Pirates Sink Tigers

The Tigers gave themselves a mountain to climb if they hope to reach the SNL Playoff finals weekend as they slumped to a 7-0 defeat at the hands of the marauding Paisley Pirates in Dundee.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to make their mark as Pirates Captain Graham McCamley picked up his own rebound and put the puck past Robbie Balfour with less than 2 minutes played. That lead was doubled in the 9th minute as Stuart Miller shovelled home Pirates 2nd from close range. Tigers came close on a couple of occasions but were caught out by a quick counter attack with 2 minutes remaining in the period when Balfour managed to turn away McCamley’s first effort only to be beaten by Fraser Campbell who was left unmarked in the slot.

The hosts looked more lively as the second period got underway and had some early pressure absorbed by Pirates Man of the Match goaltender Graeme Meechan. However, the Paisley men extended their lead in the 33rd minute as McCamley grabbed his 2nd of the night on the feed from Martin Guy. 6 Minutes later the provider turned goal scorer as Guy bagged Pirates 5th of the night unassisted to end the period’s scoring.

The final session got underway with a change of personnel in Tigers net as Ciaran Hoggan took his place between the pipes and was immediately called in to action. A series of fine saves bolstered the home team’s confidence as they pressed to open their account. They were not to be rewarded for their efforts though as the Pirates defensive core stood strong. The Pirates took advantage of a rare powerplay opportunity with 3 minutes remaining as David Orr got his name on the scoresheet with the 6th of the night. Robbie Balfour returned to the Tigers goal after a shot to the head unsettled Hoggan, forcing his withdrawal, and was unfortunate to concede after another play involving the incandescent McCamley who drove down the wing before centring for Campbell to conclude the scoring for the night.

With the return leg at Braehead Arena in 2 weeks time Tigers must now try to focus their attention on their upcoming Scottish Cup Semifinal against the Capitals in Edinburgh next Sunday night. The prize..? A place in the final against the Paisley Pirates!

Final Score: Tigers 0 – Pirates 7

Tigers MoM: Scott Marr