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Buzzer report: Swindon Wildcats 4 Manchester Phoenix 3
Swindon Wildcats successfully secured their second maximum points weekend of the season, after defeating Manchester Phoenix in dramatic fashion following over-time at the Deeside Arena.
Following their Saturday evening victory over Hull Pirates, Wildcats embarked upon Deeside in hope of obtaining their second maximum points weekend of the campaign.
The players took to the ice in slightly different fashion, standing on their respective blue lines in silence for the national anthem of France, to pay respect for the tragedies in Paris on Friday.
The first period began at a strong pace, with both sides eager to retain the puck. Wildcats soon made it clear their game plan was not to sit back and allow the hosts to attack their pipes, but rather take the fight to the opposition from the off.
The tactic paid off less than three minutes into the encounter, Cats’ Sam Bullas picking up the puck from Floyd Taylor in the final third of the ice before beating his man and curling an effort past Stephen Fone between the Phoenix pipes.
Initially rattled, Phoenix composed themselves and began to bring their key imports into the play at every opportunity. Looking sharp, Stanislav Gron and Michal Satek began to link up repeatedly, testing Stevie Lyle with every attempt.
It was not long before the resolute Cats defence crumbled, Gron again finding Satek who this time took his chance with aplomb to bring the score level.
As the period drew to a close, Cats took a set-back after forward Carlo Finucci received a two minute penalty for slashing.
As Phoenix pressed forward to capitalise upon their power play advantage, Cats stood strong, opting for attack as the best form of defence; a tactic which would pay off moments later as the puck fell to the feet of Jonas Hoog.
Receiving the puck following a Cats clearance, Hoog was able to beat an isolated Luke Boothroyd on the Phoenix D-line and thread the puck short-handed into the Phoenix goal just before the buzzer. Cats left the ice, taking a slender 2-1 lead into the second period.
Re-entering the ice, both sides were hit with a two minute penalty apiece, as Sam Bullas and Michal Satek left the ice for roughing, following an earlier incident at the end of the first.
The physical duel of Satek and Bullas was perhaps the height of the action for the second period, as both sides appeared to have got the measure of each other, cancelling attacks out at both ends of the ice.
Wildcats had the strongest chance of the half, as Adam Harding worked well out wide, to find a waiting Carlo Finucci hovering at the mouth of the Phoenix goal.
Picking out Finucci well, the Canadian was able to put a strong forearm behind his effort which appeared destined to find Fone’s top corner, only for the Phoenix netminder to pull of an impressive save and firmly grasp the puck from mid-air.
Both sides then took turns threatening either end of the ice, though neither could penetrate effectively before the second period buzzer sounded.
The third period saw all aspects of physicality ramp up to the next levels. Duels could be seen all over the ice, as either side searched for the psychological edge.
Wildcats were first to make their mark, head coach Aaron Nell finding the back of the next after his initial effort rocketed off the cross bar. Assists coming from Malasinski and Hoog.
No sooner had the cheers settled however but the Manchester Phoenix had struck back, Stanislav Gron seizing the game by the scruff of its neck and firing past Lyle to set the score line at a tightly poised 3-2.
As the final moments ticked away, a coming together between Michal Saltek and Stevie Whitfield saw both players leave the ice. Phoenix pressed on, higher up the ice, but Wildcats held strong.
With two minutes left to play, Phoenix struck, the cruellest of late blows. Returning Phoenix player Richie Bentham found space in an overly crowded goal area, to nip the puck past Lyle and send the tie into over-time.
Tension in the Deeside arena could be cut with a knife as both sides took turns surging forward to attack.
At one end, Lyle spread himself well to deny the Phoenix front line, before a loose puck saw Aaron Nell beat his man and bear down on the Phoenix pipes.
A neat sequence of finesse play at the puck was nestled in the back of the goal, the hearts of the home opposition left broken. Another four point weekend for Swindon Wildcats in the bag.
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