On-loan netminder Steve Fone had slightly mixed feelings after his weekend with the Manchester Phoenix. Saturday had seen him receive the Man of the Match award for an excellent performance in backstopping the Phoenix to a 5-2 win over the Cardiff Devils before Sunday saw the Nottingham Panthers eke out a 4-3 win in Altrincham.
The Rotherham-born 21-year old commented, "I was pleased with Saturday and the reception the Phoenix supporters gave me. They got right behind me and that certainly helped me settle down pretty quickly. I was happy with the way I played and to get the Man of the Match was a really nice surprise. Sunday was a harder game for me as the ice wasn't as good as Saturday and the puck was bobbling around a bit more. I think I probably could have done a little better on their third goal, the ice surface certainly didn't help me on that one. To be honest, I was feeling tired late in the game as playing twice in a weekend is tougher than most people can imagine. All in all, I'm pretty pleased. The players, staff and the supporters here were brilliant to me, everyone went out of their way to make me feel at home with the club."
Phoenix GM Andy Costigan added, "Steve Fone was excellent for us and we want to thank him and the Coventry Club most sincerely for helping us out in taking him on loan. He showed what a fine young goalie he is and our supporters really took to him. The reaction to him was magnificent, and even if he's in Blaze colours on his next visit here, I know he'll get a really warm welcome from our crowd."
Steve Fone received Man of the Match for Phoenix after a great performance on Saturday (Image: Coventry Blaze)