Guildford Flames extended their home winning run to four matches with a tense 4-3 victory over Dundee Stars at the Guildford Spectrum on Sunday evening, surviving a dramatic second period in which seven of the match's goals arrived and the lead changed hands four times before the break.
The match was goalless before the second period and goalless after it. Everything that mattered happened between 20:50 and 36:47 — seven goals in sixteen minutes, the last of which was Curran's power play strike for Dundee to make it 4-3 with twenty minutes still to play. Guildford's third period was one of composure under pressure, killing off Dundee's late attempts with their goalkeeper replaced in the final 41 seconds.
Guildford led 2-0 at the first break after a dominant opening period. Curti scored early at 3:37 — Busch and Tesink assisting — and Preziuso doubled the lead at 12:39, Jacome and Busch again helping. Busch was also penalised for interference at 26:12 in the second period but Dundee couldn't capitalise on that early opportunity when it arrived. Fazio in the Guildford goal barely touched the puck in the first period; Kruse for Dundee had rather more to do.
Seven goals in sixteen minutes
The second period brought chaos from the first minute. Boudens pulled one back for Dundee at 20:50 — Schoonbaert assisting — and suddenly the match had a different feel. Busch was penalised for interference at 26:12 but Dundee couldn't convert, and Busch made amends at 29:44 with Guildford's third — Tesink and Hook assisting — to restore the two-goal cushion at 3-1.
Dow immediately replied for Dundee at 32:47 — Moore and Jurgens helping — to make it 3-2. At 33:00, Strang scored for Guildford from Jacome and Busch to make it 4-2. Thirteen seconds later, Dow was penalised for boarding at 33:15, giving Guildford a power play they didn't need to convert. At 34:42, roughing calls on Desouza (DUN) and Busch (GUI) offset each other, before Waller was penalised for hooking at 36:26 — handing Dundee a power play. Curran converted at 36:47 from Dow and Kielly to make it 4-3.
Seven goals. Sixteen minutes. The match had been all but decided twice and twice Dundee had pulled it back.
Guildford hold on — Dundee's late push repelled
The third period was dramatically quiet by comparison. Dundee pushed hard for an equaliser, with Kruse going off at 59:19 for an extra skater, coming back on at 59:23, the team calling a timeout at 59:39, and the net going empty again at 59:35 in a frantic final minute. None of it produced a goal. Guildford held on with the Flames defending their lead for the entire third period without a goal being scored by either side.
Justin Fazio had a composed evening in the Guildford net, dealing with most of Dundee's chances cleanly and being helped by a third period in which the home side defended their one-goal advantage without panic. Kruse was busy throughout and the 4-3 scoreline could perhaps have been tighter had Dundee's discipline been better — Dow's boarding penalty at 33:15 came immediately after his goal and halted any momentum.
Busch and the Jacome connection
Tyler Busch finished the evening having contributed directly to all four of Guildford's goals — assisting the first, second and fourth, and scoring the third himself. Jacome assisted the second and fourth, making the Busch-Jacome pairing Guildford's most productive combination of the afternoon. For a side now on four straight home wins, that kind of consistency from key players is the bedrock.
For Dundee, four defeats in five coming in, and this is another frustrating away result. They matched Guildford goal for goal in the second period and were within one for virtually the entire second half of the match — but a habit of conceding while penalised in the final third period is proving costly.