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Cats earn point from shootout battle
Photograph of the Swindon Wildcats in action the Manchester Phoenix copyright of Nicky Pearce.
Tonight the Swindon Wildcats earned themselves a valuable point after taking league leaders the Manchester Phoenix to a tense shootout. What ended in an eventual 5-5 game within regulation, saw both sides battle hard and well into an overtime period. Without finding that differential goal a shootout commenced and the two took their chances until a fifth round decider. Manchester's Archer managed to find the net for his side and after Swindon's Lee Richardson was denied, it confirmed an away win and that second point for the league leaders.
Although the score read 5-5 after three periods, this did not tell the whole story as any fan from either side would tell you. By the end of the first period the Phoenix saw themselves three goals ahead and well in control of what was a very dynamic game. After Tony Hand MBE opened the scoring 2 minutes in, it took two further goals from Gomeniuk and Huppe to then close out the period and leave Manchester with a big advantage.
The second period held very much a different story and with 2 minutes gone, Swindon's Jonas Höög opened the scoring for his side after tapping in a rebounding puck. Five minutes on and Wildcat top scorer Josef Liska then made it two after a superb individual effort. After winning the face off and then receiving the puck once more, he then burst up the ice and found his way past three opposing players before scoring on a wrap around to send the home fans cheering. Having the momentum from two earlier goals Swindon then found an equaliser through James Knight, after receiving a pass in the slot and out deking the netminder for the Wildcats' third.
Shortly after however and Knight was to then be given a game misconduct penalty, after the official was to call a contraversial check to the head major, giving the away side the powerplay and an advantage for that next goal. Although shortly conceeding a penalty themselves, Manchester did find that next goal when James Archer was to put away a one timer in front of net. This was the last goal within the eventful period and bought both sides off the ice with just one goal to seperate them.
Into the third and the seperation was soon to be dissolved when on the powerplay, Swindon's Jan Melichar saw his slapshot travel past Phoenix's Fone and into the net for a tying goal. Just under five minutes on and the home side then found a goal to lead the game for the first time, when forward Egidijus Bauba's one timer found the net for a fifth goal. Swindon were close to holding onto a victory but with Manchester having several shots on net, they eventual broke the defense and Curtis Huppe then found a second for the night a fifth for his side after getting hold of a rebound and tapping in the puck for a tying goal. A hard one to take but with overtime confirmed after the final buzzer sounded, both sides headed out to continue what was a closely contested battle on the ice. Although both had attempts on net, neither could find the concluding goal and the shootout was confirmed.
Despite eventually losing the shootout, Swindon did come away with what will be looked at as a good point against a top side, as well as taking the Wildcats' record to four games without a loss in regulation. Swindon now face the Slough Jets on Sunday at the Hanger, in a game which will undoubtedly hold its own action packed fixture between two local sides.
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-5 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-4 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
2-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
5-8 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-2 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
3-7 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
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