8:11pm Monday 14th December 2009
By Nigel McFarlane
EPL ICE HOCKEY
Saturday: Phoenix 5 Guildford Flames 1
Sunday Romford Raiders 5 Phoenix 4
MANCHESTER Phoenix remain on top of the English Premier League following a comfortable 5-1 win over Guildford Flames on Saturday.
A double from player-coach Tony Hand plus a 'coming of age' performance in goal from 19-year-old Adam Summerfield made it six out of seven for the Phoenix.
Guildford were missing four players whilst Manchester gave debuts to five kids from the Trafford Metros.
But that made little difference as both sides ran just two lines of five players – Phoenix allowing their youngsters to ice when the game was dead and buried.
Jaakko Hagelberg got the home side underway after a shaky opening and despite Martin Masa's reply, Manchester were 3-1 up at the first period interval.
From there they dragged the Flames around the rink and Ryan Johnson got his first for the club before Hand added his second.
The third period was simply a case of playing out time as the outstanding Summerfield shut the door to Guildford who, given their pedigree, were easily the poorest team to play at the Ice Dome so far this season.
Last night, a Romford goal in the last minute of play handed them a 5-4 win and their second over the Phoenix this season.
The Raiders were two-nil up within 14 minutes before Hagelberg made it a one-goal game at the break.
Dean Tonks added the home side's third shortly after the second period began and despite an Ed Courtenay goal, they went further ahead through Jon Sitko in the third.
Courtney and Andre Payette levelled matters but Romford sealed the win on a 5 on 3 powerplay in the last minute.
“After the loss in Peterborough, we knew we'd have to be focussed against a good Guildford side and it was arguably as good as we've played all season,” Hand said. “I thought we dominated the game and with some better finishing, could have won by a bigger margin. “In Romford though, to be penalised for two minors so late in the game when there had been so little in the preceding fifty-odd minutes is a little hard to swallow.”
Phoenix star Iain Bowie scored the opener as GB u20s beat China 8-0 in the opening game of their World U20 Championship DIV II Group A campaign in Hungary.
Manchester Phoenix are at home to Sheffield Scimitars in their final game of 2009 at the Altrincham Ice Dome on Sunday December 20.
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