Match Report | Phantoms sting the Bees as they take the win

The WALDECK Peterborough Phantoms started the game with a confidence when Brad Bowering made a shot at Berkshire Bees’ goalie Max Wright 1:16 into the first period, despite this attempt being unsuccessful, the Phantoms kept Brad’s driving attitude as one minute later Tom Norton put the first puck in the back of Wright’s net, this goal was also assisted by Callum Buglass and Tom Palmer.

Despite having a good start to the game the Phantom defenceman Scott Robson received a penalty for hooking, and soon after Tom Norton also received a penalty for slashing, this gave the Bees a great advantage as the ice held three Phantoms and five Bees. The Berkshire Bees didn’t waste this opportunity as they took advantage of their powerplay and leveled the scoreboard with their first goal, scored by Vanya Antonov and assisted by Joshua Smith and Stuart Mogg.

For the remainder of the first period, both teams battled to gain an additional goal for their team. Albeit creating pressure in the opponent's zone, there was no change to the scoreboard.

Within 10 seconds of the second period, Cameron Hough was presented with a penalty for hooking a Bees’ player, like the last period the Bees didn’t want to waste this chance of scoring another goal. They made it difficult for Lavigne to keep out any pucks from his goal as they used close contact to try and take advantage of the scoreboard, but Lavigne had other plans and saved all of their attempts.

Just over the halfway mark for the second period, Bees’ forward Hallam Wilson received a penalty for slashing. The Peterborough Phantoms gained a power play and Nathan Salam and Cameron Hough didn’t want to see it go to waste, they both slapshotted the puck at Wright, the Phantom’s powerplay ended with no new additions to their score.

Hough skated the puck down to the Bees’ zone, in an attempt to shoot at Wright, but Bees’ defenceman Liam Morris stopped Hough as he slapped him into the glass, once this hit had ended Hough was unhappy with how Morris handled the situation and began to argue with Morris, this escalated and Morris cross-checked Hough in the head causing him to fall. Disgusted by Morris’ action Tom Norton physically confronted Morris. Norton received a penalty for roughing and Morris received a penalty for cross-checking. As the penalties were coincidental, the play remained five-on-five.

Whilst in The Bees’ zone Adam Rosbottom found an opportunity to break away, so he skated down the ice into the Phantoms’ zone, skating past and around any oncoming Phantoms, he passed the puck to Dominik Gabaj to score but this experiment was short-lived as Gabaj hit the boards.

The Peterborough Phantoms entered the third period with a fire to win the game and secure their opening night for the 24/25 season. Joe Gretton led this movement as he fired a shot at Wright, albeit unsuccessful, this didn’t break the Phantom's fiery attitude and performance as Bowering boarded Gabaj, leaving him wounded and returning to the bench. With a thirst for vengeance, Gabaj came back onto the ice and performed his well-known slapshot at Lavigne, but Lavigne guarded the Phantom’s new fire and declined the goal.

Still determined to take advantage of the scoreboard, Tom Palmer battled in front of Wright’s net and scored the second goal for the Phantoms, this goal was assisted by Barnabás Sári and Tom Norton.

Furious with the phantom lead, Marcel Balaz tried to equal the scoreboard and took a shot at Lavigne but this was deflected off Lavigne’s kneepad. The Bees still had a fight inside them to win, as William Stead got too fiery and hooked a Phantom player whilst trying to level the score, this resulted in a two-minute penalty for Stead.