Clan see out 2011 with a nervy win over Dundee

Braehead Clan 5 – 4 Dundee Stars

Braehead turned heads on Tuesday night, leaving Belfast’s Odyssey Arena with 2 points from the Giants. Such a win following their heavy loss the night before must have lead to a surge of confidence within the team; factor in the struggling start Dundee Stars have had so far this season, and you could be forgiven for expecting a decidedly one-sided affair.

Not so, as it turns out, as Dundee brought a great deal of gumption to a nervy game fraught with goals and close calls.

Both home and away fans were vocal as the puck dropped, and a chorus of ‘Let’s go, Braehead!’ was met with a staunch reply of ‘Braehead suck!’ Considering how quiet the arena can be at times, it was a welcome addition to the action flying back and forth on the ice. Braehead had the lion’s share of shots on goal; the returning Vince Connon seemed destined to draw first blood, but was denied by Stars goaltender Chris Whitley.

Both goalies were making crucial saves left and right, but something had to give. And, as is typical in this madcap season, it happened in dramatic style: Dundee rocketed 2 goals ahead in less than 2 minutes thanks to impressive stick work from Lee Mitchell and Jarrett Konkle respectively.

A subdued home crowd remained somewhat stoic as the 2nd period got underway, with Dundee refusing to give up their lead in the face of increased intensity. This soon changed, however, as Drew Bannister fed a beautiful pass to Brock McPherson on the breakaway, who swiftly dispatched the puck in the Stars’ net.

The Clan continued to ramp up the pressure. A deflection saw Ryan Campbell collect the puck in the neutral zone and just about get 1-on-1 with Whitley, before being brought down by Steven Chalmers. It was a borderline decision, but referee Neil Wilson chose not to award Campbell a penalty shot for the hooking infraction.

This did nothing to deter Braehead. Their hunt for an equaliser resumed and, with a man advantage on the power play, they got what they were looking for. Mike Bayrack’s shot rebounded off Whitley, right into the path of a waiting Jade Galbraith.

And so the 3rd period began with both teams level at 2-2. A few minutes in, Jim Jorgensen sent Braehead into the lead for the first time, but it was a short-lived reprieve. A miscommunication between Galbraith and Krestanovich (as the former attempted a drop pass) saw Dundee intercept the puck and seconds later Alan Mazur had drawn the game level once more. 3 goals apiece; game well and truly on.

The remainder of the game was packed with hairy moments in front of the net as both Whitley and Suomalainen struggled to keep the puck away. With 5 minutes left on the clock, Braehead went on the power play. Tim Wedderburn, who had thus far made little impression on the game, skimmed the top of the post just before Ryan Campbell found the back of the net, sending the home crowd wild.

Rabid play resumed as Dundee scrambled to equalise, but Steven Chalmers was soon called for tripping and sent to the box, giving Braehead their 6th power play of the game. The boys put it to good use, keeping the puck in the offensive zone and eventually grabbing goal number 5; Jorgensen receiving Galbraith’s pass right in front of a helpless Whitley.

A game-sealing goal for Braehead, then… or so we thought. A mere 19 seconds into resumed play, and Dundee were suddenly back in the thick of it thanks to Gary Wishart’s goal from out of nowhere.

Dundee had less than 3 minutes to find their 5th and take this nerve-wracking game to overtime. And they sure looked like they were going to do just that. A wraparound attempt was stopped by Tim Wedderburn who slid to block the shot. His decision to then lie on top of the puck – freezing play – was not warmly received by the Dundee fans, to put it mildly.

Play became even more intense as Clan captain Krestanovich was sent to the box for slashing. With Dundee on the power play and their goaltender pulled, it was 6-on-4 for the most excruciating 30 seconds in Elite League history. Braehead somehow managed to hang on, batting away the puck, and Dundee’s frenzied attempts were refused.

A suitably frenetic finish to a nerve-shredding game of hockey, and a fine performance from the Stars. If they can continue to deliver performances like this in the second half of the season, we could be seeing some very interesting results around the Elite League.

For Braehead, they finish 2011 with 2 wins in a row – and they’re going to need every scrap of confidence this brings as they head into January’s fixtures against Nottingham and Hull.

Referee: Neil Wilson

Period Scores: 0-2 / 2-0 / 3-2

Powerplay: Braehead 4/6, Dundee 0/3

Penalty Mins: Braehead 6, Dundee 12

MoM: Braehead – #37 Ryan Campbell, Dundee #27 Steven Chalmers