It was a weekend that delivered two overtime winners, a statement result in Fife, a doubleheader for the Capitals, and the first team confirmed for the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
SNL – League Action
Kirkcaldy Kestrels delivered the weekend’s headline result, handing Edinburgh Capitals their first league defeat of the season with a 3–2 overtime win in Fife. Edinburgh built a fast 2–0 lead through Chad Smith and captain Joel Gautschi, but the Kestrels stayed in the fight, held firm through a scoreless second period, and capitalised on a late power play as Scott Jamieson forced overtime before striking the winner just 28 seconds into the extra frame.
Edinburgh Capitals returned to home ice on Sunday and produced a strong rebound performance, defeating North Ayrshire Wild 12–1. Wild, operating with a shorter bench, competed well in spells and created their own phases of pressure, but the Capitals maintained control across all three periods.
North Ayrshire had enjoyed success the previous evening, claiming an 8–5 win over Solway Sharks SNL — their first victory over Solway this season and a result that brings the two sides level on points. After a close opening period, Wild added goals steadily in the second and third while Solway continued to respond, keeping the contest open. Both netminders faced sustained pressure in an open, high-scoring matchup.
The weekend’s other league fixture also went to overtime, with Whitley Warriors earning a 4–3 win against Paisley Pirates. Level at 1–1 after the first period, Whitley moved ahead through goals from Harry Harley and Cameron Ware before Paisley tied the game through Craig Peacock and Ryan Parkin early in the third. With overtime seconds from expiring, Ware struck again with just two seconds remaining to secure the extra point.
Scottish Cup
Aberdeen Lynx became the first side to reach the semi-finals after completing a 20–5 aggregate win over Kilmarnock Thunder. Already holding a 10–4 advantage from the first leg, Aberdeen — short-benched due to several U19 players being unavailable — faced a Thunder side who were also operating with limited numbers. Euan Hanton opened with his first senior goal before Thunder equalised through Ross Chalmers, but the Lynx pushed clear through contributions from Mark Laing, Jordan Leyden, Iain Malcolm, Callum Hill, Conor Duncan and others. Thunder netminder Matthew Reid faced heavy traffic throughout on a demanding night for both short-benched sides. Aberdeen will face the winner of Whitley vs Paisley in the semi-finals.
The other quarter-final tie began on Sunday, with Whitley returning to home ice less than 24 hours after their tight overtime league game win against Paisley. The Warriors carried that momentum into the Cup, opening the first leg with a 4–1 victory over the Pirates. Cameron Ware struck early to give Whitley the lead, and although the sides exchanged one goal each in the second period, the Warriors took control in the third, adding two further goals to establish a three-goal cushion. They will take a 4–1 advantage into the return leg on 14 December, with a semi-final place — and a meeting with Aberdeen — at stake.
