Phoenix Junior Clubs round-up

Tuesday, 9th October 2007

Saturday, Telford 6 - 3 Phoenix U-14s

Saturday, Flintshire 2 - 13 Phoenix U-16s A

Saturday, Grimsby 3 - 10 Phoenix U-18s

Sunday, Sheffield 5 - 2 Phoenix U-16s A

Manchester Phoenix Junior teams were in action last weekend with two wins and two losses the outcome.

Saturday saw a tough trip to Telford for a short benched Under-14 squad and in a game of two 20-minute periods, the toll on the youngsters saw them gallantly run out of steam. To their enormous credit, the team didn't give in and battled as hard as they could with goals coming from Jared Dickinson, Scott Robson and Luke Smith. The Under-14s have still to register their first win this season, but club officials remain confident that the team will soon make their mark.

Saturdays' other road trips for the Under-16 A squad and the Under-18s were much more rewarding. The Under-16s soundly thrashed the Flintshire Flames in Deeside with defenceman Oliver Bayne notching a personal hat trick while Ben Brown, Ryan Pike and Jordan Bannon all helped themselves to a brace of goals apiece. Netminder Bob Browne faced just six shots all game and was unlucky as the cold and inactivity probably beat him more than the Flintshire shooting.

The Under-18 squad enjoyed an equally fruitful trip to the east coast and the tiny ice pad in Grimsby. With Richard Ravey giving an MVP performance as a stand-in defenceman, the U-18s tore into their hosts from the start and Phil Hamer bagged a first period hat trick. The second period saw no let-up from the Phoenix as Hamer bagged another treble and John Murray a brace. Murray completed his hat trick haul with the final goal of the game to maintain the Under-18s 100% winning start to the new season.

In Sundays' Under-16 A team game in Sheffield, the hosts and favourites to take the division, were given a run for their money by the Phoenix team. Alex Pugh and Tom Hammond were the Phoenix scorers in a game that saw them outshoot last years national U-16 champions on their own ice.

A Phoenix spokesperson commented, "Overall, we class this as a good weekend for our junior teams, the 14s were unlucky from all accounts while Saturdays results for the 16s and 18s better than expected. We thought we'd get something from both those games, but the margins of victory were exceptional. And the 16's performance against Sheffield was extremely encouraging; we will certainly look forward to the return game in Altrincham in late February."

Next Saturday, October 13th sees the Phoenix Under-18s take on Billingham at the Silver Blades Ice Dome in Altrincham, the game begins at 4.45pm.

Phoenix Junior Clubs round-up

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