01 Dec 2024, 17:30 | Regular season | SkyDome Arena |
Coventry Blaze | 6-4 | Manchester Storm |
Periods: Shots: | 2-1 (16-15) | 3-3 (4-12) | 1-0 (12-11) | Total: 32-38 |
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Referees: Pering/Miller  |  Spectators: 1730 |
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Goals and assists
Coventry Blaze ensured that the final two games in Challenge Cup
Group A will stay live fixtures with an important 6-4 win over
Manchester Storm at the Skydome.
The Blaze's win puts them third
in the group and sets up a crunch encounter with Cardiff Devils on 11
December for a place in the next round. The result of that will also
affect who out of the Devils or Panthers needs a result on 22 December
in the final game of the Group Stage.
"It was a good team win for
us tonight," . "It was nice to get off to a hot start and it was a win
we needed in the Challenge Cup" said Chase Gresock, who scored two on
the night for the Blaze who found themselves 4-2 down in the second
period. "We take pride in knowing that no matter the score, we can come
back and win a hockey game."
75 seconds into the game the Blaze
were ahead through Chase Gresock's shot into the top corner of Evan
Weninger's net. A Loren Ulett powerplay goal tied things up at 4:14, but
the Blaze led again at 6:28 thanks to Gresock's second of the game.
Storm
scored three goals in under four second-period minutes to seemingly
take control of things, but somehow still ended the period behind. Grant
Hebert had the puck bounce off him and into the net at 22:46, some 20
seconds after Mat Robson had come up with a huge glove save to keep the
Blaze ahead.
Joe Morrow then put the visitors ahead at 24:07, while Craig Martin hit the roof of Robson's net at 26:13 to make it 4-2.
Zach
Heintz pulled one back for the Blaze with a powerplay goal at 27:41,
and the home side were level at 32:33 thanks to Mike Regush. They then
went back into the lead with Heintz's second of the night at 34:05, some
eight minutes after finding themselves two behind.
Jackson
Creesey converted 5-on-4 with 11:53 left on the click in the final
period to put the Blaze into a two-goal lead that they'd hold onto until
the final buzzer.