REPORT: Fife Flyers 7 Glasgow Clan 4

Report by Sam Scouller; photos by Jillian McFarlane

Glasgow Clan, sponsored by Aspray Glasgow West, were humbled on Hogmanay after a bitter 7-4 loss to Fife Flyers in Kirkcaldy.

Jason Morgan’s side were without four players for the end of year trip to Fife Ice Arena, including Jordan Cownie and Alex Roach, who were both ruled out through sickness.

It was an action-packed opening 10 minutes as the sides traded goals with Luke Lynch kicking it off as he stole the puck in the slot and slid it under Andrew Little’s pads.

Lucas Chiodo struck level for the Flyers almost instantly having bagged his goal just 21 seconds after Lynch’s opener, followed by Charlie Combs, who re-instated Glasgow’s lead with a slick high finish just 50 seconds after the score was levelled.

Fife forward Troy Lajeunesse then bagged the fourth goal in the game in just seven minutes, firing the puck into the net from the backdoor as Fife equalised again.

Kyle Osterberg then gave the home side the lead when he rebounded Lajeunesse’s shot off the pipe and sent it past Jake Kielly.

The Clan goalie then pulled off a fantastic save on Brady Pouteau as he darted across his crease to cut out a shot.

In the final minute of the period, Jonas Emmerdahl doubled Fife’s lead when he snapped the puck in from deep in the slot to lead his side into the break ahead by 4-2.

Jason Morgan led his side out for the second period with a change in netminder as Antti Karjalainen came in for Kielly.

Reid Petryk nearly scored in the opening seconds of the period when Bryce Reddick zipped the puck onto his stick at the backdoor, but his effort just narrowly missed the net.

Teemu Pulkkinen later put the hosts ahead by three when he swatted the puck out of the air after Karjalainen pulled off a save and sent it into the net on the powerplay.

Karjalainen had a strong period nonetheless as he pulled off a few impressive stops from Lajeunesse and Osterberg and helped the visitors through multiple penalty kills.

Pulkkinen bagged his second of the night – a sixth Flyers goal – on the powerplay just 40 seconds into the period.

Combs and Craighead came close to putting themselves on the scoresheet in the third period but neither could beat Little.

Lynch eventually did bag a third Clan goal though as he one-timed the puck over Little to claim his second of the game.

Lajeunesse and Matt Barry traded late goals each as the Flyers went on to claim just their second win in December.