BREAKING NEWS: Play-off injury blow for Phantoms

Peterborough Phantoms in action against Basingstoke at Planet Ice.

Lithaunaian international Darius Pliskauskas has been ruled out of their quarter-final showdown against Milton Keynes Thunder this weekend.

Pliskauskas, the club’s top points-scorer across all competitions this season, is suffering with what head coach Slava Koulikov described as a ‘lower body injury’.

The import forward limped out of the closing stages of the club’s final league game against Streatham last Saturday after taking an awkward fall.

“Darius is out of this weekend,” said Koulikov. “It’s obviously a massive disappointment for us to be without our top points-scorer and a top player in the team.

“But we have a good roster and I’m sure that other guys will step up.”

Phantoms entertain Thunder in the opening leg on Saturday (March 17, 7pm) ahead of a return clash the following night (March 18, 6.45pm).

The play-offs provide Phantoms’ final opportunity to claim silverware after they were pipped to the league title by Basingstoke on goal difference.

The city side bowed out of the NIHL Autumn Cup on penalties at the semi-final stage while they were controversially eliminated from the NIHL National Cup after league chiefs ruled an outstanding Group B game had to be voided.