harris who rolled it over the line with Souliere at the top of his crease.

This didn’t phase the Clan though who motored onto a fourth through Daniel Tedesco, claiming his sixth point in just five periods with a neat wraparound of his own to send the puck through Grande’s legs and in to reinstate Glasgow’s three-goal lead.

Before the end of the period, Joe Hazeldine came to the defence of his netminder after a late poke from Tim Doherty at his pads as they dropped the gloves in the corner for a short bout with a barrage of right hooks landed from both parties.

The third period was all about Souliere as he made save after save including a great pad stop on a low shot from Doherty from close range which was rifled to the far post only for the Canadian netminder to kick his skate out and clear the danger at the last gasp.

Souliere was awarded player of the game by the Purple Army as Braehead rose to its feet to applaud a thrilling home victory with the Clan entering the Sirant era in style.