Belfast Giants booked their place in the Challenge Cup Semi-Finals with a 5-3 win over the Dundee Stars at the SSE Arena.
The Stars began brightly, testing Jackson Whistle early before earning a penalty shot when Gabe Bast was called for hooking. Benjamin Almquist stepped up, but Whistle stood tall to keep the game scoreless.
Moments later, Belfast struck first. Mike Lee carried the puck into the right circle and slid a perfect pass across for Jordan Kawaguchi, who finished calmly at 7:12 to open the scoring. The Giants doubled their advantage just over two minutes later on the powerplay when JJ Piccinich teed up Lee for a one-timer that beat Emil Kruse at 9:37.
Dundee halved the deficit late in the period when Almquist’s pass deflected off Nicolas Guay and through Whistle’s pads at 17:11, giving the visitors a lifeline.
The Giants continued to control play in the middle frame, with Kruse producing several key saves to keep his team in the game. Their persistence eventually paid off when Kawaguchi netted his second of the night, reacting quickest to a loose puck that squeezed under Kruse at 23:36 to restore the two-goal cushion.
“It was a good performance,” said Kawaguchi after the game. “Defensively not exactly what we wanted, but you’ve got to win hockey games in all types of ways and that’s what we did tonight. Two points is what’s important and what matters.”
Despite being outplayed for long stretches, the Stars battled back once again. Spencer Naas found the net at 35:21 after a scramble in front, a goal that stood after Adam Keefe’s challenge for goaltender interference was waved off.
Just 18 seconds into the third, Kawaguchi completed his hat trick, beating Kruse from a tight angle to put Belfast 4-2 up. “Honestly, I just go to the net and my teammates give me the opportunities,” he added. “I’m just happy to be on the doorstep and grab three there.”
With Kruse pulled late on, Naas redirected Drydn Dow’s shot to make it 4-3 with 85 seconds to go, giving Dundee brief hope. However, Jake Gaudet hit the empty net on the next play to secure the win and send the Giants into the Semi-Finals.
Photo: Willam Cherry
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