Elite Ice Hockey League

BRAEHEAD CLAN 1

COVENTRY BLAZE 2

TYLER Scofield's goal after nine seconds got Glasgow's Braehead Clan off to the best possible start - but ended in disappointment as the visitors won 3-1 on Saturday night.

It was a hard-fought game that saw good opportunities for the home side, but it wasn't to be as they were edged out by Blaze in the end.

Clan stunned the visitors with an opening goal after nine seconds when Tyler Scofield broke i to send his shot into the Coventry net.

Blaze drew level as Ben Lake managed to scramble the puck over the line after Ryan Dingle's shot hit the post and off Clan goalie Ryan Nie before finding its way in.

Clan went close with a chance from Ville Hämäläinen in the second period after he had been set up by Jordan Buesa.

Then Dingle forced a low save on Nie that needed the Clan goalie to plunge to the ice and cover the puck as Blaze sought a rebound.

The teams continued to cancel each other out in the third period, but it was only a matter of time before someone blinked.

Unfortunately it was Braehead who did in the final stages when Ross Venus managed to squeeze the puck under Nie for what proved to be the winning goal.

Then Marc-Olivier Vallerand killed off the home side with an empty net goal.