Sharks SNL 3-2 Dundee Tigers
The Sharks SNL entered the 2015/2016 season league opener in a determined mood after a good preseason programme. Last time out, the Sharks left it till the last six seconds to secure victory, a line that would become even finer at the conclusion of this match.
The opening period saw the Sharks play some fluent offensive hockey, with Hoggan in the Tigers net standing firm to turn away some well created and clear chances. The Sharks line of Corbett, Chalmers and Smith were looking most dangerous with the talismanic Chalmers drawing three powerplay opportunities in the opening 20 minutes, but despite good possession the Tigers defence held firm.
The second period started in a similar fashion with all three Sharks lines skating hard at the Tigers rearguard. However, as the midway point of the match loomed, the Tigers started to get to grips with the match and assumed control in terms of puck retention. It was against the run of play that the Sharks thus took the lead with Michael Brunton feeding off some energetic play from young guns Tom Watson and Scott Henderson to fire beyond Hoggan from the acutest of angles in the 34th minute. The goal saw Hoggan leave the game injured from over stretching, and replaced by Balfour. This knocked the Tigers temporarily and the Sharks saw out the second period with the 1-0 advantage.
The third period saw the Tigers find a further gear and continue the control they held in the majority of the previous period. Within less than a minute, Ian Carstairs demonstrated some great hand-eye
co-ordination to utilize the blade of his stick in pulling the puck out the air on the blue line to feed
seasoned campaigner Paul Guilcher, who then made no mistake in finding the top corner of Kyle Johnston’s Shark’s net. At this point the game opened up to end to end competition that would be more pleasing on the eye than the scrappy middle session. Balfour and Johnston were in stoic form in the nets at both ends. A slashing call against Shark’s Watson presented the Tigers with the last of
their three powerplays, and it was a case of third time lucky as they took the lead in the 54th minute, Kris Phillips finishing at the second attempt from Guilcher and Reekie’s set up play.
An aura of déjà vu then kicked in for the Sharks. Last time out they turned a 4-3 deficit against the Edinburgh Capitals into a 5-4 victory in the final five minutes and an all out Sharkattack was about to try and replicate this. A few minutes of constant pressure was denied by Balfour in goal and his Tiger’s rearguard. A time out called by player coach Jamie Kerr and some focused words by he and experienced head Bob Chalmers sent the Sharks out with a clear message. It was the Sharks belief in youth development and energy that sparked the comeback with Stuart Kerr gaining possession in an advanced position to find Scott Henderson unmarked in the high slot. The 16 year old tied the game at 2-2 in the 58th minute, just 24 hours after securing his first senior Sharks goal against Sheffield.
The Sharks again smelled the blood of the vulnerable Tiger’s wound that Henderson’s goal brought , and released their senior line to seize upon this. A quick-up break out to Chalmers saw him find Corbett in the neutral zone. Corbett’s deft touch via his skate blade fell into the path of the flying Gordon Horne, and the Sharks power forward catapulted himself through the middle of the ice, and using a Tiger’s defender’s legs as a shield from Balfour he found the Tiger’s goalies bottom corner. The goal guaranteed a 3-2 victory as the scoreboard read just 1.2 seconds remaining.
The victory secures the Sharks SNL with a great start to the campaign as they welcome Aberdeen Lynx to the Ice Bowl this coming Saturday night in what promises to be another close encounter, facing off at 7.30pm.
The Tam O Shanter Inn Man of the Match awards were deservedly awarded to Tiger’s Paul Guilcher and Sharks SNL’s Kyle Johnston who saved 32 of 34 shots on goal.
After the game player coach Jamie Kerr said, “I was happy with the first 25 and final 5 minutes’ performance and tempo. We played the better hockey , however the middle 30 minutes was disappointing due to a mixture of us losing our tempo, and an experienced Dundee Tigers squad playing to their strengths. That said we did enough to reduce any vast damage in that spell, and did enough to secure a win. The squad, with myself included, need to ensure that come the Aberdeen game on Saturday we maintain a high tempo for 60 minutes, as we can’t afford to roll the dice with forfeiting half the game on the back foot.”
