Ice hockey: EIHL weekend wrap

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Week two of the 2019-20 ice hockey season threw up some interesting results, but the bigger picture in terms of Challenge Cup qualification remains far from clear.

Some teams are three games into their qualifying group, while others have yet to start.

There has also been a smattering of league action as teams switch tournaments each night.

Group A of the Challenge Cup - the Scottish one with Belfast Giants in the mix - is led by Dundee Stars with four points from three games.

Omar Pacha’s side must have fancied making it three from three in the cup when Fife Flyers came calling on Sunday, but they found themselves shut out on home ice.

Fife’s 2-0 win - netminder Adam Morrison bagged the 42-shot shut out - came with goals from Chase Schaber and an empty netter from Danick Gauthier.

It also secured that all-important opening weekend win after the team went down 3-2 at home to

Glasgow Clan in front of a superb crowd of over 2500.

General consensus was the better side won, although Clan made it hard for themselves.

They were 3-0 up and in control when Matthieu Roy was thrown out for spearing with less than ten minutes remaining, and Flyers netted twice to push Clan all the way to the buzzer.


The game also suggested these two old rivals would be fairly evenly balanced across the season, setting the scene for some intriguing head to heads.

Outwith Scotland, Sheffield Steelers and Coventry Blaze met back to back and shared the spoils.

Blaze spoiled Steelers’ big launch night with a 6-4 victory in their arena.

A crowd of 6500 saw Danny Stewart’s side claim the points on the back of an impressive 3-0 final period.

Steelers promptly responded in kind, winning 4-1 in Coventry with four separate goalscorers to boot. Former Fife Flyers’ import, Evan Bloodoff, got Coventry’s goal.

This weekend won’t shed any  light on the Challenge Cup hopes and aspirations of all the teams as the league campaign dominates the schedules.

Belfast Giants enter the fray after their Champions Hockey League adventures, and begin at home to Glasgow Clan.

Zack Fitzgerald’s Braehead outfit then complete a tough weekend on the road by heading to Cardiff on Sunday.

Fife Flyers have their first Sunday at home - the first of around 15 this season - when Nottingham Panthers visit, while Saturday takes Todd Dutiaume’s side to Coventry. Both games are entirely winnable for the Kirkcaldy side.

Dundee Stars have home ice all weekend with big games against Nottingham on Saturday and Sheffield on Sunday - two games which will certainly test the mettle of Pacha’s Taysiders.

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