Stars take two-goal first leg lead

Photo: Derek Black

Dundee took a two-goal lead in their Premier Sports Challenge Cup Quarter-Final first leg with a 4-2 home win over the Cardiff Devils.

The Stars were good value for their two-goal lead after the opening period. Philippe Sanche opened the scoring with just over three minutes played thanks to some quick hands after Connor Sills' faceoff win in the Devils' zone. A little over two minutes later that lead eas doubled when Charlie Combs' shot was saved by Mac Carruth, but only as far as Spencer Dorowicz who batted the puck home. 2-0 to Dundee with just 6:08 played.

Josh Waller's toe-drag around a defenseman into the zone and shot on Adam Morrison was the closest the visitors came to getting on the board from their 10 efforts on target.

Period two was a better one for the visitors who out-chaced their hosts despite Dundee winning the shot count. While the Devils began to carve out better chances and pressure the Stars remained dangerous on the counterattack. Dundee had the chance to extend their lead on a late powerplay but a combination of Carruth and some blocks somehow kept the puck out.

Cardiff survived the penalty kill and then got themselves back in the game on a rush the other way, Brodie Reid setting up Trevor Cox for the neat finish with 12 seconds left in the period.

The end of period two was marred by a scuffle near the Stars' net which led to Brandon McNally being ejected from the game and clocking up 27 penalty minutes alone.

The Stars started period three on a seven-minute advantage and needed just 46 seconds to make the most of their 5-on-4 advantage with Timi Lahtinen getting on a rebound from Dorowicz's shot. A tripping minor on the Finn cut short the end of the home side's powerplay, but Cardiff were back on the kill when Trevor Cox was called for the same offense after failing to convert a breakaway.

Cardiff held out 5-on-3 down for 30 seconds and the remaining ten seconds with four skaters to end the opening seven minutes only two behind.

Sebastian Bengtsson was the lucky recipient of the Devils coughing the puck up in their own zone and snapped past Carruth to make it 4-1 at 49:28, but Cardiff cut the deficit back to two 32 seconds later as Josh Batch slapped past Morrison through a crowd.

If the Stars miss out on the Semi-Finals, then they may regret a late missed powerplay inside the final four minutes which saw them with chances but not able to extend their lead. Adam Morrisson made a pair of late stops to ensure the Stars would take the two-goal lead to Cardiff next week.

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