Glasgow Clan and Cardiff Devils opened Week 14 at Braehead Arena on Friday night in a meeting of two teams looking to steady themselves after mixed recent form. Cardiff returned north after a difficult Scottish triple-header last month, while Clan entered the game ten points and four places behind the Devils in the early standings.
Tyson Helgesen and Felix Paré dropped the gloves early, and several post-whistle scrums followed in a lively first period. The Devils took control on the scoreboard, however. Josh MacDonald put them ahead with assists from Joey Martin and Cole Sanford, and Ryan Barrow doubled the lead shortly after from another MacDonald play. Connor Caponi was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for checking to the head late in the period, but Cardiff carried their two-goal advantage into the break.
“We have struggled a bit on the road where we have not got the job done so we wanted to have a good start,” said Cole Sanford. The Devils kept that momentum through the second period, which remained scoreless but featured several penalties as both teams battled for territory.
Clan came alive in the third. Darien Kielb struck just under three minutes in, and Cade Neilson levelled the game after following up his own rebound. With just over three minutes remaining, a Joe Hazeldine shot skipped loose from Ben Bowns and looped into the net to put Clan ahead. Their lead lasted less than ninety seconds before Kris Kontos was left alone in front to tie the game once more.
Both teams earned a point as regulation ended. In overtime, the Devils found the final word when Sanford finished at 3:51 to secure only Cardiff’s second win in Scotland this season.
“Obviously you hate to give up a lead like that, but at this point we do not care, we just care about getting the two points,” Sanford added.
Photo: Al Goold