GAME REPORT: HAYWOOD the overtime hero as Clan make the cup semi-final!
DID YOU KNOW? THIS SATURDAY’S Opponents the Belfast Giants have 3 Scots on their roster – Colin Shields, Mark Garside and Stephen Murphy!
Get your tickets for THIS SATURDAY’s 7pm face-off against Belfast Giants online HERE or by calling 0844 499 1700.
CARDIFF DEVILS 4 – 6 GLASGOW CLAN (CLAN WIN 9-8 ON AGGREGATE)
Matt Haywood was the overtime hero as the Clan spectacularly overturned a one goal deficit from the first leg to advance to the semi final of the Challenge Cup.
In a night that was full of twist and turns and drama, the Clan thought they done enough to go through when Vaclav Stupka put them ahead with only 2:45 left in the game.
However, the Devils forced overtime, but up stepped Haywood to ensure it would be the Clan in the draw for the semi final.
The Clan started the match well and on an early power play both Matt Beca and Craig Peacock came close to getting the game’s first goal. However, despite the Clan’s positive start, it was the home team that would get the opening goal.
Peacock sat in the penalty box due to a slashing call and the Devils took full advantage. Gleason Fournier took a shot that hit Joel Rumpel high on the chest, the puck fell between his legs and Layne Ulmer reacted quickest to poke the puck into the net.
Clan one down on the night and facing a two goal deficit in the tie, they needed a quick reaction. The Clan were awarded for their good play with a powerplay goal of their own. Travis Ehrhardt slid the puck across to Scott Pitt in space who had plenty of time to fire a one timer, slap shot past Ben Bowns and level matters on the night.
It was a tense start to the second period and you could sense that both teams knew the importance of the next goal.
The Clan turned the tie on it’s head with the next two goals and probably got the luck that has been deserting them so far this season. At 29.59, Gerard Hanson looked to play the puck across goal into the danger area, but it hit off the leg and then the blocker of Bowns before settling in the back of the net. With just over half an hour to play in the game, the Clan had levelled the tie.
For Hanson, it was a case of if it worked once, it can work a second time. Once again, Hanson simply played the puck on net to Bowns near post. It looked liked the Devils goalie had it under control until the puck re-emerged behind Bowns and the line of the goal.
The delighted Haywood gave the signal to the Clan bench that Hanson had scored and now the Clan led the tie overall 6-5.
However, the Clan’s lead would last barely over a minute as Ulmer got his second goal of the night at 38:23 to set up a nerve wracking third period with the tie all square at 6-6.
What was to follow, was simply unbelievable.
When Joey Haddad put the Devils in front at 7-6, the home side must have thought that they had ridden the storm but had finally saw off the men from Glasgow. However, the Clan were not for downing the tools so easily.
The Devils received a too many men penalty and the Clan used it to their full advantage. A shot from the blue line by Ehrhardt went flying into the net to put the Clan back on level terms.
Zach Sullivan and Ehrhardt then picked up penalties one after the other which meant the Clan had to outlast a long 5-on-3 penalty. They did just that and when the Clan got back to full strength, they retook the lead.
Matt Beca stormed away after robbing the puck in the neutral zone. He then executed an inch perfect saucer pass across goal to Vaclav Stupka who, with just 2:45 left in the game, put the Clan into a 8-7 lead.
The drama was not finished yet! There was only 0:28 left in the game and looked like it would be late heartbreak for the Clan when Fournier scored to force over time with the score tied at 8-8.
The Clan seemed the most likely to score in overtime, but that looked to have changed when Beca was put into the penalty box for hooking. However, in line with this roller-coaster of a game, the Clan would break away and Haywood would supply the finish to score short handed and send the Clan through to the Challenge Cup semi final for the first time since the 2012/13 season.
The score finished, amazingly, 6-4 on the night and 9-8 on aggregate in the Clan’s favour. There would not have been many outside the Clan faithful that thought Pete Russell’s men were capable of going down to Cardiff and turning this tie around. However, the true spirit and quality of this team shone through on the night, and you can bet that not one of the three other teams left in the Cup will want to go up against THAT Clan team.
Report by match night reporter @MarshallDave38
Get your tickets for THIS SATURDAY’s 7pm face-off against Belfast Giants online HERE or by calling 0844 499 1700.
