Clan edge Stars in OT, move clear in seventh

Photo: Derek Black

Glasgow Clan edged a point ahead of Dundee Stars and clear in seventh with a 4-3 overtime win, helped by mitchell Heard netting a hat trick.

The home side led after the opening period on Tayside thanks to Kyle Pouncy scoring the only goal of the opening 20 minutes. He got on a rebound from a Spencer Naas shot 16:05 into the period to put the home side ahead. Landon Bow in the Clan net made an excellent double save off Naas and then Brendan Harms as the Stars almost doubled their lead shortly before the break.

Mitchell Heard tied the game just 35 seconds into period two with the final touch off a Deven Sideroff pass into the slot, and the sides went up and down the ice tied at one for the next 10 minutes. With 5:08 left in the period, Craig Moore beat Bow through traffic to put the Stars back ahead, but that lead lasted only 77 seconds until Heard circled the zone and fired home from the slot with Richard Sabol screened.

Both sides had powerplay opportunities to go ahead at the start of period three, but with none taken. Heard then made it a hat trick with a neat finish entering the Stars' zone to give Clan their first lead of the night with 8:52 to play. Just as it was looking like it might not be the home side's night, a Robert Lachowicz hooking minor saw Kameron Kielly put the puck over the line as the Stars pressured Bow's net to tie the game with 55:44 played.

A tie at 60 minutes was probably a fair scoreline with both sides taking a point. Dundee were straight on the attack in overtime, but eventually Clan carved out a chance for Matt Berry that he scored backhanded at 63:11 to win the visitors the extra point.