Phoenix maintain top spot with back to back wins
1:28am Monday 30th November 2009 in Sport By Nigel McFarlane
EPL ICE HOCKEY:
Manchester Phoenix 6
Basingstoke Bison 4
Manchester Phoenix handed Adam Summerfield his first full game as a result of injury to Steve Fone and the Congleton-based goalie backstopped his team to victory.
Phoenix completed a four point weekend following up their 7-4 win in Swindon on Saturday with a fourth straight victory over the Bison, including another hat-trick from Ed Courtenay.
Summerfield said: "I was very nervous before the game and especially after the warm-up period where I was terrible. I knew I'd be starting because of the shoulder injury to Steve and I spent most of the day trying not to think about trying to make myself game perfect.
"I was in danger of over analysing even before the game began. I enjoyed the experience, but was nervous in case I let my team and myself down."
Phoenix did their utmost to settle the young goalie's nerves by scoring on a tic-tac-toe passing move with just over a minute gone on the clock. Tony Hand found Ed Courtenay and his instant pass back across the face of goal was swept home by Adam Walker. Summerfield made two excellent gloves saves to help settle his nerves and Phoenix responded by doubling their lead in the eleventh minute, Walker again on the mark on assists from Hand and James Neil.
Basingstoke, who had lost in a penalty shootout against Guildford on Saturday night reduced the arrears three minutes later as player coach Steve Moria pierced Summerfield's defences.
The second period was all about Ed Courtenay as the former NHLer bagged a straight hat-trick. First, with Phoenix shorthanded, he took a fine pass from Tony Hand before beating Annetts in the Bison goal in the 24th minute. Just over six minutes later and with Phoenix on a powerplay, he took a pass from Andre Mattsson and blasted his second from the left hand circle.
Basingstoke pulled a goal back in the 32nd minute, Tom Long squeezing the puck past Summerfield, but Courtenay restored the three goal margin just 27 seconds later finishing a pass from Walker. Joe Ciccarello scored a shorthanded marker for the visitors to keep the Bison within striking distance at the second interval.
It was game on just over a minute into the final period as veteran GB International Nicky Chinn added a fourth for the Bison to move them to within one of the Phoenix, but the home side again upped their work rate and the 45th minute saw them regain the two-goal cushion as Finnish forward Jaakko Hagelberg got a telling deflection to a blast from Joe Graham.
Basingstoke were straining to get forward and keep the pressure on Summerfield, but the youngster produced a superb save to maintain the margin and despite pulling their goalie in the final moments, the Bison could not find another way past him.
Phoenix player coach Tony Hand said: "Thats a big weekend for us again. The loss of Steve Fone to the shoulder injury gives us a problem, but young Adam stepped up and did an excellent job for us. He made some very good saves and Im sure he'll be even more keen to practice this week. We've scored a few goals this weekend and I'm pleased that we keep finding a way to win.
"We've got a tough programme ahead of us before Christmas and we need to try and keep this run going so we can enjoy the break when it comes."
Manchester Phoenix are at home to Milton Keynes Lightning next Sunday, December 6th, at the Altrincham Ice Dome. Face off is at 5.30pm.
