Giants take first points of new season

Photo: William Cherry

Belfast Giants began their defense of the Challenge Cup with a 4-1 home win over Dundee Stars in front of 5,973 fans at the SSE Arena.

The opening period, in which the Giants outshot their visitors 15-7, ended goalless, but the home side's pressure told early in the second.

66 seconds into period two, Mark Cooper opened the Giants' account for the season, batting a rebound from Daniel Tedesco's shot out of mid-air and past Kevin Carr. With 33:46 played, Ara Nazarian doubled the lead off a perfect Greg Printz feed across the slot for a powerplay goal. Johnny Walker hit back for Dundee with 1:39 left in the period as he drove the net and picked up a loose puck off a Drydon Dow shot.

Ciaran Long's shot at 46:15 squeezed through Carr to put the Giants back two ahead, and that was a lead they held into the final minutes when Preston slottedi nto the empty net.