This weekend brought a mix of league action and high-stakes Scottish Cup semi-final clashes, delivering plenty of drama on the ice. Kirkcaldy Kestrels bolstered their league position with a commanding performance against Kilmarnock Thunder, while the Scottish Cup saw fiercely contested first-leg ties. Aberdeen Lynx edged past Dundee Rockets in a thrilling encounter, and Kirkcaldy Kestrels made it a weekend to remember with 2 strong victories. Here’s a closer look at all the action.
Scottish Cup: Dundee Rockets 3–4 Aberdeen Lynx
A gripping first leg of the Scottish Cup semi-final unfolded at Dundee Ice Arena, where the Rockets hosted Aberdeen Lynx. With both teams finely tuned and fiercely determined, the first period ended in a stalemate, despite Dundee having the edge in chances. Lynx netminder Dominick Jaglar held firm, ensuring the scoreboard remained untouched after 20 minutes.
The second period burst into life five minutes in, as Dundee’s Lewis McIntosh fired home the opener. John Gordon doubled their lead shortly after, but Lynx retaliated. A power-play goal from Calum MacEachran shifted the momentum, followed swiftly by strikes from Jordan Leyden and Callum Hill—his first for the Lynx.
Ben Brown pulled the Rockets level in the third, setting up a tense finale. However, Jack Flynn found the net late on to hand Lynx the narrow victory. The tie remains delicately poised heading into next Saturday’s second leg in Aberdeen, where a place in the final will be decided.
Lynx coach Jordan Leyden said, “Very pleased with the result, but there’s still work to do. I feel we could have performed better overall. While the result is what matters, there are areas of our game I’d like to see improved for the upcoming weekend.”
Scottish Cup: Edinburgh Capitals 1–4 Kirkcaldy Kestrels
Murrayfield Ice Arena played host to a tough Scottish Cup semi-final first leg as Edinburgh Capitals battled Kirkcaldy Kestrels. Defense dominated early on, with neither side breaking through until Kyle Horne struck for the Kestrels to close the first period.
Kestrels ramped up the intensity in the second, netting a power-play goal from Joe Sommerville within two minutes. Conor Duncan added another to extend their lead before Capitals’ Joe Lynch pulled one back, ending the period 3–1 in Kirkcaldy’s favour.
Despite a spirited effort from the Capitals in the final frame, they struggled to overturn the deficit. Allan Anderson sealed the victory for Kirkcaldy, leaving the Edinburgh side with a three-goal mountain to climb in February’s second leg. For now, both teams turn their attention back to SNL action.
SNL: Kilmarnock Thunder 1–8 Kirkcaldy Kestrels
The weekend’s sole league clash saw Kirkcaldy Kestrels travel west to face Kilmarnock Thunder. With their sights firmly set on climbing to third in the standings, the visitors wasted no time, opening the scoring just two and a half minutes in. George Pitcaithly doubled their lead on the power play before Finley King capped off a dominant first period.
The second period was more balanced, with both teams creating chances. Kestrels’ Harris Piotrowicz extended the lead, but Thunder’s Scott Cowan struck back less than two minutes later to give the home crowd something to cheer. However, a relentless Kestrels side held firm, leading 5–1 at the start of the third period.
The final frame was a showcase of Kirkcaldy’s offensive depth as they piled on three more goals, including a hat-trick-sealing effort from Finley King. The emphatic win sees the Kestrels leapfrog into third place in the SNL standings.
With the league heating up and Scottish Cup semi-finals in full swing, fans can look forward to more thrilling encounters in the coming weeks!
