13 Dec 2023, 19:30 | Play-off | QF | Sheffield Arena |
Guildford Flames | 3-2 | Fife Flyers |
Periods: Shots: | 2-0 (16-5) | 1-1 (11-17) | 0-1 (11-6) | Total: 38-28 |
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Referees: Rose/Matthews  |  Spectators: 1319 |
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Goals and assists
Guildford Flames will contest the Semi-Finals of the Challenge Cup
for the second straight seasonthanks to a 6-3 aggregate win over Fife
Flyers.
Fife, who were down to just eight forwards after Anton
Eriksson was scratched shortly before warm-up, were outshot 16-5 in the
opening period but defended resiliently to keep themselves in the tie.
That resistance was, however, broken with two goals inside the final
five minutes of the period that put the Flames in total control of the
aggregate score. Steven McParland snapped home from the point on the
powerplay a t16:27, followed by Ryan Tait benefitting from McParland
taking a hit to make the pass through which allowed him to double the
lead just under two minutes later. The Flames headed into the
intermission with a 5-1 aggregate lead.
The Flyers called Eamon
McAdam into an excellent diving save off a deflected shot early in
period two, while at the other end Lewis Hook almost scored the Flames'
third through Owen's five-hole, but the puck was cleared off the line
just in time. Guildford did go into a three-goal lead on the night
through Austin Glover on 33 minutes after he gloved the puck down and
batted it over the line past Owen. Fife struck straight back 75 seconds
later with a nice individual goal from Kyle Osterberg, but found
themselves 6-2 down on aggregate as the teams headed into the break.
The
Flyers made things interesting when Vitalijs Pavlovs turned home a Troy
Lajeunesse pass with just under 10 minutes to go, and could have scored
again on the very next shift were it not for two quick saves from
McAdam. Tom Coolen pulled Owen late to see if they could find another
goal, but in the end the Flames took the 3-2 win on the night and booked
their place in the Semi-Finals with a four-goal aggregate win.