07 Dec 2024, 19:00 | Regular season | Altrincham Ice Dome |
Manchester Storm | 4-2 | Fife Flyers |
Periods: Shots: | 1-0 (12-7) | 1-2 (6-7) | 2-0 (10-7) | Total: 28-21 |
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Referees: #9 Joe Sewell, #44 Sam Anderson  |  Spectators: 1885 |
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Goals and assists
Manchester Storm logged their first win since 15 November with a 4-2
victory over basement side Fife Flyers in front of 1,885 fans in
Altrincham.
It was a nervy opening period between two teams at the wrong end of the table and understandably short on confidence.
Storm had the better of the first period but the fans at the
Storm Shelter had to wait until the final nine seconds to cheer a goal
and throw their bears onto the ice - a loose puck from an Alexis D'Aoust
shot being scooped home by Grant Hebert at the far post.
Period two was a livelier affair. The Flyers turned the game
around in the space of 67 seconds to take the lead. First it was Phelix
Martineau deflecting a puck past Evan Weninger in the slot to tie things
up at 35:40, while Drake Pilon stretched around Weninger to score at
36:47 and put the visitors ahead.
A Joe Borrow shot that was sailing a good three feet wide was
wonderfully tipped by D’Aoust at 38:07 and re-directed into Shane Owen’s
net to level things up with 1:53 left in period two.
Early in period three, the Storm were back ahead. Joe Morrow's
shot from the point off a faceoff win went through a crowd of players
and past Owen into the net, looking like it may have taking a tip in
front, at 45:29. The teams played a very disciplined final 15 minutes
with neither taking any penalties to keep the game 5-on-5. Owen was
pulled with 1:22 to play, but the Flyers' night was called early when
great work from Stephen Johnson to turn the puck over in the Flyers'
zone led to hit rolling the puck into the empty net.