Manchester Storm claimed an important home win over Coventry Blaze on Saturday night, racing out to a three-goal lead in the opening period at the Storm Shelter.
Coventry began brightly, dominating possession through an early powerplay and keeping Manchester pinned in their own zone for much of the opening minutes. Despite the pressure, it was the Storm who struck first against the run of play, as Rais Francis netted his first-ever professional goal with a clean shot straight from the faceoff.
“It’s just the result of working hard over the years and everything leading to that moment,” said Francis. “I’ve grown up watching this league, and it was a really special moment for me. I’m so appreciative of the opportunity I’ve been given here in Manchester, my teammates have been unbelievable in encouraging me and helping me since I arrived.”
Fired up by the rookie’s milestone, Manchester built on their momentum and capitalised on a Blaze turnover shortly after. JD Dudek slid the puck through the legs of Dershahn Stewart to double the lead, before Brandon Cutler added a third with just over a second left in the period to send Storm into the break firmly in control.
The middle frame was more physical than clinical, with both teams throwing their weight around. Manchester’s Loren Ulett came close with a clever between-the-legs effort, while Coventry had a dangerous scramble in front of goal that they couldn’t convert. The lone goal of the period came from the league’s October Warrior of the Month, Gary Haden, who fired home to give Storm a commanding four-goal advantage heading into the final 20 minutes.
Francis continued to impress with his energy and physical play, earning Man of the Match honours in just his first EIHL season. “It was awesome,” he said. “Coach Critchlow has been working with me and the other guys a lot. It’s my first year in the league after spending a long time in North America, and this was one of those nights where it all came together. My hard work’s paying off, and I’m just trying to use that to get more minutes and keep pushing up the lineup.”
Coventry refused to go quietly, however, showing character in the closing stages. Sam Ruffin broke the shutout with 4:51 left, and just 13 seconds later Matthew Gleason converted on the powerplay to make it 4-2. The Blaze poured on the pressure in the final minutes but couldn’t force a third, and Manchester held firm to take both points.
Blaze defenseman David Clements reflected on a night of missed chances: “I thought even our first period wasn’t really a 3-0 game. We competed and had enough opportunities, but we made three small mistakes and they all ended up in the back of our net. Sometimes you get away with them, sometimes you don’t, tonight we didn’t. It’s always a tough climb back in this building, but I thought we showed a lot of heart and character in the last period to keep pushing.”
Photo: Mark Ferris
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