Flyers’ stopper loved by fans and players

Ice hockey: Two top awards for goaltender Shane as Fife men turn sights on play-off success

Goaltender Shane Owen claimed two top titles in Fife Flyers’ awards.

The highly-rated 26-year-old Canadian-born stopper was voted both the fans and players player of the year.

The award is no surprise and Owen will be a busy man this weekend as Fife aim to claim a coveted place in the playoff final four.

Owen has back-stopped the club to some big results this season, arguably none more so than Flyers come from behind, 9-5 victory over Belfast Giants in February.

It will take another performance like that to dismiss the ambitious Northern Irish outfit from the competition.

Flyers visit Belfast tomorrow and entertain Giants at Rosslyn Street on Sunday, 6.30pm.

Coach Todd Dutiaume yesterday called on his men to step up to the plate for the two most important games for the club this season.

He said: “If you look at the league table we were five points out of being fourth.

“That’s a big accomplishment against teams with a higher budget than ourselves.

“Expectation is very high in Kirkcaldy, and I appreciate that, but this has been an excellent season in what has never been a level playing field as regards budget,” said Dutiaume.

Meanwhile, Dundee Tigers stalwart Ian Carstairs admits the Scottish National League play-off quarter-final against holders Aberdeen Lynx is their last throw of the dice this term.

They travel to the Granite City tomorrow, 7.15pm, with the return at the Dundee Ice Arena on Sunday, 6.30pm.

Tigers finished the regular season in seventh place in the league, while the Lynx narrowly missed out on top spot so the Tayside team enter this tie as firm underdogs.

The winner on aggregate over two games faces Dundee Comets in the semifinal in Kirkcaldy on Saturday April 8.

Carstairs said: “I’ve not known a season where we’ve suffered so many injuries and it feels like we’ve played most of the year without a line of key personnel.

“That pressure continues this weekend with no less than four players unavailable for selection.

“Lynx won the play-offs last season and they’ll be confident they can progress again this year. They finished second in the league and took three of the four points available from the two games we played against each other.

“Both games were very close so we’ll be hoping to keep things tight and cause an upset.”

The games will be emotional after the passing of Tigers’ former coach Joe Guilcher.

Carstairs added: “Joe was an absolute legend of a guy and was Tigers through and through. Quite simply, there wouldn’t be a Tigers team had it not been for Joe’s dedication and passion over the years.

“He’s going to be missed very much by the whole team and the wider hockey community in Dundee.”

Owen has backstopped the club to some big results this season, arguably none more so than Flyers’ come from behind 9-5 victory over Belfast Giants in February