Game Night Report: Manchester Phoenix

Peterborough Phantoms 5 Manchester Phoenix 4

Phantoms fans got their money’s worth on Saturday evening as Tony Hand’s Manchester Phoenix rolled into town for the first home game in Bretton for a couple of weeks, and just like last Saturday it was heart-in-the-mouth stuff.

Last weekend the Phantoms snatched a late, late win in Milton Keynes, with James Ferrara scoring the winning goal after a 3-0 lead had slipped away, and here we were again, a 3-0 first period lead cancelled out at the end of the second, and momentum certainly swinging in the visitors favour, and Captain Ferrara scoring the winning goal in a 5-4 victory.

The first period started at pace, with the Phantoms giving as good a showing as we’ve seen, despite missing Koulikov on the ice, and top Brit Luke Ferrara. Lack and Chamberlain dropped the gloves after less than three minutes, after the Manchester player appeared to hold #92’s stick, with the Peterborough man shading it, much to the home crowd’s approval. It wouldn’t be the last time that the Lack would get the crowd off their feet.

The top line of Bebris, Baranyk and Ferrara (J) tormented the Phoenix throughout the opening frame, with Bebris scoring an absolute beauty after smart passing from his line-mates after 7 22, and Milan Baranyk slotting past Declan Ryan for a 2-0 lead after little more than twelve minutes. Manchester have had a slower start to their league season that many would’ve expected, and the Phantoms looked to be repeating their recent win in Altrincham when they went further ahead through veteran Marc Levers.

If the first period was completely dominated by the Phantoms, the second saw the pendulum swing in the Phoenix favour. Frankie Bakrlik, so often a thorn in Phantoms’ side when the teams meet, and hat-trick scorer in this game scored a rocket from the high slot to make the score 3-1 after 3 23 of the period, and added a second three minutes later. Whatever Hand had said to his team in the interval had obviously worked wonders.

The Phoenix drew level in bizarre circumstances. Phoenix forward Michael Psurny was called for a delayed tripping penalty; Phantoms held on to the puck in the offensive zone and pulled Auzins for the extra skater, leaving an unguarded net. A ‘once in 25 years’ (according to Coach Koulikov) equaliser saw Levers swipe at the puck in an attempt to retain possession and maintain the powerplay pressure, but the puck shot out down the ice, and into the gaping Phantoms’ cage.

Cue lots of confusion (and stunned silence amongst the home support) following a restart at an offensive face-off dot rather than the centre circle, but all above board; Psurny credited with the tally as the last Phoenix player to touch the puck.

The second period finished as the first had started; a boarding on Will Weldon saw Lack launch himself at Burlin, with both getting 2+2 for roughing. Despite the considerable height difference Lack landed a couple of punches whilst the bigger man held him at bay. Honours even, or slightly shaded by Burlin on this occasion.

At 3-3 at the start of the final period and with the Phoenix surely full of optimism, Phantoms’ supporters could’ve been forgiven for fearing the worst. Nevertheless, by the halfway point the home side were 5-3 up, through a Tom Norton tracer at the end of an excellent powerplay, and a scruffy James Ferrara goal that ended up being the match winner.

The Phoenix did pull one back, Bakrlik’s third, with two minutes left, and pulled Ryan for the extra skater, with 47 seconds left. Thankfully for the Phantoms, the team saw the game out for two valuable points.

MoM: Baranyk and Bakrlik (Phoenix)

Alongside Bradley Moore we saw Mason Webster step up from the Haringey Racers and 16 year old Martins Susters, a former Peterborough junior most latterly icing in Sheffield, with all three performing well for a Phantoms side short of key players.

There’s not much time to draw breath; Basingstoke visit Peterborough on Sunday.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at  ‏@phil_smith66  and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

 

30^th November 2014

Game Night Report: Telford Tigers

Telford Tigers 7 Peterborough Phantoms 4

The Phantoms rolled into the Tiger’s den on Sunday evening after a fantastic 4-3 road win in their first visit to the refurbished rink in Milton Keynes that offered no small amount of excitement as James Ferrara snatched the winning goal with just 28 seconds left to play. The Phantoms had raced to a 3-0 lead, only to see their advantage wiped out by the home side in the third period. Credit to the lads for bringing home the points – these MK games have been tough this year, as we would expect, but it’s pleasing to see the Phantoms take the honours in something other than an Ashes challenge game.

The game in Telford ended a gruelling run of games away from Peterborough; Phantoms fans could be forgiven for forgetting what their team looked like as there has just been one home tie in the last three weekends. Not great scheduling – lots of travel is one thing, but stacking up two home fixtures over a weekend is another, especially as Christmas looms.

Telford’s rink is also pretty new, with a relatively small ice pad and seating on one side of the arena only.   As to be expected, as always pleasing to see, the match night staff were excellent in sorting out this late arrival following lots of traffic issues en route. Sunday’s crowd was healthy (though quieter than a regular Phantoms’ home crowd), with the Tigers’ bandwagon gathering pace, coming into the game, as they did, with only two regulation time defeats.

Barring an unprecedented collapse, the Tigers are going to win the league. Their roster (as has been discussed previously) is strong and deep. Seasoned EPIHL players like Joe Miller, Scott McKenzie and Rick Plant line up with Elite Leaguers including Birbraer, Weaver, Zajac and Silverthorn. Though the Phantoms came into the game in second place in the league, and are on a really good run of form, it was clear that it would take something pretty special to beat the Tigers.

The first period was a cagey affair, Alan Lack giving the visitors the lead before Joe Miller equalised in a tight twenty minutes which saw a solitary penalty.

If the first period was characterised by two sides testing each other out, the rest of the game saw plenty of action for at both ends of the ice. The Tigers started the second period with plenty of intensity, Janis Auzins manfully keeping the scores even by denying Miller twice before Max Birbraer swept in a go ahead goal on the edge of the crease following a pin point pass from Plant after 8 minutes of the period. Penalties started to rack up; first Lack for slashing, followed by Auzins for the same offence.   Janis made a great glove save on the penalty kill, but on 16 08 of the period Miller rattled in his second of the evening, beating Auzins at the near post.

The game looked like it was slipping away from the Phantoms when the Tigers scored again on 18 07 through Silverthorn shortly after Marc Levers had been called for boarding; in truth a reasonable call, though it appeared that Levers himself had been the victim on the boards moments earlier.

At 4-1 down near the end of the second, we could’ve seen a real beating, but of course we know that the Phantoms have shown real character this year. Diaries Pliskauskas kept the Phantoms in touch with a late period goal, picking up his own rebound after his trade mark toe-drag had drawn Murdy.

On to the third, and again, the Tigers came out fighting, and whilst looking hugely impressive going forward, they did seem vulnerable at the back, the Phantoms working Murdy and drawing within one goal with another Pliskauskas strike after barely three minutes of the final frame. At 4-3 the game was in the balance, the Phantoms having given a good account of themselves. However, the Tigers extended their lead to 5-3 with yet another power play goal, this time McKenzie scrambling home through a crowd scene after Szabo was adjudged to have been high sticked by James Ferrara. Well done (through gritted teeth) to #77 for his 500^th EPIHL point.

The game looked all but over exactly halfway through the period, Silverthorn scoring for a 6-3 lead. Despite an Eddie Bebris strike that like Pliskauskas’ second seemed to go straight through Murdy, the Phantoms weren’t to score again.

Sometimes things just don’t go your way. At 6-4 down, and with 2 42 left to play, Coach Koulikov (coaching from the bench due to a hand injury) pulled Auzins on a Phantoms penalty, and with the 6-on-4 advantage they hit the crossbar. The chance was gone, the Tigers smuggled the puck away and Peter Szabo scored the empty net goal for a 7-4 finish.

No shame in defeat here. The Tigers will win more comprehensively against many sides this season, and on a couple of occasions late in the game the Phantoms had the league leaders rattled. At this stage of the season a two point over the weekend is a must, and in the context of league placings, the win against MK was more valuable than a win against the Tigers would’ve been.

MoM: Robson (Phantoms) and Silverthorn (Tigers)

I’ve discussed competitiveness before, and it’s a theme that I’ll return to I’m sure. Whilst not begrudging Telford their domination this year, the rest of us are fighting for play off places, even at this early stage of the season. Other teams can catch the Phantoms, but put simply every team can’t win all of their games in hand. Realistically, the Phantoms may well be a fourth placed side, with two really big home games coming up next weekend, both at home, against Manchester and Basingstoke.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at  ‏@phil_smith66  and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

24^th November 2014

Game Night Report: Guildford Flames

Peterborough Phantoms 5 Guildford Flames 4

Having watched all manner of sports in any number of countries, I can only remember leaving a fixture before the end on three occasions.

The first I recall was on 20^th September 2003, in Wolverhampton Wanderers inaugural Premier League season, and an occasion when they were trounced 5-0 at Molineux by Claudio Ranieri’s Chelsea. Hernan Crespo’s debut, if memory serves. On the day my sister in law got married. Never fear! An early kick off and a quick getaway ensure my attendance at the wedding, with reputation (relatively) intact.

The Limassol derby. Passionate stuff, you know.

The second occasion, when taking a party of school children to a football match in Cyprus in April 2004, between two Limassol rivals, Apollon FC and AEL, when our guide thought it better we left early to avoid trouble after a feisty encounter that saw a fan rush onto the pitch and set light to the home team’s flag pre kick off. All concerned thought a quick exit would be the order of the day, and no argument from me on that one.

The final sporting time I recall leaving a game early was the NFL matchup between the New England Patriots and the St Louis Rams at Wembley in 2012; a 45-7 blowout and Tom Brady master class that sent fans rushing to the underground before the final whistle to ensure a seat on the early train home.

So there, that’s the context. However bad my team has been, and boy have I seen some rubbish, I’ve never been one for leaving early.

Nevertheless, on Saturday evening I was double booked, going to see a band (Old School Reasons) in Hitchin, estimated stage time, 10:30pm. So what to do? Miss the game against Guildford completely? Watch the game (I have got a season ticket, after all), and run the risk of missing the band’s last ever show?

So at 8:55pm, after watching the first two periods of hockey, yours truly and Mr Brightley, Chairman of the Phantoms’ supporters club, reluctantly said our farewells, and high tailed it down the A1, through the fog, arriving just in time to catch the pop-punk shenanigans on offer.

Not unlike the old Ceefax updates that came slowly rolling in, my phone started buzzing a little after 9:00pm with the update – thanks must go out to Scott (SG) and Clive (CL) for the texts that went something like …

21:09     (SG) Goal phantoms Slava scored assisted by both Edgars

(PS) Awesome. Keep em coming.

(SG) Goal phantoms Darius assisted by Norton

(SG) It was a beauty

(PS) Are you telling the truth?

(SG) Yes

21:11     (CL) 4 mins into third now 5:2

(PS) Excellent! Keep em coming

21:15     (CL) Flames run goalie 5:3

(CL) Goal from face off 5:4

21:18     (PS) How long left?

(CL) 12 mins

(CL) Getting feisty

(CL) Phantoms PP no goal

(CL) Guildford on PP

(PS) No!

(CL) Full strength

(PS) Come on

(CL) Guildford on PP

(CL) 5 mins left

(PS) Bloody tense in this car

(CL) It’s not good here either

(CL) Full strength

(CL) 3 mins

(PS) Come on

(CL) 2 mins

(CL) 1 min

(CL) Netty gone

(CL) 40 secs

(CL) All crowd on feet

(CL) 20 secs

(CL) Phantoms win 5:4

(SG) Finished 5-4 Auzins just missed an empty net goal.

So there you have it – we didn’t see the final period, and it was pretty tense following the texts and the internet as the clock wound down. At least we weren’t going to be accused of jinxing the game, leaving when the team were ahead 3-2 at the end of the second period, and I’m not going to buy the idea we should leave after 40 minutes every week either.

The result was huge for the Phantoms, with Guildford having edged into third place in the league by winning at The Spectrum last Sunday, and with our team still having played more league games than any other side, points are of paramount importance.

The first period goes down as the best 20 minutes we’ve seen from the Phantoms this season as they dominated a Guildford side full of experience. The home side got off to a flyer, with Marc Levers scoring as he fell to the ice after 24 seconds in a period that saw a succession of Phantoms powerplays, as Guildford stuttered in the face a powerful Peterborough performance. Defensively the Phantoms looked composed, passing was crisp, and the forward lines laid siege on the Guildford net, the Flames having Rockman to thank for keeping the score down to 2-0, with Luke Ferrara adding a second with four minutes of the period left.

If the Phantoms dominated the first, the Flames fought back in the second, shading the period 2-1. Campbell scored 21 seconds before the buzzer to make it 3-2, following the Flames first, a Savage strike from the slot which had made the score 2-1, and a Tom Norton goal that had restored the Phantoms two goal margin, sweeping in on the doorstep on a powerplay.

The third period? Well you’ve read about that already.

This was a much needed win that pushed the Phantoms back into third place in advance of the game in Bracknell against the quickly improving Bees on Sunday. The Flames started slowly, but looked sharp throughout the second period, penning the Phantoms into their own defensive zone on several occasions. Credit should be given to the Phantoms, however, for a terrific team performance that emphasises this team’s credentials.

Nevertheless, the win came at a cost, with injuries to Hutchinson, Lack and Koulikov. Hopefully they’ll be back on the ice soon.

The band? They were pretty good too.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at  ‏@phil_smith66  and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

17^th November 2014

Game Night Report: Sheffield Steeldogs

Sheffield Steeldogs 2 Peterborough Phantoms 3 (PSO)

Shoot out hero – Janis Auzins (Photo – Paul Young)

It’s funny how expectations change. The manner of last week’s defeat to Milton Keynes had left something of a bitter taste in the mouth; Coach Koulikov had expressed his dissatisfaction in the team failing to hold on to a lead in a feisty game that lived up to the derby billing that preceded it.

The week before, the Phantoms had been beaten by some margin in Sheffield, when the Steeldogs asserted themselves on a team struggling with injuries and suspect officiating. I’d said at the time that when the game was even strength, the Phantoms gave the ‘Dogs a run for the money, and so it turned out again on Saturday when the Phantoms rolled into IceSheffield once again.

The Steeldogs were missing player coach Andre Payette due to a family bereavement; our thoughts should be with Andre at this difficult time for his family. Some things transcend sport, wherever your loyalties lie.

Without the ringmaster, the Steeldogs’ show took on a different hue, despite the calls to arms and welcome that Phantoms’ netminder, Janis Auzins was anticipating. Now I don’t know if the Steeldogs’ fans also follow the Steelers, who were in Nottingham on Saturday, or whether the allure of ‘Disney on ice’ at the Motorpoint arena was a big draw, but the crowd seemed smaller and less vocal that it has been in the past – but anyone who missed this game missed a cracker that ultimately went down to the wire and a penalty shoot-out.

After an impeccably observed minutes’ silence to recognise both Remembrance Sunday and the tragic passing of a young French supporter, Hugo Vermeersch, killed after being hit by a puck at a game between Dunkirk and Reims, the game got off to a fiery start. The first penalty was called after a mere 13 seconds, and both sides were close to opening the scoring; Korhon hitting the post on a short-handed breakout for Sheffield, and Luke Ferrara contriving to miss when it looked easier to score at the other end.

Despite going on the powerplay three times in the opening twenty minutes, there was no way through the Steeldogs’ rearguard. In truth, the home side looked more threatening throughout, and rarely looked disadvantaged, even when skating a man down. After 17 minutes 43 seconds of the period, Sheffield youngster Cameron Brownley was adjudged to have slashed Auzins, and subsequently received a 5+game penalty which spanned the opening two periods. It wouldn’t be the first, or last time that Auzins would be face down on the ice, though those following the Sheffield side were not slow to suggest that the Latvian was going down too easily.

Experienced forward Jeff Legue led the Steeldogs’ admirably, constantly challenging the Phantoms’ defence as part of a fast moving, sharp passing forward line; having seen Legue three times against the Phantoms this year I’d suggest he has been one of the real standout Elite Leaguers joining the EPIHL this year, though Auzins thwarted him after coughing the puck up to the Canadian late in the frame.

As Brownley’s five minute major (and the Phantoms’ third powerplay) expired, Milan Baranyk scored a beauty, one of those slow-motion goals where everyone admires the terrific stick handling as he worked the puck and slotted passed Sedlar. At this stage of the game, and in the opening ten minutes of the second period the game was far too open; exciting for the fans, no doubt, but with both defences allowing shots another goal wasn’t going to be far away. Baranyk showed great hands again, only to be frustrated by the post, and Lloyd Gibson got the luck of the draw when his shot pinged off the ironwork and into the net for a leveller with seven minutes to go until the second buzzer.

If the Phantoms powerplay was misfiring, the penalty kill should be given due praise. Either side of a calm-as-you-like Milan Baranyk goal three minutes into the final period the Phantoms were facing 5-on-3 Steeldogs’ powerplays but stood firm. The road win was looming, but pressure building.

With 1 minute 41 second left the ‘Dogs thought they’d snatched an equaliser – following a melee in the crease the lamp behind the goal lit up, only for Hogarth to indicate no score. The Steeldogs’ pressure finally paid off, however, Legue scoring a boomer through traffic after Sedlar had been pulled and Sheffield benefitting from a 6-on-4 advantage, with a mere 36 seconds left.

The home fans had woken up; momentum was with them, and it increased when the Phantoms were called for a bench penalty (too many imports) in overtime. The mood was definitely swinging in the Steeldogs’ favour. Praise again to the resolute Phantoms, who held out for the penalty shoot-out.

As has been documented previously, the Phantoms haven’t had the best record in shoot-outs in recent years. The tide turned on Saturday, with Milan Baranyk and Darius Pliskauskas moving Sedlar and hitting the net, and Auzins foiling Squires and Legue to secure the additional point. The large band of travelling supporters raised the roof in seeing the team grab the points in such dramatic circumstances, gaining the away win, and silencing the Steeldogs to boot.

This was a hard fought and hugely entertaining game between two sides who couldn’t close the game out. In the end, Phantoms had 26 shots on goal compared to the Steeldogs’ 43; thank goodness that Auzins stood tall, and that Baranyk and Pliskauskas did their bit at the other end. The game could have easily have gone the other way, but on this occasion didn’t. Let’s take the two points and move on!

There was less of the physical stuff from the Steeldogs, possibly due to their coach being absent, and yet again the ‘Dogs proved what a dangerous side they can be.  On another evening they would have taken the win with this performance.

A final word on the officials. In recent weeks the stripeys have had some stick from some quarters. I thought Hogarth gave just about the best performance I’ve seen this year – firm, fair on both sides, and not wanting to draw attention to himself. I didn’t necessarily agree with all of the calls, most notably the late penalty on Marc Levers for a check to the head, but from his position, he must’ve seen enough in it for the call (a view echoed by Levers himself).

Oh one other thing. Did Janis have the perfect response to the fans who were giving him stick throughout the evening?

MoM: Luke Ferrara (Phantoms) & Tom Squires (Steeldogs)

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.

Find me on Twitter at  ‏@phil_smith66  and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

10^th November 2014

Game Night Report: Milton Keynes Lightning

Peterborough Phantoms 5 MK Lightning 6

Coming off the back of a tremendous victory in Manchester on Thursday night, the Phantoms were looking to pick up another two points against fierce rivals Milton Keynes on Sunday evening to put further distance between themselves and the teams in the lower half of the league.

In the end we saw possibly, no, I’ll say definitely, the most frustrating game of the season to date, with the Lightning prevailing in a game that they took an early hold on, only to be overtaken on two occasions before ultimately regaining the lead again with little less than 14 minutes on the clock. With five minutes to go the Phantoms tied things up again, but with the motif of the night being that the Phantoms were conceding almost immediately after scoring themselves, the game was eventually settled by a Milan Kostourek goal, much to the disappointment of the home fans.

From the Phantoms’ perspective, the first period started with some real intensity, passes being snapped around the ice with accuracy and a sense of real attacking purpose. Shame then, that MK rattled up two goals in as many minutes just before the midway period; the first from Horava, and the second from ex-Phantom Lewis Hook, with one of his trade mark bursts of speed, leaving the Phantoms’ defence standing as he surged through the offensive zone to score on Auzins. We’d have loved a Phantom to have scored a goal of such quality, though from a defensive perspective we would normally have expected that kind of move to be broken up.

The Phantoms performed a great comeback in Coventry against the Lightning earlier in the season, and by the ¾ point of the period they were level, through Luke Ferrara and Darius Pliskauskas, a deserved 5-point man of the match.

Followers of the game will know that Chris Wiggins has recently returned to MK from Bracknell. Wiggins has a reputation as a brawler, and lived up to his billing with two minutes of the period left. Tom Norton and Grant McPherson appeared to square up by the Phantoms’ bench, Wiggins waded in over the top of a group of players, fists flying. A match penalty was administered after a long delay, alongside roughing minors for Norton and McPherson, a holding call on Buckman, and a 10 minute misconduct on the Lightning’s #13, Phillips, who like Wiggins appeared to join the fight from outside the scrum.

In many senses, the game had been building up to this flashpoint; with so many players involved, small wonder there wasn’t a repeat of the opening day bench clearance. Before the end of the first period Phantoms’ Latvian defenceman Edgars Apelis was called for a 2+10 for a check to the head that felt harsh from the main stand, and after the first buzzer there was still time for the MK bench to draw an abuse of an official penalty. Fiery stuff, as should be expected in a derby.

The second period started with the teams at even strength at 3-on-3, which swiftly turned to a Phantoms 5-on-3 powerplay, where we saw a rare strike from veteran d man James Hutchinson, sweeping in on the doorstep to give the Phantoms the lead for the first time in the game from a Koulikov pass. With just over two minutes of the period left, and after significant Phantoms pressure that couldn’t extend the lead, the visitors tied the game up at 4-4, Kostourek notching his first of the night.

If the second period had been somewhat quieter than the tempestuous and at times frenetic opening frame, the third period had a crazy opening, with Pliskauskas putting the Phantoms ahead, only for Adam Carr to level just 42 seconds later. For the first time in the game the intensity dropped somewhat as things became scrappier; with 6 minutes of the period gone, Ben Russell fired from the blue line and saw the strike find its way just inside the post. MK ahead again.

In the moments that followed the Phantoms had chance to level, but found Wall in the MK net resolute, until Pliskauskas again levelled the scores with five minutes to go. Momentum was with the Phantoms having battled back, but 30 seconds later Kostourek scored his second and MK’s sixth, to take the points.

MoM: Pliskauskas (Phantoms – a hat-trick and two assists) and Russell (Lightning)

This game was so frustrating and the result a real disappointment. Having fought their way back into the game at both 2-0 and at 5-4 down, the tide was with the Phantoms; having gone ahead twice at 3-2 and 4-3 the game felt like it was there for the taking. Credit to the Lightning; they worked hard whilst being short benched, and showed desire in the last period, when the Phantoms could well have killed the game. Well played too, to Lewis Hook, who played like he had a point to prove up against his previous team. Ultimately, the puck was turned over too many times in dangerous areas, and MK exploited the frailties in the Phantoms back line.

Very much two points dropped; going into this round of games we might have anticipated a defeat in Manchester and a home win – the two points were posted, but not in the manner expected, and in truth the Phantoms will need to heed Koulikov’s words in the aftermath of the game in terms of defensive solidity as next week sees two away ties, in Sheffield and Guildford.

The Peterborough Phantoms can be found online at http://www.gophantoms.co.uk/

You can also follow the club on Twitter at @GoPhantoms 

If you have any comments or observations I’d love to hear from you.  Find me on Twitter at  ‏@phil_smith66  and follow for regular Phantoms updates.

3^rd November 2014