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It's time to douse the Flames

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J Davidson sponsored Manchester Phoenix have a huge weekend ahead of them. On Saturday night they take on league leaders Guildford Flames in an English Premier League fixture. Face off for the most crucial game of the season so far is 1900hrs.

The following day Phoenix head south to The Spectrum for a return fixture. Both games will be pivotal in deciding the destination of this season’s title.

Phoenix are on a roll at the moment and have won 8 games in a row to charge up the table and challenge for the top spot. Guildford have been strong all season and have the edge over Phoenix at the moment. The last time they visited the Dome, they edged the game 5-3 but even their veteran forward David Longstaff said they were lucky to leave with the points.

Guildford are a well balanced team and goals seem to come from everywhere. Ex Phoenix favourite Curtis Huppe is their top scorer with 26 goals and his line mate Nathan Rempel has 25. Top defenceman Branislav Kvetan has scored 11 goals from the blue line, making him also one to watch. Well-travelled Greg Chambers has been disappointing, with only 8 strikes to his name, but he is a quality forward and always dangerous.

Phoenix, on the other hand, are full of confidence at the moment and their winning streak has included victories over close rivals Slough Jets, Milton Keynes Lightning and Basingstoke Bison.

Phoenix top scorer, Martin Cingel, is on fire and has bagged 30 goals and 21 assists so far this season. Juraj Faith is now on top form with 18 goals and 32 assists and Mr 110% Tom Duggan has hit the net 15 times, despite a fair bit of time on the sidelines due to injury.

Saturday’s game is sure to be one of the highlights of the season. The barn is going to be full and a large contingent of Flames fans will need to be silenced by the Phoenix faithful. The atmosphere at the last two games has been electric and coach Hand has commented on how much of a boost the faithful are to the team.

Coach Hand commented: “Another big weekend looms, but they are all big weekends in the league this season. We are playing very well and the locker room is buzzing. Like any other team, we have a few knocks and bruises, but we are up for the weekend’s games and we are looking for points to keep up our challenge at the top. The fans have been brilliant all season and another big crowd cheering us on will be a big boost for the team.”

Dust off your white towel, get your Phoenix shirt on and come on down to the Dome on Saturday night and cheer on Manchester’s fastest and most exciting sports team, your very own Manchester Phoenix.