U14s: 3rd period surge overwhelms Grimsby

Monday, 22nd January 2007

Sunday January 21st saw Game Six for the Manchester Phoenix U-14 squad and a long road trip to the North Lincolnshire's east coast and a match-up against the Grimsby Vikings.

Match Result: Grimsby Vikings 1 - 13 Phoenix U-14's

Both teams iced squads of 17 players and the home side took to the ice fresh from a convincing 8-3 win at Coventry the previous day. The Grimsby Leisure Centre is a small ice pad and the Vikings were looking to make their knowledge of the restrictions count against the visiting Phoenix.

Coach Steve Nurse had the Phoenix well prepared both mentally and physically as the team had a scrimmage at Bradford during training last week and only used a third of the ice to replicate the small pad. Every team that travels to Grimsby know of the problems that size of pad brings them, and earlier this season the home ENHL team beat the league leaders Whitley Warriors 8-6, the Warriors only defeat to date.

Sam Heyes got the nod to start the game between the pipes and as usual in these games, there was plenty of bumping and niggling and very little passing and open play in the opening exchanges. Phoenix though got the early breakthrough at juast 3.02 as Jared Dickinson scored on the games first powerplay. However any thoughts of a runaway win were squashed by some excellent net minding in the Vikings goal by Kyle Tharratt. Referee Mike Chidley kept both teams in check and was on the spot to make some good decisions. Phoenix had a two-man advantage from the 8th minute but, Tharratt was excellent is denying the Phoenix powerplay units the chance to extend the lead. Jordan Bannon picked up a 2+10 for a hit from behind at 1.39 but the minor was killed and at the first break, Phoenix led by the only goal hacing outshot their hosts 20-2.

A quick five-minute turnaround and both teams restarted in the same fashion as the first period, bumping, niggling and with plenty of turnovers in the neutral zone. Bodies were banging and some of the hits were borderline to say the least but, the netminders were doing their bit not to trouble the scoreboard. Referee Chidley is not one to take verbal abuse and demonstrated this by sitting Paul Swindlehurst for ten minutes at 18:58. With the Vikings on a powerplay from the 22nd minute mark, Ryan Hulme lost the puck and the home side drew level - Smith beating Heyes in the Phoenix goal. At the midway point, Phoenix swapped netminders with Bob Brown taking over. With both Bannon and Swindlehurst in the box on long penalties, the rest of the team contuned to battle well but were finding the Vikings netminder in good form.

With the second period winding down, Phoenix put together a telling attack. Ryan Hulme skated down the right wing, slid a neat pass to Tom Wilkinson who found Bobby Streetly open at the far post and he netted the go-ahead (and game winning) goal - much to the relief of all Phoenix players, staff and parents at 29:34. From the restart Phoenix immediately gain possession and Wilkinson gets his second assist as Swinny, back from solitary, rifled a superb shot from a tight angle into the roof of the net past a bemused Tharratt at 29:49. A tight 1-1 tie had been blown asunder in the space of 15 seconds and the team were able to go to the second break more relaxed than the slightly edgy performance had indicated. Another good period though on the shot count - Phoenix dominating 14-4.

The second break saw the ice re-surfaced allowing both teams a longer than expected break, and the Phoenix coaching staff used the time well to orchestrate a third period onslaught on the Vikings goal. Phoenix came out all guns blazing and just 40 seconds in, Sarah Hutchinson skated out of defence, using the boards to find Bannon whose centring pass found Paul Swindlehurst and the scoreboard ticked over to read 1-4. Within a minute, Bannon pounced on a loose puck in the offensive zone and 1-4 became 1-5. The rout was now in full swing. From the restart, a neat pass from Joe Sims sent Harvey Treadgold away down the wing to skate behind the net to set up Jared Dickinson for 1-6 at 31.39.

A stunned Vikings team began to lose control and and at 31:59 take a 10-minute unsportsmanlike by Smith and 2-minute minor by Quinn. Phoenix camp out in the Vikings zone and a shot from point by Hutchie is saved by Tharratt only to see Tom Wilkie drive the rebound home at 32:42 for a second powerplay marker to complete a four-goal salvo from the Phoenix in less than three minutes. At 36:17 and 36:46 Joe Sims and Max Boon add further markers as the Phoenix team finally get to grips with playing hockey on such a small pad. One of the best goals of the game though came at 37:26 as Phoenix force a turnover in centre ice, the puck breaks free to Bannon who stickhandles down the left wing, centring the puck and Taylor Danson slams in the airborne puck for goal number 10 with a superb finish. Paul Swindlehust and Jaren Dickinson duly completed their personal hat-tricks at 41:41 and 43:01 respectively and 20 seconds later and Ollie Townsend found Swinny who buried the puck for his fourth, and unlucky for the Vikings, goal 13. An unbelievable period of hockey saw the Phoenix score some great goals, play hard and tough when needed and outshoot the home team 26 shots to 3. MVP went to Ollie Townsend for Phoenix and Lewis Fenwick for the Vikings.

Grimsby Vikings 1 Phoenix U14s 13

1st Period 0-1
2nd Period 1-2
3rd Period 0-10

Paul Swindlehurst 4+0
Jared Dickinson 3+1
Jordan Bannon 1+3
Tom Wilkinson 1+2
Joe Sims 1+1
Max Boon 1+0
Bobby Streetly 1+0
Taylor Danson 1+0
Sarah Hutchinson 0+2
Ryan Hulme 0+1
Harvey Treadgold 0+1
Ollie Townsend 0+1

SOG: 60 on Grimsby, 9 on Phoenix
PIMs: 34 - 26

Match report supplied by Rob Hutchinson

U14s: 3rd period surge overwhelms Grimsby

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