| A nailbiting weekend saw two games against league-topping Bracknell Bees go to a penalty shoot-out. On Saturday, Stars overcame a 2-0 deficit to make the score 3-3 at the end of regulation time. Overtime failed to produce a winner, so the game went to penalty shots.
After a best-of-five round produced no winner, it went to sudden death, with Stars’ Cory Morgan firing the winner.
Last night, Stars went 3-1 up, before Bees tied it up at 4-4. Then Stars were awarded a penalty shot and Cory Morgan netted what looked the winner.
However, the visitors wouldn’t go down without a fight, and, 30 seconds from time, Peter Campbell equalised.
For the second night in a row, the game went first to overtime, then to penalty shots.
Evan Lindsay showed why he was brought to Stars, as he turned away all but one penalty shot.
For Stars, Cory Morgan again scored in the shoot-out, but it fell to John Dolan to take the last one, and give Stars the win.
A fake slapshot fooled Stevie Lyle, with Dolan then shooting the puck into the top of the net, and the crowd and players went wild.
Stars now await the Guildford Flames-Fife Flyers semi, which will be decided this Thursday.
Tempers were frayed throughout, with Bees getting 64 penalty minutes to Stars’ 10, with Bees’ Martin Masa accounting for nearly half their total.
Man of the Match for Stars on Saturday was Evan Lindsay, with hero of the night John Dolan given the award last night.
Coach Roger Hunt said, “This weekend was unbelievable. The guys gave me more than I ever thought possible.
“They played absolutely fantastic, and I am so proud of all of them. It was wonderful for John Dolan to get the last one. He’s a Dundee lad, so it’s local boy makes good. I am so delighted. We beat the best team in the league and we’re not frightened of anyone now.
“The guys are really up for the final. I’ve never seen such team spirit. Team morale is great, especially when you consider we have players sitting out through injury and the import rule.
“It’s also great for the city that we've made it to a final.
“The fans were fantastic. They got behind the team and spurred the guys on.
“The team are a bunch of super guys, but they’ve a week off now to relax and recover.”
Meanwhile, Flyers lost 3-1 to Flames and now have to travel to Guildford on Thursday for game three.
If Flyers win, Dundee will get home advantage in the best-of-five final, as they finished above Flyers in the league. However, if Flames emerge victorious, it is they who will get the advantage over Stars. |
