Giants off to winning start in Dundee

Belfast Giants started their Challenge Cup campaign with what ended as a comfortable win in Dundee, but was far from it against the Stars through 40 minutes.

Jordan Kawaguchi, Joe Cassetti and Mark Cooper all scored a brace for the Giants.

Kawaguchi opened the scoring just over four minutes in, but the scores were level at the break thanks to Craig Moore’s leveler 1:43 before the end of the opening period.

Joe Cassetti netted 54 seconds into period two, but it was another local boy in Jonathan McBean that tied things up again for the Stars. Cassetti’s second of the night at 30:14 put the Giants back ahead off a wonderful drop pass from Mark Cooper. A fortunate bounce set up Kawaguchi to make it 4-2 with 2:11 left in the second.

Cooper scored shorthanded 6:45 into period three to extend the lead, and then followed up in close at 53:38 to make it 6-2. Jake Elmer put a third past Tom McCollum 15 seconds later, but Ciaran Long wrapped things up with 4:12 to play as the Giants put some further gloss on the final scoreline.