REPORT: Dundee Stars 3 Braehead Clan 1

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Glasgow’s Braehead Clan are two goals down, but there’s plenty to play for in tomorrow’s second leg after losing the play-off quarter final opening leg 3-1 at Dundee Stars.

Stars struck first eight minutes in when Brett Switzer effort was parried back out to Justin Faryna, who beat Michal Zajkowski from close range.

Faryna went close with a second effort right in front of the crease, but the Clan goalie was quick to make the block and deny the Dundee man.

Scott Pitt tried one on Joe Fallon up the other end, but the Stars netminder dealt with it well as Marc LeFebvre’s side went in after the first a goal up.

Clan hit back through Alex Leavitt early in the second when he drifted in from the wide right position, beat a defenceman and coolly lifted the puck into the net.

Zajkowski saved well from Kevin Hart and Cale Tanaka as the home team threatened a second goal, but they finally got it on the powerplay late on in the middle session.

Felix Poulin sniped one in from the blue line that came out to Mikael Lidhammar, who tucked away Dundee’s second of the night to put the Stars 2-1 ahead.

A chance from Poulin early in the third forced a reaction save from Zajkowski, with Craig Peacock going close down the other end to test Fallon.

Vinny Scarsella was in the right place at the right time to add a third for Dundee as he took advantage of Braehead trying to clear the zone and he managed to open a two-goal lead.

Zajkowski made another key save late on from Scarsella to keep the deficit to two as attention turns to the return leg in Glasgow in front of a sell-out crowd for that place in Nottingham next week.