Phantoms spook the Phoenix

Sunday, 20th January 2013

Manchester Phoenix 3 - Peterborough Phantoms 4 (OT)

Phoenix scorers: Michal Psurny x 2, Richard Bentham

J Davidson sponsored Manchester Phoenix fell to the Phantoms in overtime at the Dome on Sunday night. Phoenix were without Stephen Fone; Jorge El-Hage deputising in goal.

As usual Phoenix made a bright start but fell behind after 4.43 as Jamie Line scored high past El-Hage. Phoenix continued to press hard and found a deserved equaliser on 6.38. With the referee’s hand up for an infringement by Ondrej Lauko, Joachim Flaten came out from behind the net and flung the puck on the net. It bounced out in front and Michal Psurny was on hand to stroke the puck into the net. Eight minutes later Richard Bentham netted on the powerplay to put Phoenix in front with assists going to James Neil and Tom Duggan. With 94 seconds left on the clock in the first period, Tom Duggan and Tom Norton then had a bit of a disagreement. Norton had two blatant cross checks into the back of Duggan and after seeing the referees not calling the checks, Duggan tripped Norton. Referee Ashton did see this one and immediately put his hand up. The tussle continued with a fairly decent middleweight fight with Duggan getting the better shots in, one being a sweet uppercut. The players tired and the linos moved in. Mystifyingly the call was a 2 minute slashing penalty for both players and 2 minutes roughing. The period ended with Phoenix 2-1 ahead.

Into the second and Peterborough equalised with a Joe Graham goal just after the half hour mark with Tom Carlon and James Ferrara assisting. Phoenix regained the lead less than two minutes later with Michal Psurny’s second of the night on the powerplay as Will Weldon sat out a 2 minute minor for tripping. Jeff Glowa, the Phantoms’ captain, took offence at the referee’s part in the proceedings and picked up a ten minute abuse of official penalty. The period ended with Phantoms edging it on balance of play but the home side in front 3-2.

The third was littered with penalties, most of which went against Phoenix and the home side had to defend a man short for almost 6 minutes. Unfortunately for the home fans, Peterborough equalised again on 45.48 with a goal from captain Jeff Glowa, assisted by Luke Ferrara and Maris Ziedins. There were plenty of chances for both teams to win the game but none were taken and the game went into overtime.

Peterborough skipper Jeff Glowa was sent to the box 49 seconds into the overtime period, on a hooking call, and Phoenix peppered the Phantoms’ goal for the whole period without grabbing the winner and James Ferrara broke home hearts with the winning goal on 63.10 with assists to Jeff Glowa and Joe Graham. Final score 4-3 to the visitors