Manchester Storm went to overtime for the second night in a row, this time coming out on top with a 3–2 home win over Coventry Blaze.
Coventry were looking for their first win in Altrincham this season and started strongly. Adam Robbins finished a backdoor play at 8:52 to give the visitors the lead. Storm came close to responding late in the period when a shot came off the crossbar, but the Blaze held their advantage through the first.
The second was chippy and scrappy, but both teams found the net. Manchester tied the game at 26:41 when Bradley Jenion fired a wrist shot in from the circle. Momentum was with the hosts until Coventry struck again. Matthew Gleason restored the Blaze lead at 33:43 on a three on one, holding the puck long enough to freeze Drew DeRidder before sending his shot in. It was the third shorthanded goal Storm had conceded in two nights.
After a difficult outing the previous evening, stand-in captain Kyle Locke said the group had set higher expectations for themselves. “On Friday we didn’t really have the effort there, and it was a wake-up call. Our coach challenged us and we challenged ourselves. Coventry are a good team who play a good system. We played our game tonight and came out with the win.”
Manchester levelled again 5:25 into the third period. Stephen Johnson finished off a patient powerplay move to make it 2–2. The final frame was littered with scrums and stoppages, and Coventry missed a huge chance to win the game when an extended five on three powerplay passed without reward.
Colton Saucerman reflected on missed opportunities for the visitors, saying: “It’s a tough building here to play in, Manchester are a really good team here, they start fast and come in waves, and their fans really get behind them. I thought we played well enough to win tonight, we had good enough opportunities and probably should have buried one on the five on three but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
“There’s no quit in our team. There are definitely areas in our game that we need to clean up to keep moving up the standings, and give ourselves a chance, but we never say die and we fight until the end.”
With the game tied through regulation, both teams secured a point. Just 70 seconds into overtime, Brady Gilmour sent Dante Hannoun in alone to beat Dershahn Stewart and win it for Storm.
Photo: Mark Ferris
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