Fife Flyers: bumper crowd sees Hogmanay shoot out defeat
Three points from a New Year double header was a more than good enough way for Fife Flyers to bring the curtain down on 2025, but there was a nagging sense this could have been a clean sweep.
A 5-4 penalty shots defeat to Dundee Stars unfolded in front of a bumper 2500 crowd at Fife Ice Arena. A point each for the draw in regulation time was absolutely deserved from a hockey game that didn’t quite flow at times. Neither side dominated.
Both had huge spells of pressure, and created good chances, but Fife conceded at bad times, and the loss of David Booth to injury in mid-game blunted their sharpness. In his absence, Anton Karlsson delivered another sterling performance, while Keaton Jameson grafted relentlessly, with Drew McLean and Jonas Emmerdahl solid in defence.
Milan Lucic also netted his first goal for Flyers, and he came close to doubling that tally with some fine chances.
It was a night when the positives certainly outweighed any criticisms, and, the most important plus of all was that Flyers ended the year not in tenth spot, but ninth. The play-off race is definitely on.
The sides split five goals in an eventful opening period. A turnover allowed Stars to open the scoring through Otto Nieminen at 8:24, but they then hit penalty trouble and Fife pounced.
Flyers enjoyed a five on three powerplay with Jackson DeSouza off for tripping, and Matt Boudens taking a double minor for accidental high sticks. That opened up the zone, and Booth delivered within 40 seconds
Stars were back in front at 14:07 with a drop pass to the back post for Matt Berry to turn the puck home, but Lucic blasted home from a Jameson face-off win to tie things up. Level pegging lasted little more than 30 seconds as Drydn Dow moved quickly to bury a big rebound just ten seconds before the buzzer.
Flyers flowed better in the second as they created good chances, and they tied this game with a peach of a goal on the half hour mark, throwing the puck from left to right - Karlsson to Ian Scheid and back across for Logan Neilson to slam home.
The momentum changed once again as Stars killed a delay of the game penalty, and Craig Moore jumped out of the bin on to the puck, and the rebound from his shot was netted by Kameron Kielly at 37:17.
With Booth in the dressing room, Flyers took time to readjust, and they eventually got back on level terms with nine minutes to play thanks to a fine goal as Johan Porsberger converted on a three on one break.
They had chances to win this as the clock wound down into overtime and on to penalty shots. Lucic netted his first shot, Spencer Naas struck at the other end, with Dow’s counter the winner as Neilson saw his final shot saved.
A four-point haul would have been the perfect outcome. Three was the next best thing. Flyers go into 2026 in good heart.