SWINDON, UK – In the EPL Top Ten Charts this week, there were only a couple of changes as Nicky Watt jumped to the top of the Penalty-Takers Chart and Adam Calder removed Ondrej Lauko from the top of the Points Chart by Game Average.
Before week 15 ended, there was an unusual evening of hockey, not particularly for the results, but the fact three out of the four games went beyond normal time. That makes 27 games that have go down a similar route and as we are only half way through the season more than likely to beat last season’s 35.
Phoenix 3 – Bees 2 after overtime Having played home and away, the Bees have yet to beat the Phoenix but went into the game on the back of a home win against the Phantoms while the Phoenix are looking for a record fourth win on the trot.
The Phoenix are still missing Tony Hand and now Tom Duggan, but it didn’t stop them outshooting the Bees by about double the shots on goal. Despite a stronger Phoenix side, then, it was the Bees through Scott Spearing who opened the scoring just after the first break and it took ten minutes for the equaliser. The Phoenix, however, went into the second break in the lead, but lost it early in the third but it was enough to force the game into overtime where they wrapped it up thanks to Slava Koulikov.
Phantoms 3 – Bison 4 after penalty shootout Following a brief resurgence, the Phantoms have lost their last two games while the Bison have won both theirs, and the last game between these two ended with an overtime win for the Bison at home.
Ondrej Lauko started things off with a goal half way through the first period and Luke Ferrara added a second early in the middle stint. Two minutes later the Bison were on the board and ten minutes after on equal terms. Early in the final period it was the Bison who took the lead for the first time through Ollie Bronnimann although the Phantoms were soon back on an equal footing right through to the shoot-out where they nabbed a point.
Steeldogs 3 – Tigers 2 The Steeldogs have collected six points from their last four games while the Tigers have an overtime and penalty win in their last two. The Tigers won the first encounter between these two on penalties, but in the two games since, they have nary a point.
So, it was the Steeldogs who took the lead in a closely contested first period which saw a toe-to-toe shuffle demonstration between Andre Payette and Josh Bruce. The second continued along the same lines only this time it was the Tigers who scored which kept things neat until the final period. Then two goals in the first two minutes put it beyond the Tigers’ reach who could only manage one in reply from the ever-consistent Scott McKenzie.
Wildcats 1 – Lightning 2 after penalty shootout The last games for the Wildcats were a double-header against the Jets which they won one and lost one while the Lightning come from beating the Flames in Guildford. The first two games between these two ended in an away win each; with the Lightning taking the third game after a close fight by a goal.
After the blood-letting in Slough the night before, the Wildcats were a bit short either through suspension or injury but it didn’t stop them taking the lead in the first few minutes through Michal Pinc. And that’s how it stayed until into the third period having been closely fought all the way until a blue-line rocket from Lukas Zatopek sent the game into overtime where again the two couldn’t be separated so it went down to the penalty wire for the result.
Into the week and the Phantoms re-launched their Player Fund recently following the availability of Tom Carlon from the Jets. The idea first saw the light of day when a group of fans decided they didn’t want to lose Lithuanian Darius Lelenas last season when the club hit financial difficulties. This year, although the club says their financial stability is more assured, Carlon was a player not to be snubbed and his costs would have taken them over their budget, hence the re-launch. ‘Phantoms’ board member Andrew Halfhide said, The Fund was a big success last season, and it had been the club’s intention to bring it back for the start of this season. It gives fans a sense of ownership and increases their feeling of direct involvement with the team.’
Coach Watkins at the Tigers, who must now be eying the final play-off spot with concern, said, “We want to improve the team, and if that means releasing someone then we have to try it.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Sharp, the maker of his own unique destiny, seems to be fulfilling the predictions nicely as he sits out eight games for a scrapping and a stupid hit on Bees’ netminder Tom Annetts at Christmas. Eight games is a heavy bag to have to pick up, and if memory serves heavier than anything in the last couple of years at least. But Sharp is used to it having toted twenty in 2008 when he played with the EIHL Steelers, although he got away lightly last season in a discipline fiasco when he was with the Phoenix and blind-sided Andre Payette. As I have said many times, concussion can be an even heavier baggage to lug around and the sooner unexpected and unprotected hits involving the head are removed from the game the better.
Which brings things on to Saturday.
Wildcats 6 – Flames 4 The two sides have already met four times this season all of which the Flames have won, with the closest being the first game in Swindon which could have gone either way. But in fact it is almost a year to the day since the Wildcats last won against the Guildford side, so maybe it is all the boozing over the holiday and an ability to recover quicker from a hangover that inspires one and not the other.
Whatever the reason the Wildcats were minus James Knight and Jaroslav Cesky and had Dean Skinns still in goal for the injured Tom Murdy, while the Flames had fifteen outfielders to Swindon’s twelve. Not only that but the Flames put an amazing sixty-six shots on Skinns for around only half in reply, so it wasn’t that the visitors played badly, although their forth-goal equaliser five minutes from time came from a questionable hit on Skinns not that it mattered because Aaron Nell and Jonus HÖÖG still managed goals in the dying seconds.
Jets 2 – Phoenix 4 Like it said on the tin, with a full squad in the New Year the Phoenix would rise from the, um, ok, ashes. But a full squad it still isn’t, although something is still going right because having been given a 9-0 haircut last time these two met the Phoenix were a different side. By the end of the first period the visitors were 2-up and when Aaron Connolly pulled one back early in P2 Ryan Johnson returned the 2-goal gap late in the same period. Although the Jets fought hard for the comeback the Phoenix were too strong and added on the power-play with an empty net goal to give them their fifth win on the trot.
Lightning 7 – Tigers 2 The Lightning, fresh from three wins, faced a Tigers’ side with three points from their last three games, although the visitors have not won in their previous four pairings. The Tigers were also missing five players including their top scoring Joe Henry. However, things started off this time with a different flavour as the Tigers ended the first period 2-goals in the lead through Marek Hornak and a first goal for Henrik Sahlin. The second saw the Lightning draw level around the half-way mark and end the period in the lead. The final period belonged to the home side with four unanswered goals against a Tigers side that suffered from a short bench and a pace they couldn’t sustain. Which is all a bit of a shame because they had plenty to offer.
Steeldogs 2 – Phantoms 0 There hasn’t been a shut-out in the EPL since mid-December, when there were two. The Phantoms had previously beaten the Steeldogs once in their three encounters, so a close game could be expected, and close it was. Greg Wood started the ball rolling late in the first although some say the puck was kicked in, but there had been plenty of end-to-end stuff and chances both ends with both Ben Bowns and Damien King earning their crust in goal. The second period was just as close but it was ten minutes from time the Phantoms probably had their best opportunity to equalise with a penalty shot, but unfortunately Jeff Glowa couldn’t make it work and seven minutes late Lloyd Gibson sealed it for the Steeldogs.
Bison 7 – Bees 4 The Bees have been strong against the Bison with two out of three wins but it was the Bison who took the lead after ten minutes, paused for a little scuffle and some penalty sharing, and then added a second on a power-play which was replied to in kind before the first break. Things opened tight in the second, and then seven minutes of frenetic activity saw the Bees drew level – twice – but the period ended with a controversial goal for the Bison which resulted in Rob Lamey collecting ten minutes for querying things with the ref. It got worse for the Bees as the third period started with two more power-play goals for the Bison as things definitely swung their way. Joe Miller grabbed two in two minutes to complete a hat-trick, while Scott Spearing took a ten-minute break and there was some more dancing on ice, and an unlucky Carl Ambler in goal took a shot from Marcel Petran which dislodged his mask as the Bison went on to add two more in the final two minutes.
Sunday saw four games’
Tigers 5 – Phoenix 8 The Tigers actually beat the Phoenix in their first match, albeit on penalties, but beat them they did, and although losing their second game they still managed to score five goals which is something only the Jets, Lightning and Flames have managed this season. And, despite losing this third encounter, they scored five times again having held a 1-goal lead through Callum Bowley for a period. Despite an early reply in P2 the Tigers went back into the lead minutes later, but then five goals and ten minutes after that the visitors had a lead, even though the Tigers came back from 2-down in the melee. After that the Phoenix never looked back.
Bees 3 – Lightning 5 The Lightning, with three wins under their belts had previously given up three points out of four to the Bees, so the home side was always in with a chance and, in fact, started the scoring after five minutes only to lose their lead a minute later. The second period followed a similar course and the third threatened to go the same way with an early lead thanks to Martin Masa wiped out a minute later thanks to Leigh Jamieson. Then the course of events changed with Adam Carr giving the Lightning the lead for the first time, and Leigh Jamieson bagging his second with moments to spare.
Phantoms 2 – Bison 5 Everything to play for between this pair with two of their previous games going beyond regulation time and the other game won by the Phantoms in Basingstoke. Oddly, although the Bison are on a bit of a roll, it is only the Phantoms they have stumbled over recently.
And stumble they did again, at least in the first half, and it was only in the dying seconds of the second period the Bison were back on equal terms having eventually overcome the heroic effort of Damien King in the Phantoms goal. Even then, the opening of the third period was still tight until three goals from Ollie Bronnimann, Steve Moria and Viktor Kubenko in as many minutes put the lid on it, and though recently-singed Tom Carlon pulled one back Kubenko added his second giving the Phantoms their worst losing run at six games and the Bison a four streak away from home.
Steeldogs 4 – Jets 2 Perhaps oddly, the Steeldogs have yet to pick up a point from the Jets in their previous three games but have picked up points in their last six games, in fact, since losing to the Jets who have lost three of their last four games.
The Steeldogs upset the balance almost immediately with a Andy Hirst goal although the Jets equalised before the end of the period, and then either side of the half-way mark the Steeldogs again took the lead and lost it. It was into the third when the Steeldogs took the lead again, then trumped it with Janis Ozolins filling the empty net twenty seconds from time.
The league table, as a result of this weekend, has taken on a different complexion with the Lightning tantalisingly close to the Flames at the top who only played one game, so are on an equal footing as far as games-played goes. Below them, the Jets, Steeldogs and Phoenix are all on the same points and the Bison are still in it, as are the Wildcats, who are quite capable of mixing it with the top boys, if they can be more consistent. Realistically now, the final play-off place is looking to be a fight between the Bees and Phantoms.
But who knows?
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Contact Bill.Collins@prohockeynews.com
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