MATCH REPORT | Doubleheader Delight for the Phantoms

The WALDECK Peterborough Phantoms completed their doubleheader weekend in Dumfries by stealing all four points from the Solway Sharks.

Seconds into the game, Cam Hough made his return known as he skated towards Sharks goalie Calum Hepburn and fired the puck, but this was deflected away. Nathan Salem was impressed by Hough’s initiative and made a shot on goal from below the blue line, but he shot too far right, luckily Duncan Speirs was there to pick up the puck and open the scoring for the Phantoms.

The first period became very defensive as the Phantoms got their sticks in the Sharks' shooting lanes, with Speirs blocking Mason Alderson’s shot on Phantoms goalie Luke Clark, Zaine McKenzie replicated this when he used his stick to deflect Callum Boyd’s puck in the netting. Additionally, Jasper Foster prevented Joey Coulter and Olivier Arseneau from making chances at Clark, just seconds after each other.

Later in the period, tensions grew between Alderson and Janne Laakkonen, this overspilt when Alderson boarded Laakkonen and was handed a two-minute penalty. This allowed Luke Ferrara, Callum Buglass and Jarvis Hunt to fire at Hepburn.

In the next period, Salem was given a five-minute major for boarding a Sharks player. The Phantoms' penalty kill unit worked hard to limit the Sharks powerplay, with Ferrara blocking John Dunbar’s shot and they were actively pushing the Sharks out of the Phantoms’ zone, unfortunately, Craig Peacock put a puck behind Clark.

With both teams wanting to lean the scoreboard in their favour, the game became more physical when Dunbar attacked Hunt behind Clark’s net and Bailey Challans boarded Boyd, but ultimately it was Austin Mitchell-King who secured the second goal for the Phantoms after Speirs broke away from the Sharks and passed the puck to Mitchell-King. In the final minutes of the period, Tom Palmer felt encouraged by his teammates, so when the puck was sent towards Hepburn, Palmer chased and found himself skate to skate with the goalie, in an attempt to defend his team Hepburn gave Palmer a shove toward the boards.

With a Phantoms lead, the Sharks became desperate to stay in the game with Liam Stenton and Kell Beattie trying to get over the blue line but Salem and Challans defended respectively. Nolan Gardiner scored the second for the Sharks.

Norton fell victim to a Stenton high stick - Stenton was penalised with a two-minute penalty; Ferrara, Speirs and Salem took this time to shoot at Hepburn. Despite these attempts being unsuccessful, this didn’t deter Hough as he shot at Hepburn, landing in front of the goalie, Hunt acted quickly, and put the puck behind Hepburn.

Clark was handed a delay of game penalty (served by Connor Glossop), immediately after the refs decided on this punishment, the Sharks called a timeout and pulled Hepburn to provide them six skaters, the Phantoms' penalty kill stood on their heads despite having a two-man disadvantage, with Norton and Hunt digging deep to clear the puck.

Final Score: Solway Sharks 2-3 Peterborough Phantoms