The Waldeck Peterborough Phantoms fought back from two goals down to defeat the Solway Sharks in overtime on Sunday night.
After an end-to-end opening nine minutes, Phantoms hit the front. After a great block by Billy Thorpe in front of his own goal, Phantoms broke, and after a good spell of pressure in the offensive zone, Luke Ferrara found Austin Mitchell-King out in front to find the back of the net.
They thought they’d doubled their advantage when Scott Robson ripped one in off the post, but instead, Jarvis Hunt was given a tripping penalty.
And from the resulting Solway powerplay, the visitors levelled the scores. Caly Robertson beating Jordan Marr, assisted by John Dunbar and Craig Peacock.
Phantoms went back in front five minutes and 20 seconds later when Lukas Sladkovsky threw the puck on net and Ferrara was perfectly placed to tip the effort into the net.
The sides continued to trade chances with Louie Kynaston and Ivan Björkly Nordström going close for Phantoms, whilst Marr stood firm to deny Robertson and Scott Henderson for the Sharks.
Phantoms’ third came inside the final couple of minutes of the middle period when Björkly Nordström teed up Ralfs Circenis on the left point and he drove his one time effort into the back of Calum Hepburn’s net.
But the opening six minutes of the third period were six minutes Phantoms will want to forget. Nolan Gardiner beat Marr over the shoulder with 1:33 played in P3 to reduce the deficit to one.
Lewis Young drew the sides level when he took a Henderson pass and found the bottom corner of Marr’s goal, before Peacock put the Scottish side ahead when he dispossessed Callum Buglass, skated round Marr and found the net.
Olivier Arseneau rounded off a torrid six minutes for Phantoms when he cycled round the Phantoms zone and ripped a low effort into the bottom corner for a powerplay marker - making it 5-3 in favour of the Sharks.
But Phantoms didn’t let that finish them off and got themselves back to within one through Tom Norton, who took a Ferrara pass before lifting his effort from the left circle into the top corner.
Sharks’ Stuart Kerr took a high sticking penalty with 59 seconds to play, allowing Phantoms’ Head Coach, Slava Koulikov to draw up a play to force overtime.
With Marr on the bench, the Phantoms went to work and executed the play to perfection. They went tic-tac-toe as Tom Norton found Ferrara in the left circle, who put the puck on the tape of Sladkovsky on the back door, who finished off to tie the game and force overtime.
And after Marr and Hepburn both made a good save each, it was Ferrara who blasted home the winner from the middle of the zone to complete a dramatic turnaround in Phantoms’ favour.
FINAL SCORE: Peterborough Phantoms 6-5 Solway Sharks
Phantoms goals:
9:04 (PP 1-0 SS): #24 Austin Mitchell-King / #19 Luke Ferrara / #35 Joe Gretton (EHG)
17:20 (PP 2-1 SS): #19 Luke Ferrara / #91 Lukas Sladkovsky (EHG)
38:33 (PP 3-1 SS): #34 Ralfs Circenis / #5 Ivan Björkly Nordström / #2 Tom Norton (EHG)
53:31 (PP 4-5 SS): #2 Tom Norton / #19 Luke Ferrara / #91 Lukas Sladkovsky (EHG)
59:43 (PP 5-5 SS): #91 Lukas Sladkovsky / #19 Luke Ferrara / #2 Tom Norton (PPG)
63:06 (PP 6-5 SS): #19 Luke Ferrara / #91 Lukas Sladkovsky (EHG)
Sharks goals:
12:00 (PP 1-1 SS): #92 Caly Robertson / #22 John Dunbar / #71 Craig Peacock (PPG)
41:3 (PP 3-2 SS): #43 Nolan Gardiner / #5 Olivier Arseneau / #92 Caly Robertson (EHG)
43:28 (PP 3-3 SS): #14 Lewis Young / #89 Scott Henderson / #5 Olivier Arseneau (EHG)
44:40 (PP 3-4 SS): #71 Craig Peacock / #22 John Dunbar / #43 Nolan Gardiner (EHG)
45:51 (PP 3-5 SS): #5 Olivier Arseneau / #92 Caly Robertson / #71 Craig Peacock (PPG)