Perfect 4 point weekend for Phoenix

Sunday, 24th February 2013

Manchester Phoenix 6 - Swindon Wildcats 3

Phoenix scorers: Joachim Flaten x 2, Michal Psurny x 2, Tony Hand and James Neil.

J Davidson sponsored Manchester Phoenix made it 4 points out of 4 for the weekend with a second successive six goal performance.

Once again Phoenix came out hard and fast and put tremendous pressure on Tom Murdy in the Swindon goal. The period saw constant pressure on the Swindon goal and the only surprise was that it took until 15.20 to take the lead. Joachim Flaten turned off the boards and found Tony Hand who blitzed the shot past Murdy before he could move. This was the only goal of the period but Phoenix totally dominated and outshot their opponents 19-3. However Swindon had their chances, the last of them coming in the last seconds of the period with Andrew Jaszczyk, making his home debut for Phoenix, bringing off a superb save from Aaron Nell.

Wildcats hit penalty trouble early in the second period and after penalties to Nell, Ryan Aldridge and Matias Perkkio, Phoenix eventually took advantage with goal number 2, scored on the power play. Luke Boothroyd found Hand who in turn fed Michal Psurny behind the net and after a cool step inside, fired the puck through Murdy’s pads for 2-0. Swindon pulled a goal back within 30 seconds as Paul Swindlehurst stuffed the puck past an unsighted Jaszczyk for 2-1. Phoenix hit back almost immediately with a goal from defender James Neil.
With 6 minutes left in the period Swindon hit back once again to make it a one goal game. Ben Wood had just sat down in the penalty box on an interference call when Aaron Nell scored, assisted by Ryan Aldridge and Matias Perkkio. There was no further scoring and, despite outshooting their opponents 34-12 after two periods, Phoenix had only a one goal lead to take into the second break.

Swindon silenced the noisy home fans with another power play goal. Robert Schnabel was sitting out an interference call when Perkkio roofed an effort past the Phoenix netminder. The home side stepped up a gear and three goals in the last 10 minutes gave them a comfortable 6-3 win. Joachim Flaten made it 4-3 Phoenix on 52.18 when Hand found him and he lifted the puck high on the glove side of the flailing Murdy. The visiting netminder made two superb saves just after this but was well beaten on 55.36 when Flaten scored his second of the evening with a slap shot from the slot, low past Murdy. The icing was put on the cake with just under 2 minutes left. Swindon pulled their netminder for the extra out-skater. Phoenix took control of the puck in their own zone and Schnabel sent Flaten down the boards. He worked his way past the nearest defender and sent the puck cross ice for the rushing Michal Psurny to score his second of the night to complete the scoring at 6-3 to Phoenix.

Coach Tony Hand was obviously very pleased with the result and commented: “Great 4 point weekend for us. Swindon are a tricky side and are always capable of scoring goals as we saw tonight. However we stayed focussed and got away from them in the latter stages and I thought we deserved the win.”