Late Wildcat strikes scupper Peterborough Phantoms
The city side were beaten 6-4 by Swindon Wildcats in a third-versus-second NIHL National Division battle in Wiltshire.
Phantoms endured a nightmare start when giving up two short-handed goals to Wildcats player-coach Aaron Nell in the opening period.
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Hide AdBut Ales Padelek halved the deficit 17 seconds before the buzzer to start a turnaround which continued with two powerplay strikes in the second period.
Player-coach Tom Norton continued his rich vein of goalscoring form by finding the net for the fifth time in the last three games to restore parity in the second session.
And Phantoms then hit the front when defenceman Joe Hazeldine, borrowed from Elite League giants Nottingham Panthers for the second successive weekend, opened his account for the club by finishing at the back post during another numerical advantage.
The lead proved to be short-lived, though, as Swindon replied just 25 seconds later with a solo effort from Tom Rutkis.
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Hide AdAnd it was the Wildcats who gained the upper hand late in an eventful middle stanza as import Tyler Van Kleef beat Phantoms netminder Jordan Marr.
That was the way it stayed until the final five minutes when three further goals decided the outcome.
Phantoms clawed their way level through captain James Ferrara but immediately ran into penalty trouble as their hopes of a positive result were dashed.
Calls on Jarvis Hunt (diving) and Callum Buglass (tripping) just 10 seconds apart left Phantoms in a five-on-three situation and Edgars Bebris soon took advantage before a further Rutkis powerplay goal sealed their fate.
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Hide AdPhantoms are back on home ice tonight (December 15) when hosting Raiders (5.30pm).
MATCH DETAILS
Goals
SWINDON
2.41 Nell (SH) ass: Malasinski
12.03 Nell (SH) ass: Birbraer
34.54 Rutkis ass: Bebris
38.21 Van Kleef (PP) ass: Birbraer/Bullas
57.48 Bebris (PP) ass: Birbraer
59.02 Rutkis ass: Jones/Liddiard
PHANTOMS
19.43 Padelek unassisted
26.29 Norton (PP) ass: Weldon/Padelek
34.29 Hazeldine (PP) ass: Padelek/J. Ferrara
55.45 J. Ferrara ass: Norton/Buglass
Men-of-the-match
SWINDON – Edgars Bebris
PHANTOMS – Conor Pollard