Giants enjoy perfect start with 4-1 win over Dundee Stars
EIHL Challenge Cup.
SSE Arena, Friday 22nd September 2023,
Stena Line Belfast Giants 4-1 Dundee Stars.
The Stena Line Belfast Giants got their Challenge Cup title defence off to the perfect start with a 4-1 win over the Dundee Stars at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday night to pick up their first two points of the new campaign.
Second period goals from captain Mark Cooper and Ara Nazarian were complemented by third period strikes from Man of the Match Ciaran Long and Quinn Preston.
There was another strong display from netminder Tyler Beskorowany, to start the domestic campaign in the ideal fashion.
FIRST PERIOD
There were plenty of opportunities in the first period as the Stars nearly fashioned a chance out of nothing when Chris McKay’s flick over the top set James Phelan on Beskorowany, but the netminder made the save.
At the other end of the ice, Sean Norris tested Kevin Carr off Ben Lake’s reverse pass, but the visiting goaltender made the stop.
The chances kept coming with Lake firing straight at Carr before Charlie Curti nearly tipped a pass in at the goal-line.
Jacob Friend then forced a smart glove save from Carr, but the best chance fell to Dundee captain Drydn Dow, who was set up all alone out in front by Anthony Rinaldi but fired over the bar.
The Giants could not connect on the first powerplay of the game as Sean Allen’s interference penalty went unpunished.
Both sides passing up chances to take the lead. Craig Garrigan’s turn and shot was blocked away by Beskorowany before Carr got his body behind a Preston shot just before the buzzer.
SECOND PERIOD
The Giants survived an early scare when a breakaway saw Ryan Valentini’s shortside effort saved by the stick of Beskorowany.
They made the most of that reprieve by taking the lead at 21:06 as Daniel Tedesco’s shot was padded into the air and Mark Cooper was there to bat it in from behind the net. (1-0)
The home side then played out their first penalty of the night as Jacob Friend was sent to the box for tripping.
The defenceman nearly grabbed his first goal in a teal jersey as he fired on goal straight out of the box but found Carr’s glove, before a cross-checking call on Long was off-set by a tripping penalty on Rinaldi.
Once again the Giants’ second goal came after they caught a break in the defensive zone when Carter Johnson hit the Giants’ post, before Nazarian doubled their lead on the powerplay at 33:46 with an assist from Greg Printz.
Printz passed the puck through the seam for his winger to snap in the one-timer from a tight angle. (2-0)
The visitors would make things interesting heading into the final period as Johnny Walker got them off the mark at 38:21.
Dow drove the net from the right circle and although Beskorowany was there to make the initial save, the forward was following up to convert the rebound. (2-1)
THIRD PERIOD
A tripping call from Dow on Printz put the Giants on an early powerplay but they couldn’t find the net.
But that wouldn’t cost them as Long added their third at 46:15 when Oliver Cooper’s pass into the right circle found the forward skating onto it and he smashed it high into the net. (3-1)
Walker was called for cross-checking, sending the Giants on the powerplay. The Englishman, Ciaran Long, nearly turned provider when his pass to the back door hit off the skate of Matt McLeod with the net wide open.
They weren’t able to capitalise and shortly after Carr produced his best save of the night when he stretched out low to deny first Nazarian and then Printz on the rebound.
But the two-goal difference was to prove enough as both sides killed off late penalties.
The Giants played out a roughing call against Norris and the Stars survived an interference penalty on Brendan Harms. The home side held on and Preston’s empty netter at 59:02 sealed the deal. (4-1)
***
Dundee Stars v Belfast Giants
EIHL Challenge Cup,
Saturday 23 September 2023 at Dundee Ice Arena,
Dundee Stars 2 6 Belfast Giants.
Preston Leads Giant Comeback For 4-Point Weekend Against Dundee Stars
The Stena Line Belfast Giants fought back from two down inside the opening six minutes at the Dundee Ice Arena with six unanswered goals to secure a 6-2 win over the Dundee Stars and a four-point Challenge Cup weekend from their double-header against the Scottish side.
Having won 4-1 against the same opponents in Belfast on Friday night, it was Quinn Preston who led the way with a third period double to grab a valuable road win.
There were further goals from Ara Nazarian, Ben Lake, Jacob Friend, and Daniel Tedesco earning them the spoils to wrap up a fine opening weekend of domestic action.
First period
Dundee had the first chance of the game as a fortunate bounce saw the puck fall straight to Brendan Harms in front of goal.
But he was denied by an excellent save from Tyler Beskorowany, while at the other end Sean Norris was allowed to skate in on Kevin Carr but his shot struck the shoulder of the Stars goaltender.
The Giants were made to pay for after Travis Brown’s pass to the back post for Nazarian was only tipped onto the post as Anthony Rinaldi put the home side ahead at 4:25.
The winger tapped in on Josh Brittain’s cross-crease pass (1-0) before Harms, who had just been denied twice on the breakaway, doubled their advantage at 5:55 when he picked up the rebound from his initial shot and wrapped it under the pads of Beskorowany. (2-0)
Adam Keefe burned the Giants’ timeout after the Stars’ second goal, but it worked to perfection as Nazarian got them on the board just 16 seconds later.
Carr batted the puck back to the edge of the right circle and the winger snapping in his second goal of the weekend at 6:11. (2-1)
Compared to the first seven minutes, the remainder of the period was rather short on chances, with Mark Cooper’s drive to the net stopped by the pad of Carr, with the Giants closing out the period with their first kill of the night as Brown sat for tripping.
Second period
An early penalty against Stars defenceman Craig Moore gave the Giants a powerplay opportunity to tie it up but they couldn’t connect, despite some excellent work from Ciaran Long on the man advantage.
And then Greg Printz couldn’t pull the trigger on a two-on-one breakaway when faced by Carr.
It felt like it was going to be a period low on scoring chances, with James Phelan denied on the breakaway by Beskorowany and then Lake having a shot saved by Carr.
But a slashing call against Phelan put the Giants on the powerplay that allowed them to tie the game heading into the third.
Carr had already flashed the glove to deny Printz earlier in the powerplay when Mark Cooper put the puck on a plate for Lake to tap in at 36:05 to level proceedings (2-2).
The Belfast Giants could have headed in at the intermission ahead had Friend’s late deflected shot found twine instead of the post.
Third period
But Friend wouldn’t have to wait long for his first goal in teal as just 2:54 into the final frame he did grab what would prove to be the game-winning goal.
He fired on net from the high slot and a slight nick off a man in front meant the puck evaded Carr’s grasp and nestled in the back of the net. (2-3)
Still the Stars were not out of it as Harms had another chance come off the post with Beskorowany beaten, but the clinching goal would come at 46:59 as Carr failed to cover a loose puck in front of goal.
But Preston was on hand to stab it in on the backhand to put daylight between the teams. (2-4)
From there it was all Belfast as the visitors looked to close the game out in style, and after Charlie Curti pinged a shot off the crossbar, Preston grabbed his second as he snapped a fine low shot past Carr from the right circle at 51:54 (2-5).
But for an outstanding save from the Stars goaltender, he could have had a hat-trick after he jinked past two defenders but couldn’t find the net one more time.
Instead, Tedesco rounded things off with a fine solo strike of his own at 55:35, set into the zone and delaying perfectly to spin and fire home to complete the scoring (2-6).
Keefe’s men were closing things out comfortably on the powerplay after Chris McKay was penalised for tripping with seconds remaining.
UP NEXT
The Stena Line Belfast Giants are on the road for further Challenge Cup action in Dundee tomorrow before traveling for their first couple Elite Ice Hockey League games.
They return home to take on Austria’s EC Red Bull Salzburg here at home on Tuesday 10 October in Champions Hockey League action.
(Courtesy of BelfastGiants.com)
