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Late goal breaks Phoenix hearts

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Manchester Phoenix 3 - Swindon Wildcats 4 (Overtime)

Phoenix scorers: Michal Satek, Stanislav Gron and Richard Bentham

Phoenix brought in Richard Bentham to help out their depleted squad who were missing Robin Kovar and Gareth O’Flaherty. The match looked a mighty task when comparing Phoenix’s 14 skaters to Swindon’s  20. 

It looked ominous for the home fans when Swindon took the lead with just 2.12 on the clock. Sam Bullas was on hand to shoot past Stephen Fone after good work from Floyd Beaupre Taylor and Corey McEwan.  Phoenix were testing Stevie Lyle with breakaway chances for Stan Gron and James Archer before a goal out of the hockey coaching manual brought the equaliser after 9.15. Stan Gron broke up a Swindon attack and sent a mid-ice pass to the rushing Michal Satek. The diminutive Slovak brought the puck under control, forced a move from netminder Stevie Lyle and sent an unstoppable shot top left of the net for 1-1. Phoenix went on the power play when Carlo Finucci was given a 2 minute minor for slashing and swarmed round Stevie Lyle’s net. A break down in the middle let Jan Kostal send Jonas Hoog away down the ice and his shot beat Stephen Fone for 2-1. The period ended all square with the shot count also equal at 12 apiece.

The visitors increased their lead to 3-1 with an Aaron Nell goal on 47.37 and the crowd went very quiet. Not for long though as Phoenix pulled one back just 15 seconds later. A brilliant individual goal by Stan Gron had the crowd on their feet as the home side clawed their way back into the game. Phoenix hit Swindon with everything but the kitchen sink to try and force an equaliser. Stephen Fone was pulled for the extra skater and with just 20 seconds left in the game, Richard Bentham, on loan from Blackburn Hawks for the evening, was in the right place at the right time to force the game into overtime at 3-3.

Three on three overtime commenced with Phoenix making the first chance as Mark Thomas forced a superb save out of Stevie Lyle.  With just 2.5 seconds left in overtime Aaron Nell broke the hearts of 99% of the people in the rink with the winning goal as he powered the puck past the despairing Stephen Fone.

Coach Hand said after the game:  “Games like this are a great advert for our league and I have the utmost admiration for our guys tonight. They gave me everything and it was a bitter blow to lose it with only 3 seconds left.”