This weekend saw four intense matchups across the Scottish Cup and the SNL, showcasing teams battling for a place in the semifinals and crucial league points.
SNL: Aberdeen Lynx vs. Edinburgh Capitals
In the weekend’s only SNL game, Aberdeen Lynx welcomed Edinburgh Capitals to Linx Ice Arena. Both teams have their eyes firmly on some silverware, and the match carried high stakes as Edinburgh aimed to climb from 4th place while Lynx sought to maintain their top spot. Capitals’ Chad Smith struck first, but Mark Laing soon equalised for Lynx. Kyle Ferguson capitalised on a power play to push Lynx ahead, and the home side held a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period.
Joel Gautschi tied things up for the Capitals in the second period, and Joe Lynch followed with a goal to edge them ahead. Jordan Leyden‘s power play goal for Lynx brought the score back to level at 3-3. But it was Joe Lynch who scored again then one more in the last second completing his hat-trick to give the Capitals a 5-3 victory. The win moved Edinburgh up to 3rd in the standings, right behind Dundee Rockets, while Aberdeen Lynx remain top with 13 points.
Capitals head coach Steven Lynch commented on the win: A great win for our team. I thought we played really well; we really dug in, and five-on-five, we had the run of the play. Unfortunately, we seemed to get a lot of penalties called on us, which kept taking away some of our momentum, but it’s a big win for our club. That’s two good battles we’ve had with Aberdeen so far this season. That game was one we had to win after we dropped the last one to them in overtime a couple of weeks ago. Overall, I’m pretty happy. Now our focus shifts to our next home game against Dundee on Saturday, and we’ll start preparing for that to try and get a win against them after they beat us in Edinburgh a week ago.”
Scottish Cup Quarterfinals
Kilmarnock Thunder vs. Dundee Rockets
In a Scottish Cup double-header, Kilmarnock Thunder faced an uphill battle against a dominant Dundee Rockets team. Saturday’s first leg took place at Galleon Centre, where the Rockets launched a powerful 5-0 victory. Michael Ireland, Sean Beattie, and Lewis Neave put Rockets ahead in the first period, with netminder Harry Campbell facing 32 shots for Thunder. Thunder’s defense held up better in the second period, but the Rockets still managed two more goals, courtesy of John Dolan and Grant Reekie. The third period saw Thunder rally but neither side manage to find the back of the net and Rockets took the win 5-0.
The second leg on Sunday at Dundee Ice Arena was another tough game for Thunder. Michel Beca scored early for the Rockets, but Fraser Turner quickly leveled the score for Thunder. After a hard-fought battle, Rockets took the game with an 8-1 final score, advancing to the semifinals where they’ll face Aberdeen Lynx.
North Ayrshire Wild vs. Kirkcaldy Kestrels
North Ayrshire Wild hosted Kirkcaldy Kestrels for the first leg of their Scottish Cup quarterfinal. Both teams held their ground through the first period with no goals, but early in the second, Rocco Murray put Wild ahead on a power play. The Kestrels responded swiftly, with Scott Jamieson equalising minutes later. The third period opened with a quick goal by George Pitcaithly, followed by additional strikes from Scott Jamieson and Joshua Saunders. The Kestrels took a commanding 4-1 win, setting the stage for a decisive second leg at Fife Ice Arena next Sunday.
The Scottish ice hockey season is heating up with plenty of action to come as teams push through league battles and cup clashes.
