Win for Phoenix in front of another sell-out crowd

Sunday, 10th March 2013

Manchester Phoenix 7 - Peterborough Phantoms 2

Phoenix scorers: Bari McKenzie x 2, James Archer x 2, Michal Psurny x 2 and Ondrej Pozivil

J Davidson sponsored Manchester Phoenix gained two more points in their run up to the post season with a comfortable win against Peterborough Phantoms.

Phoenix were out for revenge after a heavy defeat in Peterborough and took the lead after 4 minutes. James Archer scored after great work from Tom Duggan. Ondrej Pozivil was given the second assist. Peterborough, playing their fourth game in 8 days equalised 5 minutes later through Ondrej Lauko, assisted by Tom Carlon and Tom Norton. Immediately after the re-start, Greg Pick and Andrew McKinney dropped the gloves for a bit of fisticuffs. A fairly even bout with McKinney finishing the stronger and getting the take down. Both sat out 4 minutes on roughing calls. Phoenix re-took the lead with a Michal Psurny goal, assisted by Joachim Flaten and Tony Hand. Peterborough refused to lie down and equalised again with Lauko’s second of the evening, on the powerplay while James Neil sat out a 2 minute hooking call. Assists went to James Ferrara and Tom Carlon. No further scoring in the period and the teams went to the first break even at 2-2.

Phoenix were dominating the early stages of the second period and took the lead for the third time with a trade-mark Ondrej Pozivil goal on 25.54, Joachim Flaten and Michal Psurny assisting. Bari McKenzie made it 4-2 on 35.31 after a good move involving Tom Duggan and James Archer. Despite outshooting Phantoms, the home side were unable to add to their tally with youngster Dan Lane bringing off some good saves to keep the score at 4-2 after 40 minutes.

Phoenix blitzed Peterborough at the start of the third period with three goals in less than five minutes. Bari McKenzie hit Phoenix’s fifth goal with a tap in at the back post, after a great second line move involving Duggan and Archer. Psurny hit his second of the evening after a fantastic pass through traffic from Tony Hand and James Archer capped a great night from the Phoenix second line with number 7 on 44.52, assisted by McKenzie and Duggan. With the points in the bag, Phoenix changed netminder with Jorge El-Hage taking over from Andrew Jaszczyk and appeared to take their foot off the gas, reserving energy for the long trip to Bracknell on Sunday.

Man of the Match for Phoenix was awarded to Bari McKenzie but could easily have gone to a number of equally worthy team mates. A good win for the home side in front of a packed Ice Dome that keeps the momentum going as the regular season winds down.

Coach Hand commented after the game: “A good performance by the whole team tonight against a team we have had a few problems with in the past. I thought we controlled the game for the most part and it was nice to see us score some goals in front of a fantastic crowd. We are playing well as we wind down the regular season and look to the play offs.”