On a stormy Saturday Night in Peterborough, it was the Phantoms who took the points against the Telford Tigers, but the visitors made them fight right until the final buzzer.
The Phantoms started the stronger with all four lines testing Brad Day in the Tigers net early on. Cam Hough pinged a shot off the Tigers goal post, before Tom Palmer and Luke Ferrara all went close for the homeside.
When Finley Howells was called for a 2 minute High Stick penalty (11.06) the Phantoms powerplay increased the pressure on the Tigers. Just 41 seconds into the Powerplay the Phantoms scored the games opening goal, when Janne Laakkonen fed the puck to Jarvis Hunt whose shot flew past Brad Day.
The Phantoms were soon two goals up when Luke Ferrara and Janne Laakkonen broke down the ice, before Laakkonen found Cam Hough whose wrist shot buried the b=puck into the back of the net to make it 2-0 after 14.21.
The Tiger went on the Powerplay on 15.44, after Hough was assessed a 2 minute penalty for tripping, but despite a number of good shots from Jason Silverthorn, Finley Howells and Vladimir Luka, Hayden Lavigne in the Phantoms goal was keeping the visitors at bay. As the clock ran down for the opening period Lavigne was forced into two highlite reel saves in the closing seconds to keep the 2-0 scoreline going into the break.
The middle period started with the Phantoms increasing their lead, in front of their very noisy supporters. Janne Laakkonen turned from provider to scorer on 23.42 with a rocket of a shot that almost took the goal off it's moorings.
Despite being 3 goals down, the Tigers kept up the pressure and kept Lavigne busy in the Phantoms goal - whilst Phantoms were playing pretty hockey in front of the Tigers gaol, the Tigers were peppering the Phantoms netminder and looking for rebounds or goalmouth scrambles.
On 38.12 Lavigne's shutout was taken when Vladimir Luka finally found a way past the Phantoms netty to make it a 3-1 game going into the final 20 minutes.
The final period started with both teams looking for that all important goal - a goal for the Phantoms would given them a bit of breathing space, whereas a goal for the Tiger would make it a one goal game and all to play for - at least that's the theory !
Phantoms got their 4th of the night on 48.32 when the Man of the Match, Janne Laakkonen, again found Luke Ferrara in the slot, and his one timer was only ever going to end with a goal.
If the Phantoms thought that they could now relax with their 3 goal lead, no-one had told the visitors!
On 52.15 Eric Henderson picked up on a mistake by the Phantoms defence, and Jason Silverthorn finally found a way past Hayden Lavigne to make it a 4-2 game. Just 35 seconds later and it was a one goal game, as Rhodes Mitchell-King fired a shot through traffic which found the back of the Phantoms net making it 4-3 to the Phantoms with 7 minutes of the game left.
Despite pulling Brad Day for the final minute of the game, the Tigers couldn't find the equalising goal and as the final buzzer sounded it was the Phantoms who took the points with a very hard fought 4-3 victory.
Man of the Match:
Phantoms - Janne Laakkonen
Tigers - Rhodes Mitchell-King
Scorers:
Phantoms
11.47 1-0 - Jarvis Hunt / Janne Laakkonen / Cameron Hough (PPG)
14.21 2-0 - Cameron Hough / Janne Laakkonen / Luke Ferrara (EH)
23.42 3-0 - Janne Laakkonen (EH)
48.32 4-1 - Luke Ferrara / Janne Laakkonen / Cameron Hough (EH)
Tigers
38.12 3-1 - Vladimír Luka / Finley Howells / Thomas Byrne (EH)
52.15 4-2 - Jason Silverthorn / Eric Henderson (EH)
52.50 4-3 - Rhodes Mitchell-King / Finley Howells (EH)