Phantoms complete historic treble

COVENTRY,U.K- The Peterborough Phantoms became the first team in the English Premier League’s history to win the league, cup and playoffs in the same season when they overcame a strong Milton Keynes Lightning team at a memorable playoff weekend. However, the impressive Phantoms were made to fight all the way. Here’s how the weekend, held at Coventry’s Skydome arena panned out.

Semi-final 1 – Peterborough Phantoms vs Slough Jets
In the first game of the weekend, League and Cup champions Phantoms faced last year’s playoff winners, the Slough Jets, in a tough matchup.
The first period was tight and defensive, with neither team wanting to give much away. The Jets looked to impose themselves physically on the game and it succeeded, as they fashioned the better of the chances. Slough Jets should have gone ahead when the evergreen Steve Moria, who was named the EPL’s player of the year before the game, escaped his defensive shackles, but could only fire into the chest of Phantoms netminder Stephen Wall. This was the best chance of a first period that ended 0-0.
The second period began at a faster pace, and three minutes in Phantoms star import and league top scorer Nathan Rempel was released one on one with Jets netminder Dean Skinns. Rempel shot high but was denied by the lightning fast glove of Skinns as he diverted it wide. It looked like this miss might prove costly, as the Jets went straight to the other end and took the lead through Carl Thompson. Scott Spearing doubled their lead 30 seconds later, making it 2-0.
Then it all went wrong for Slough Jets. Phantoms pulled a goal back on the powerplay through Latvian Maris Ziedins, before versatile Jets import Blaz Emersic was ejected for a high stick on Joe Miller that left him face down on the ice. This left the Jets short an import and facing an extended penalty kill, and they were punished in style by the slick Phantoms. Ziedins tied it up with his second of the game, a bullet into the top corner from close range, before James Hutchinson completed the comeback. After this the Phantoms always looked in control. Jets threw everything they had at them in the third, but didn’t really look like equalising, and Phantoms sealed their victory with a hat-trick goal from Ziedins with five minutes remaining, making the final score 4-2.
Semi-final 2 – Guildford Flames vs Milton Keynes Lightning
The second semi-final saw league runners-up Milton Keynes Lightning face the Guildford Flames team that finished third in the league, in a fast, hard-hitting and well matched encounter.
Both teams got stuck in from the opening face-off, and play went from end-to-end in an entertaining first period. Lightning opened the scoring when prolific British scorer Gary Clarke was sent in on a breakaway by an excellent pass from Greg Randall. Clarke finished in style, slotting the puck past Joe Watkins. It remained 1-0 until about halfway through the game, when Ollie Bronnimann fired home for the Flames to tie it up. Flames then went ahead for the first time in the match when gritty forward Nick Cross got the go-ahead goal.
The match had become a little scrappy, but the Flames continued to pressure the Lightning goal. A mixture of luck and determined defending, particularly from outstanding Lightning import Lukas Zatopek, kept them at bay. The big Czech defenseman used his size well and controlled Lightning’s back end when he was on the ice. Flames went very close to extending their lead, hitting the post, before Milton Keynes tied it up with less than three minutes to play, with a controversial goal from Joakim Wiklander. The puck appeared to be covered by Watkins, but the whistle never came, and Swedish import Wiklander managed to bundle it over the line.
After a period of overtime the game had to be decided by penalty shots. Wiklander had his shot saved by Watkins, while Foremsky’s effort for the Flames was also saved by Barry Hollyhead in nets for Lightning. Adam Carr then converted his shot to give Milton Keynes the advantage, before Vaclav Zavoral had his shot saved. Andre Smulter swooped in on Watkins with the chance to win it for Lightning, and did so, beating him through his five-hole, to set up a Milton Keynes Lightning versus Peterborough Phantoms final.
Playoff Final – Peterborough Phantoms vs Milton Keynes Lightning
The top two teams in the EPL this year faced off in an entertaining match deserving of being the showcase for second tier UK hockey.
Both teams came out at full speed, cheered loudly by the crowd who were excellent throughout. It was Milton Keynes that struck first. Clarke fired into an open net just 44 seconds into the game after an excellent pass through the crease. However Ziedins equalised with almost 14 minutes played with a very similar goal to bring Phantoms back into it. This gave the Phantoms confidence and they looked to press their advantage, and four minutes later they took the lead on the powerplay. The puck came back to Brent Gough at the point, and he sent a wristshot with pinpoint accuracy into the bottom corner.
The Phantoms then hit the Lightning with a hammer blow less than 30 seconds later, when influential young Brit Craig Peacock made it 3-1 from close range. Peacock has had an excellent season and it is surely only a matter of time before the talented youngster steps up to the Elite League.
In the second period the Lightning came out of the blocks fast again, and reduced the deficit to one in just over 30 seconds, this time through Andre Smulter on the powerplay. This didn’t last long though, with James Hutchinson restoring Phantoms two goal lead five minutes later, with a shot that trickled into the net, through a frustrated Barry Hollyhead. Phantoms were well on top by this point, keeping the Lightning to low percentage shots from the outside and looking very dangerous on the counter themselves.
After scoring inside 44 seconds in both the first and second periods, it took Lightning longer to score in the third. But not much longer. Andre Smulter scored his second to bring the Lightning to within one again after 98 seconds of the third. However, after ten minutes of fiercely contested play the Phantoms all but sealed their win, with a second goal from Craig Peacock to make it 5-3.
Lightning poured forward for the remainder of the game but were having trouble penetrating Peterborough’s solid defence, marshalled by veteran Dwayne Newman. They gave themselves hope with 50 seconds left when player-coach Nick Poole launched a speculative long range effort through a crowd of bodies that crept past Wall into the bottom corner, to set up a tense finish. But the Peterborough Phantoms held on for a well deserved win, which sets their place in the record books as the first team to complete the English Premier League treble. Contact the author at Dave.lambert@prohockeynews.com