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Phoenix leave it late to sting the Bees

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Manchester Phoenix 5 - Bracknell Bees 4 

Phoenix Scorers:  Robin Kovar x 2, Bobby Chamberlain, Adam Walker and Frantisek Bakrlik 

J Davidson sponsored “Men of Iron” Manchester Phoenix scored late in the third period to defeat a plucky Bees side. 

The first period was nip and tuck as both sets of forwards saw a lot of the puck. The home crowd were stunned into silence on10.53 as Bees swept into the lead. The goal itself took an age to nestle in the back of the Bees’ net. Promising youngster Ivan Ivanov scored with an assist going to Lukas Smital. Phoenix continued to have the majority of play and were rewarded on 16.45 with the equaliser. Frankie Bakrlik passed the puck to the left end of the Bees zone to Robin Kovar and the big forward shot the puck goalwards. Bobby Chamberlain was the first to react and turned the puck into the net off a Bees defender’s skate. The period ended with Bees’ netminder Alex Mettam pulling of a couple of fine saves to deny Phoenix. 

Phoenix took the lead after just 15 seconds of the second period start when Robin Kovar scored, assisted by Frankie Bakrlik and Bobby Chamberlain. Less than two minutes later it was 3-1 as Adam Walker netted from in front of the crease with assists going to Ben Wood and Shaun Thompson. Just over a minute after this, Bees hit back as Matt Towalski scored on a delayed penalty with an assist going to Pavel Strycek.

The home side upped their game and camped in the Bracknell zone . However, it was the Berkshire side that stunned the noisy home crowd with two goals on 37.39 and 37.52. 

Firstly, Radek Hubace scored with ease.  That goal was timed at 37.39 and a fourth for the Bees followed 13 seconds later when veteran Lukas Smital hit what he thought might be the winner in the tie. Assists on this goal went to Ivan Antonov and Matt Foord. 

Into the third period and once again Phoenix took the game to the Bees right from the start and were rewarded on 46.34 when Robin Kovar  hit the puck home, this time ably assisted by Frankie Bakrlik and Tony Hand.  Bracknell hit penalty trouble soon after this when Scott Spearing was given a 2 plus 10 for a nasty check from behind on Adam Walker. He then compounded his felony by arguing with the referee, resulting in a second 10 minute penalty and automatic ejection from the game. 

Player coach Lukas Smital was next to take an enforced 10 minute break as he, too, remonstrated with referee Matthews over an offside call. Jan Bendik was sent to the penalty box on 56.38 on a hooking call and the Phoenix powerplay unit took full advantage with the winning goal. Tony Hand and Robin Kovar combined to find Frankie Bakrlik just inside the blue line and a trademark blast of the puck found its way past the excellent Alex Mettam to give Phoenix a 5-4 lead. Bendik was still seething at the hooking call on himself that he had a few choice words for the referee, resulting in him also sitting out 10 minutes. 

Overall, a hard worked victory for Phoenix over a spirited Bees side whose youngsters all played their part in almost snatching a point from the game. 

Coach Hand said after the contest: “Although we dominated long periods of the game, Bracknell never gave up and they have the makings of a good side. We struggled with a short bench after Joe Graham was ruled out but created plenty of chances and put enough away to win the game.”