Kilmarnock Storm 4 - Dundee Tigers 4

The Tigers concluded their 2014/15 SNL campaign on Saturday night by earning a hard fought point at Kilmarnock against the Storm. With the visitors travelling short bend and without regular starting netminder, Matty Michie, a tough test was expected on the small Galleon Centre ice pad.

The Tigers took the initiative in the first period outshooting the hosts 26-15 and went in to the break with a well deserved 2 goal advantage. Tigers first came from a defence-splitting pass by Kris Phillips that sent Captain Paul Guilcher clear to roof a precision back hand effort home on the 10 minute mark. With just under 90 seconds left in the session Grant Reekie doubled the Tigers lead as he outfoxed the storm goal keeper to tuck home a wraparound and end the period scoring.

Tigers were left to rue missed chances in the second stanza as the Storm pegged back the visitors lead through good, old fashioned hustle. An early notch from Wright buoyed the hosts spirits and it was clear that they would not be going down without a fight. As the Tigers struggled to adapt to the small ice surface the Storm grew in confidence and were back on level terms with 4 minutes left in the period when a blast from A Stuart found its way through Matthew Landsburgh in the Tigers net.

With both teams looking to wrap up the points the 3rd period continued with the same intensity as the preceding two. McPhail struck in the opening minute of the period to give the hosts the lead only for Andy Laird to level things up a minute later as he finished off a juicy rebound. With almost 47 minutes played Steven Gaughan’s slapshot took an unfortunate deflection off a Tigers defender to wrong-foot Landsburgh and put the hosts in the driving seat. With the Tigers requiring a point to concrete their league position there was no chance they would give up and their tenacity was rewarded with 3 minutes remaining when Scott Marr expertly tipped home Scott Geddes’s effort from the point. Both teams created opportunities as the game came to a close but neither could find a way to secure the win and the spoils were shared.

Final Score: Kilmarnock Storm 4 – Dundee Tiger 4

MOM: Matt Landsburgh