The WALDECK Peterborough Phantoms put last weekend’s disappointment behind them to lay a shutout victory on the Berkshire Bees.
The first period was slow to get started in terms of chances as both sides looked to ensure they didn’t concede the first goal.
The Bees went close when Marcel Balaz was found out in front, but Hayden Lavigne was equal to it on his return to the Phantoms’ goal.
Luke Ferrara almost put Phantoms in front after some good work behind the net by Nathan Salem, but the shot went just wide.
The sides began to trade chances as the opening frame went on, but they went into the first intermission scoreless.
Phantoms broke the deadlock inside the opening two minutes of the second period when Cam Hough capitalised on a big rebound from Wright’s initial save.
And they made it two just 61 seconds later when Ferrara cut to the centre of the zone from the left wing and ripped his shot into the far corner.
Phantoms had a third when Ty Cathcart took a double minor for cross checking and unsportsmanlike conduct. Duncan Speirs notched the goal, when he banked the puck in off Wright’s back from behind the goal.
And they punished the second of Cathcart’s two penalties just seconds later, when Austin Mitchell-King scored from in close.
Phantoms were in fine form by this point and almost made it five shorthanded, when Ferrara and Louie Kynaston linked up, but Ferrara couldn’t convert on Kynaston’s clever return pass to the back door.
Richard Hartmann and Ferrara went close as the period reached its end, but Phantoms went into the second interval four goals to the good.
Goal number five came when Speirs was found all alone out in front, allowing him to rip his second goal of the night beyond Wright.
The Bees goalie Wright was then ejected for blocker punching Nathan Salem, so Dean Skinns replaced the import goalie in the Bees’ net.
Skinns was called straight into action when Brad Bowering was found all alone on the back post, but the experienced goalie got across to make a smart save.
But Skinns was beaten before the game reached its end, as Louie Kynaston notched his second goal in as many games when he redirected a Speirs shot into the back of the net.
And the Phantoms defended resolutely when they needed to in the final few minutes to ensure Lavigne and his defence collected a shutout to go with the two points.
FINAL SCORE: Peterborough Phantoms 6-0 Berkshire Bees
Phantoms goals:
21:55 (PP 1-0 BB): #29 Cam Hough / #91 Nathan Salem / #45 Callum Buglass (EHG)
22:56 (PP 2-0 BB): #19 Luke Ferrara / #91 Nathan Salem / #29 Cam Hough (EHG)
26:03 (PP 3-0 BB): #38 Duncan Speirs / #29 Cam Hough / #23 Brad Bowering (PPG)
26:22 (PP 4-0 BB): #24 Austin Mitchell-King / #19 Luke Ferrara / #45 Callum Buglass (PPG)
49:21 (PP 5-0 BB): #38 Duncan Speirs / #24 Austin Mitchell-King / #91 Nathan Salem (EHG)
55:27 (PP 6-0 BB): #8 Louie Kynaston / #38 Duncan Speirs / #2 Tom Norton (EHG)
Phantoms man of the match: #30 Hayden Lavigne
Bees man of the match: #2 Adam Rosbottom