A mixed National League weekend for Peterborough Phantoms

The city ice hockey stars were beaten 5-3 by Telford Tigers at Planet Ice on Saturday night before winning 3-2 at Bees 24 hours later.

It looked like being a comfortable road win for Phantoms when Austin Mitchell-King, assisted by Ralfs Circenis, and Will Weldon, with help from Lukas Sladkovsky and Martins Susters, shot them into a 2-0 by the end of the first period.

It was 3-1 going into the final period after Corey McEwen cancelled out a Bees reply, but Phantoms were held scoreless in the final frame and had to survive an anxious few minutes after Bees reduced the arrears in the 57th minute.

They came through that testing little period to finish the weekend third in the National League, just two points behind new leaders MK Lightning. MK are at Planet ice next Sunday (February 19), Phantoms only fixture of the weekend.

It didn’t go so well for Phantoms the previous night as Rory Herman scored four times for Telford, including an empty net goal 30 seconds from time to complete the 5-3 win.

Slava Koulikov’s men started solidly enough and led 2-1 at the end of the first period thanks to goals from Joe Gretton and Ales Padelek, but the visitors had nosed 3-2 in front by the end of the second stanza.

Susters and Tom Norton set up Padelek for his second goal to tie the game up again early in the final period, but Herman shot Telford back in front before sealing the deal in the final minute.