21 Dec 2024, 19:00 | Regular season | SkyDome Arena |
Coventry Blaze | 1-5 | Manchester Storm |
Periods: Shots: | 0-1 (8-18) | 1-1 (21-13) | 0-3 (11-10) | Total: 40-41 |
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Referees: #50 James Ions, #3 Tom Pering  |  Spectators: 2186 |
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Goals and assists
Manchester Storm picked up third win in four games with a 5-1
thrashing of Coventry Blaze at the Skydome. 2,186 fans saw them do it,
though the vast majority had hoped for a different scoreline heading
into the Christmas period.
Loren Ulett scored twice in Storm's
win."I missed last week with a flu, so was happy to get back into the
team. It always feels good when you score but the team win is always the
most important thing,” said the forward, whose team have seven points
out of eight since Mike Flanagan left the club. "You never want to see
anyone lose their job, but I think the team has reacted really well with
the changes. We have points in four of the last five games since the
change, and the way we’ve responded has been really positive."
As
Storm broke on a 3-on-2 at the midway point of the opening period,
Stephen Johnson's neat lay-off found CJ Garcia in space to beat Mat
Robson and put Storm ahead at 10:41.
That was a lead the visitors
held until past the mid-way point of the game. Nick Seitz levelled for
the hosts at 33:23 after Brandon Alderson's shot on the net hit some
traffic in front of Even Weninger. Robson made a point-blank save to
keep the Blaze on level terms shortly after, but could do nothing to
stop Loren Ulett tipping a shot from the point past him at 38:18.
68
seconds into period three, Ryan Hughes fed Alexis D'Aoust in front to
put the visitors 3-1 ahead. Hughes then finished at the top of the
crease from Grant Hebert's feed to make it 4-1 at 47:01, while Ulett
completed an excellent 12-minute spell for the Storm with their fifth at
53:47.
"I love it here at the Storm, it was a very easy decision
to stay for a second season," added Ulett. "We're looked after very well
by the organised, and I actually just found out that I have family in
Manchester which is very special as well."
That's where things stayed until the final buzzer, with Mike Morin's team moving two points clear in a playoff place.