ON THIS DAY: September 15th
We’re halfway through September and there’s always something happening now as we look back on Clan history.
Today is another busy one as we’re all over the country in three different arenas, but also facing three very tricky opponents.
And there’s a birthday too.
GAMES
2012: Fife Flyers 5 Braehead Clan 1 (Elite League/Challenge Cup)
It was an early season trip for Jordan Krestanovich and his team when they headed to Fife to take on Flyers in a competitive game in Kirkcaldy.
After the learning curve of the first season the year before, Todd Dutiaume’s side were keen to make a bigger impact and this result certainly helped them towards that.
Kris Hogg had two on the board in the opening few minutes before Casey Haines added a third halfway through the opening period.
Bobby Chaumont hit back with a goal from Clan before the end of the first period, but the scoring didn’t stop there.
Flyers nabbed a couple more in the third period to make it more one-sided as Haines picked up his second, with John Dolan tacking on a fifth with five minutes to go.
2018: Belfast Giants 6 Glasgow Clan 4 (Challenge Cup)
Pete Russell took his team to Belfast for a tough Challenge Cup encounter as he pitted his team against that of his GB assistant coach Adam Keefe at the SSE Arena.
There were ten goals to be shared, but sadly for the Clan, Belfast got six of them to take victory, despite Clan surging into a three-goal first period lead.
Two from Vaclav Stupka and one from Scott Pitt set them on their way, but Giants signalled their statement of intent as Darcy Murphy pulled one back early in the second.
By the end of the second, Belfast were 4-3 ahead as Kyle Baun, Patrick Dwyer and Mark Garside also found a way past Joel Rumpel.
Scott Tanski’s goal pulled Glasgow level, but second goals from Dwyer and Baun secured a good home win for Keefe’s men.
2019: Cardiff Devils 5 Glasgow Clan 3 (Elite League)
In another of our early season trips to South Wales, Clan went there after a sobering loss to Belfast the night before, but found the Devils a tough nut to crack.
Nolan LaPorte opened the scoring after three minutes, but it was cancelled out by Mike McNamee on the powerplay before Gleason Fournier added a second for the home team.
Blair Riley scored a third before the second break, which was followed by Matt Pope and Mark Richardson each finding the net to make it a 5-1 lead with 13 minutes to go.
Matt Pufahl and Matt Beca were on target in the latter stages of the third period to make the scoreline more respectable for the Clan.
BIRTHDAY
Happy birthday to former Clan forward, Brendan Connolly, who is celebrating his 36th birthday today.
Brendan joined the club in July 2018 from Belfast Giants and made 68 appearances, scoring 33 goals and assisting in a further 42 during his one year with the club.
The GB international left to join Sheffield Steelers the following year and returned to Aaron Fox’s side this summer after spending last season with Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the ECHL.
