The Excel Hull Stingrays tonight completed their season series with the seventh placed Dundee Stars, beating the Scottish side 6-3 to level the series at three wins apiece.
In a tame, lifeless first period the Stars netted the games opening goal as player-coach Dan Ceman banged the puck home at Christian Bouchers' back post moments after Jereme Tendler tried and failed to beat the Stars last defenceman for yet another shorthanded attempt.
Tendler's mistake, although a costly one, would not harm the Stingrays thanks in part to their domination of the middle period as the home side took a firm grip of the game firing 22 shots on former netminder Ladislav Kurdna.
Their offensive explosion was not as fruitless as it initially appeared to be however, as Konstantin Kalmikov netted another welcome, if lucky goal, on a rasping shot that pinged off the post onto the back of Kurdna before limping across the line, much to the dismay of the Czech netminder.
The Rays then took a deserved lead 14 minutes in as Tendler made up for his earlier error by wickedly tipping a Trevor Read point shot home.
Despite heavily outshooting the Stars, the Stingrays had just a one goal lead to show for it and the visitors would take advantage of that slender lead just 1.39 into the final twenty as Peter Cartwright forced a puck home after Boucher failed to get to the puck.
Three minutes later a beautiful pass from player-assistant coach Drew Bannister after work down low by Andrew Coburn handed Tendler an almost unmissable opportunity to give his side the lead, which the Canadian duly snatched for his second of the game and 41st of the year.
Nevertheless, player-coach Ceman once again led his side to level the scores, netting on a 5-on-3 powerplay with less than seven minutes remaining.
That goal proved a late turning point in the game though as the Rays bounced back to net their fourth just over two minutes later through Jason Silverthorn, after a brilliant set up from Cloutier, before a screamer of a slapshot from just inside the blueline and then a one timer from Finn Matti Uusivirta - who put in his best outing of the year in a real 60 minute performance - sealed the win in convincing fashion for the home side.
Rays Rating
7
FBB Three Stars
1- Drew Bannister (0+1)
2- Jereme Tendler (2+1)
3- Matti Uusivirta (2+0)
