Flyers fight back to end frustrating run of results

ICE HOCKEY: Fife beat Blaze in overtime after back-to-back defeats

COVENTRY BLAZE 5 FIFE FLYERS 6 (OT)

Fired-up Fife came from behind to snatch an important road win last night and deny Coventry Blaze a quick double thanks to an overtime strike.

Todd Dutiaume’s men, edged 3-2 by Coventry after penalty shots at Kirkcaldy last weekend, were 4-2 down after 34 minutes but three unanswered goals between the 46th and 57th minutes proved critical.

The victory snapped a confidencesapping, two-game losing run.

Joe Basaraba fired the visitors ahead after 13 minutes only for Alex Nikiforuk and Nicolai Bryhnlsveen to put Blaze ahead 2-1 after 24 minutes.

Bari McKenzie netted for Fife less than a minute later for 2-2 but Ben Lake and Kelin Ainsworth claimed goals after 32 and 34 minutes to put the home side 4-2 ahead.

Marcus Basara started the fightback after 46 minutes and Basaraba’s second in the 54th minute levelled the game at 4-4. Paul Crowder slotted after 57 minutes only for defenceman Justin Hache to break Fife hearts with the leveller four seconds from time.

However, Flyers regrouped quickly and scored the game winner after 18 seconds of sudden-death overtime thanks to 27-year-old Canadian forward Danick Gauthier.

On Tayside, Dundee Stars were beaten 6-3 last night by in-form Elite League pace-setters Belfast Giants.

It was the fifth straight win for the Northern Irish side who plundered a maximum of six points from their three games in Scotland over the weekend.

It was a second defeat in a row for Dundee who were 3-0 down after 51 seconds of the start of the second period following a double from Lewis Hook and a single from David Rutherford.

Stars hit back through Charles Corcoran after 21 minutes only for Giants to make it 5-1 by the 28th minute thanks to strikes from Dustin Joher and Blair Riley.

Jordan Cownie pulled one back with six seconds left of the middle session to give the home side hope, but they could only manage a third from Shawn Boutin with less than four minutes left.

Kyle Baun scored an empty net goal for Giants’ sixth right on the final buzzer.

On Saturday, Fife let slip a 2-1 lead after 37 minutes to skid to a 3-2 defeat at Manchester Storm.

Dany Byers caught Fife cold with a goal in the fourth minute and it took until the 31st minute for the Kirkcaldy club to level when Evan Stoflet netted following a move involving Mike Cazzola and Crowder.

Basaraba’s short-handed strike was set up by Rick Pinkston for their second just over seven minutes later when Fife were under penalty.

Storm levelled through Mike Hammond two minutes into the final session and the winner came from Evan Richardson with less than six minutes left, former Dundee Stars player Felix Antoine Poulin involved in the move.

Stars were outshot 29-14 and shut-out 4-0 at fast-improving Sheffield Steelers with Justin Buzzeo and Jonas Westerling scoring in the first period.

Josh Pitt and Jonathan Phillips completed the scoring in the third.

Marcus Basara: Got Flyers’ fightback under way with the opening goal.