The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Capitals do the double as Stars fail to shine
ICE HOCKEY: Coach apologises after heavy defeat
Sergei Banashkov and Dylan Anderson netted for Edinburgh Capitals last night in Challenge Cup group B to complete a weekend win double over misfiring Dundee Stars.
The defeat followed a 7-2 thrashing in the first of a double header for the Stars against Capitals on Saturday after which coach Omar Pacha said sorry to the fans.
He said: “It is really frustrating as a coach and disappointing as you will have bad days, but a day like today you can’t forgive.
“I can say we can learn but it is unacceptable to do that at home, especially in front of our own fans.
“On a night when there are new people in the stands, it hurts the club not only on the ice but off it.
“It’s a really, really bad night, it’s unacceptable and I can only apologise to the fans that paid and I really hope the new fans give us a second chance.”
Last night, Banashkov scored after 34 minutes with Pavel Vorobyev and Igor Valeyev assisting and Anderson’s strike arrived 11 minutes later after he was set up by the lively Mike Cazzola.
Stars’ lifeline came from Levesque two minutes after, with Riley Stadel assisting.
It was too little too late and Stars emerge pointless from their doubleheader with the Murrayfield men.
The previous night Vorobyev, Dylan Anderson and Marek Tvrdon fired
“It’s a really, really bad night, it’s unacceptable and I can only apologise to the fans that paid and I really hope the new fans give us a second chance. OMAR PACHA
Capitals 3-0 ahead inside the opening 23 minutes before Stars’ Malcolm Gould pulled one back.
Cazzola added a fourth, with Banashkov and another from Cazzola making it 6-1 by the end of the second.
Julius Nyqvist netted to complete Edinburgh’s scoring early in the final session and Gould picked up his second for the Stars.
Fife Flyers’ hopes of a weekend win double evaporated last night when they were burned by Elite League newcomers Guildford Flames.
Kruise Reddick opened the scoring for Flames after nine minutes and it was 2-0 after 24 when the same player netted his second.
Charlie Mosey pulled one back for the home side just over a minute later but Jeremy Lundin made it 3-1 seven minutes after that.
Liam Heelis gave Fife hope five minutes later but Flames were not to be denied.
Rhett Rachinski’s goal with 30 seconds left of the middle session made it 4-2 only for Peter Leblanc on the power play to cut the deficit five minutes into the final period.
John Dunbar made sure the points in this tense battle were heading over the Border with an empty net strike, Reddick assisting, with just over a minute left.
On Saturday, Evan Bloodoff fired four goals as Fife Flyers hammered Braehead Clan 7-1 to increase pressure on new coach John Tripp.
It was 5-0 after 30 minutes in Glasgow and Chase Schaber and Ricards Birzins scored shorthanded inside the first nine minutes of the third to pile the agony on the home side.
Tyler Shattock netted Clan’s consolation with just over two minutes remaining.