SWINDON, UK – In the EPL Top Tens Charts this week Slough’s Adam Calder and Flames’ David Longstaff stay at the top of the EPL and Brit Points Chart respectively, while Flames’ new signing Jozef Kohut went straight to the top on points-per-game average and Wildcats’ Aaron Nell becomes the top Brit.
In the Goal Scoring Charts Steeldogs’ Janis Ozolins and Lightning’s Leigh Jamieson still rule and in the Assist Charts it is still the Flames’ David Longstaff heading both, so no change there.
A slight change occurred in the Penalty-Takers’ Top Ten Charts with Flames’ Andrew Sharp ousted from the top of game average chart and replaced by old favourite Andre Payette. On pure minutes, though, it is still Payette and the Jets’ Ryan Watt at the top.
No change as far as D-men go with Phantoms’ Chris Allen still leading the EPL on points and Steeldogs’ Ben Morgan still the top Brit.
The EPL seems to be entering a critical period, as is often the case in the latter part of the season. Injuries, for instance, have caused havoc in certain quarters and continue to do so while now, understandably, often have a greater effect on results. The other side of that coin is returning players having an affect most notably in Manchester for the Phoenix. But whatever the reasons it all adds to the mix and unpredictability, while the EPL Cup also adds to the workload.
Steeldogs 1 – Lightning 0 (EPL Cup 1st semi-final 1st leg)
The first of the semi-final games took place mid-week when the Steeldogs hosted the Lightning who went into the match with losses to the Flames, Phoenix and Bison on their back. For the Steeldogs they had a pair of wins over the Wildcats and a shut-out of the Phantoms as their pedigree, so pressure must be seen to be on the visitors.
As it happened, you couldn’t have asked for a tighter game with the Lightning looking more like a side all ordering from the same menu than of late and not much to pick between them. Both sides tested the pipework and penalties weren’t a feature likely to scare your granny, and it was only four minutes from time Steeldogs’ Chris Sykes broke the deadlock. Yes, a shut-out it was, but a result the Lightning were probably almost contented with considering recent form. On the other hand, Coach Payette, absent through suspension but back for the rerun, must have been over the moon at his young side’s achievement.
Phantoms 2 – Flames 6
There was another game that evening, in Peterborough, where the Phantoms faced the Flames. Coach Allen said prior to the game, ‘We will be going in there and using the body like we have been doing in our recent home games, and I am sure the Flames won’t like that.’
The Phantoms had just beaten the Tigers and been shut-out by the Steeldogs, while the Flames oddly had only dropped a point to the Tigers recently.
The Phantoms have been inconsistent with their ‘body’ approach and although they kept it tight for forty minutes and were still drawing around half way, in the final period an early three-minute burst with as many goals saw the Flames put the game beyond reach, and although Ondrej Lauko pulled one back Matt Towe restored the four-goal buffer and the body approach was still in the cupboard.
Come Saturday and a record-breaking 48 goals were scored in the EPL topping the previous total by two.
Flames 7 – Phantoms 3
Of their previous meetings the Flames had won two and the Phantoms have a respectable 6-4 win so it wasn’t outside the realms of possibility the Phantoms would put up a fight despite being only three days from a loss at home to the same side. Sadly for them it was more of the same although to their credit they opened the scoring after six minutes through Ondrej Lauko and kept it to one goal for the rest of the period. But the Flames were on equal terms seconds into P2 and an exchange of goals a few minutes later was just about the end of it with the second half belonging to Guildford.
Wildcats 7 – Bison 5
The final meeting between these two and the Wildcats have nothing to show for it. They even entered the fray on the back of their worst run of losses this season while the Bison had beaten them as recently as a week before only to be shut-out by the Jets.
However, the Swindon record appeared to being going to plan as the Bison started things rolling and were ahead going into the first break. But three quick goals early in the second put the home side ahead by two goals although they managed to relinquish that advantage seconds before the end of the period. Ho, hum. Then, in the third the Wildcats strung together a spell which included a cracking second goal by Jonus Höög you would write to your mother about and the completion of Aaron Nell’s third hat-trick of the season which all makes you wonder why they can only manage it on alternate Tuesdays with an ‘r’ in the month.
Lightning 3 – Bees 2 after overtime
The Lightning and Bees have crossed swords three times so far, the first game going on penalties to the Lightning, the second to the Bees and the third also to the Lighting, but all have been close. So closeness is what is expected from this game especially as the Lightning are struggling at the moment with a late loss to the Steeldogs in the week in the EPL Cup and the Bees going in the opposite direction with five from six points recently.
And close it was with the welcome return of Carl Graham to the Bees fold and a goal apiece in the first period. The Bees then took the lead in the middle period and the Lightning only equalised with four minutes to spare after a bit of a siege of Tom Annett’s net, and then went on to pick up the win in overtime despite actually only leading the game for the first five minutes. But all was not lost because the Bees picked up a point from their EPL-leading twelfth game to go beyond the normal distance.
Jets 2 – Steeldogs 9
Yes, that is a scoreline that needs to be looked at again. Coming into this match the Jets had been doing well enough with eight points from a possible ten, but then so were the Steeldogs doing OK especially with the Cup win three days previously.
So where did nine goals come from? And the Jets at home. Well, the first goal came in under a minute from Greg Wood with two more in a minute shortly after. Aaron Connolly managed to stop the flow before the first break, but afterwards the visitors just shovelled in more goals including a third season’s hat-trick for Janis Ozolins with Ashley Calvert and Edgars Bebris also on the score sheet as the Steeldogs disappeared into the sunset.
Phoenix 9 – Tigers 1
Hard to see this one coming with the Tigers having picked up a point from the Flames and only losing by a goal to the Bees and the Phantoms by two but scoring six in the process. However, the Phoenix are a power to be reckoned with at the moment, having wins against the Lightning and Wildcats coming into this pairing.
The first goal, by Slava Koulikov, came after eight minutes and being unassisted was something of a harbinger of what was to come with Tom Duggan adding two, one short-handed, and Josh Ward bagging his first ever for the Phoenix by which time it was all over and even Jorge El-Hage was given some ice time in the net and the Manchester side increased their home-winning run to eight games.
Sunday, and after last nights upset in Slough you couldn’t help wondering what tonight might bring.
Peterborough 12 – Tigers 2
Sadly for the Tigers it was more of the same. While their record against the Phantoms is not good with just a penalty win from five games, they had increased their scoring in the process. But in this game everything was turned on its head with a record equalling fourteen goals in a game which, unfortunately, meant the biggest loss in the EPL on goal difference so far this season. Not only that the Tigers were outshot by a ratio of 2-1, and a change of netminder made no difference as Peterborough players almost queued up to get on the score sheet although it was James Ferrara who claimed a hat-trick. To be fair to Telford they did manage a respectable number of shots on goal, but simply didn’t have much in reply like they usually do and a missing Daniel Croft didn’t help in what must be their bleakest hour.
Bees 6 – Flames 5 after penalties
Although things between these two sides have become increasingly closer evolving from two easy wins for the Flames to a penalty win, being low in the table the Bees against the leaders was always going to be a concern despite some recent points. However, Bracknell’s captain Rob Lamey had in the week observed that with the return of a couple of injured players the side was, ‘how we were at the start of the season, which is actually when we had a bit more success.’
And it must have worked. The Bees took the lead after five minutes and Flames netminder Mark Lee took ten minutes for misconduct but this was after Scott Spearing picked up twelve minutes for a check from behind. Although on even terms going into the first break, a quick exchange of goals early in the middle period with Jozef Kohut adding one short-handed saw the Flames take the lead which they built on in the final stint. But the Bees were not done and replied with three goals although Rempel completed his hat-trick with seconds to spare which forced the game into overtime and penalties where the Bees picked up the two points and improved their home-winning run.
Bison 3 – Lightning 2
The Bison aren’t good at beating the Lightning having lost four times until recently when a comfortable win reversed the trend. Last night, the home side with just ten skaters and two netminders had fallen foul of the Wildcats so the Lightning having not a great deal to write home about recently must have been feeling in with a chance.
A bit of a scrappy but close first period which saw Alex Mettam take shot in the mask from Nicky Chinn but survive to tell the tale with the stint ending with a goal apiece. Things were upset going into the half-way stage with goals by Chris Wiggins and Kurt Reynolds and while Michael Wales pulled one back to keep things tight it was not tight enough to overcome some wise defensive play from a tiring home side.
Steeldogs 2 – Phoenix 1 after overtime
These two sides are fairly even matched with both having achieved an away win, a game with shared points, and the last game a win for the Phoenix at home. So while a prediction might not be a move you would want to put your mortgage on, with both teams doing well currently what is certain is it wouldn’t be a lazy affair.
And a lazy affair, it wasn’t. The Steeldogs came out with guns blazing but it was a Ben Wood penalty shot to the Phoenix that separated the sides going into the first break. The second period saw the Phoenix move up a gear and could well have increased their lead had it not been for Ben Bowns in the Sheffield net and Janis Ozolins equalising as things got scrappy. The third continued lumpy and ended on an equal footing but in the overtime period, sink my putt and call me Arnie, it was Ben Morgan that put a dent in the Phoenix run and gave the Steeldogs a record eight-game home winning run.
The league table continues to be an interesting place to be as the Steeldogs move into third spot with a game in hand, and the Jets to face the Wildcats in the coming week with both needing a win; Slough, who recently appointed Jets’ founder Gary Stefan, who retired in 1999 to the position of consultant, will be wanting to recover from their Saturday disaster while the Wildcats will be looking to extricate themselves from the jaws of the Bees. The Flames also face the Bison in the week while the second leg of the EPL Cup semi-final between the Steeldogs and Lightning takes place in Milton Keynes. So lots to still play for.
For more EPL facts and figures, stats news and more take a look at www.iceman-epl.com
Contact Bill.Collins@prohockeynews.com
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