It was a tough defeat to take last night as the Manchester storm gave up a 2-0 lead on
the road away at the Milton Keynes Lightning eventually going down 3-2.
Back in the storm shelter this evening and time for the storm to try and avenge that
defeat but will it be on as even over the weekends or will the league leaders leave
empty handed once again.
It's hockey night in Manchester.
It's fit against Escheri on the face off, Escheri winning that one for Milton Keynes.
Put some firing it around the boards once again.
Michael Manta there just to stop the puck and tidy things up behind the net for the
Manchester storm and the storm now have a chance to get something going.
Matt Becker chasing that one, takes a bit of an unkind bounce off the kickboards.
Storm had the puck back though, it's Ryan Trenz and Paul Swindlerhurst now we were both there.
Behind the goal.
Just waiting for the forwards to get into position, nothing working there though for the Manchester
storm, Vickman tidies that one up, he has come back to Matt Becker though who won the
puck on the near side, gets it round to pitch, shot comes in, back to Becker once again on
the near side, comes up off the stick of Mike Hammond and Milton Keynes once again tidying
this one.
Great atmosphere here in the storm shelter this evening, both sets of fans really giving
him plenty on the drums and with the voice as well.
Salas Ehrhardt looks to get it, over centralised, missed controls, in centre-ice, over two.
Hanson then is not straight through the legs I think, Vickerman has missed that one, Dane
Byers there providing the cover in front of the Milton Keynes netminder and Chris O'Shea,
sorry not Chris O'Shea, Gerard Hanson will get the goal for the Manchester storm with
five minutes and ten seconds on the clock and the Milton Keynes netminder is going to
be a little bit disappointing with that one, Declan Barber.
Yeah definitely, he anticipated the tip coming from Dane Byers, I think the puck took a bit
of a bounce and it's great for his legs it went.
Draw comes out sideways, the storm managed to grab hold of the puck, it's back to Ehrhardt
on the blue line, Moffat chasing that one round, Hanson behind the net, once again the
storm looking to get the puck back into the lane, here comes a shot from the blue line,
Lyndon Springer and another shot from Lyndon Springer, blocker save from Micka Vickman,
very congested in front of that MK net, Lightning D doing their job though, managed to get the
puck away from the netminder and now Milton Keynes look to come away with the puck, Springer
though at the other end, doing his job in the deep, Moffat firing that one down behind
the boards, Hudson will pick that one up for MK, Denny Kearney, cross eyes pass, we're
going to have a high sticks ball here, possession back into the Manchester storm zone for the
first time in a little while here in the storm shelter this evening, Milton Keynes
that we're looking to get themselves back in this game as quickly as they possibly
can and this might provide them with the first opportunity since going 1-0 down, Paul Phillips
waiting on the blue line in a position very familiar to Manchester Storm fans, we've seen
him do it so many times in the black shirts of Manchester, but the storm went the face
off, long brings it away fires a shot in, pass save, just going to the left of his net
there by Micka Vickman, the Lightning tidy this one up looking to bring pressure through
centre-right, shot in from Vero Paul, he's blocked and here's Long once again, he's really
coming to his own the last couple of games for the Manchester storm, of course got goals
and assists on the board in the last two outings for Manchester here in the storm shelter,
Baker looking inside of that one up indeed, he does the storm number 79, good work just
inside the storm zone, Chippincase for himself there by Baker, in fact he comes away with
the puck, looks to fire it back to Matt Becker, Matt Becker just losing out, but Becker just
come away with it, backhand pass from Becker, tidied up by Milton Keynes, Scott Pitt straight
onto the ice from the bench and almost clears it away, Hammond now to Becker looking to
find Pitt in front of the goal, too many skates in the way though for Milton Keynes, Lewis
up looking to bring it to the other end, once again Milton Keynes really struggling to find
the way through at the moment through the Manchester storm D and the storm very much
keeping up the pressure at the right end of the ice as far as they're concerned, Ryan
Trens fires one in, looping shots, lands in behind the pads of Micka Viclin, nice stick
work for Springer trying to bring that one out of the zone, he plays it across to Hanson
in the neutral ice and Hanson plays it back to Springer, he plays it to his, we've got
a penalty down in front of the bench, didn't see what happened down there Declan Bomber,
I'm not sure if you caught anything out of the corner are you alright?
No I didn't see it, I was following the puck but I think Dan Byerson, Kearney may have
gone into a bit of action, he takes the roughing call, Denny Carney on his way to the box for
the Milton Keynes line in, we'll wait on the call on that one, there's a two minute penalty
gone on to the board, we suspect roughing and a little bit of something happening in
front of the Milton Keynes bench off the puck, we have plenty of that last Sunday against
the Belfast giants, all the action seems to be off the puck Declan, we couldn't keep
up with what was happening on the puck and what was happening behind the game as well
of course a game that you were involved with down here last Sunday, it is a roughing call
on Carney, he's in the box and another power play for the Manchester Storm, Stannis, flies
it over to Becker, Becker to Hammond, back to Stannis, back to Hammond, shot comes in,
comes off the stick, hits the glass and that will be called out of play, face off in the
Milton Keynes zone though, 143 on the power play here this evening, 6.14 on the clock
in this first period, it still remains Manchester Storm 1, Milton Keynes lightning nil and if
you did miss the goal maybe you did join us lady, it will be a goal that Mick Avingman
in the Milton Keynes let won't be very very happy about conceding, netminder of his standards
will be very very disappointed about letting that one go in but that's where we are and
the Storm once again looking to build from the back on the power play, Chipp and Chase
from Matt Becker, Bickman clears that one around the boards, manages to clear it out
of his zone 2-on-2 break, King now for Milton Keynes, looks to bring it away, pad saver
in the central, Mike Clemente in the Storm net, Milton Keynes that play is over, chance
on the counter attack though for Manchester Storm, don't forget they've got the player
over, they're on the power play but Milton Keynes are back into shape in their D, flashed
across the crease by Mike Hammond looking for Scott Pitt, Scott Pitt playing in the
number 80 blood shirt this evening if you are watching on the webcast and thinking
oh he's not wearing the number 88 that he was announced in, yeah his home shirt yet
to arrive he's playing in the number 80 blood shirt this evening Pitt and he's just waiting
for the puck over the right side but it goes back handed to the far side of the ring, Becker,
Hammond 2-pits, I'm not too sure Declan Barber that Micka Vickman in the net knew an awful
lot about where that puck had finished, no I don't think he saw Pitt on his left side
there and one expert in the fast pass straight across to him and he just got a piece of it
locally for him and it's a tactic that the Manchester Storm have used well on the power
play so far this season, plenty of flash passes across the crease to find somebody on the
far side waiting to tap it home, Vickman alert to that one though, the puck gets him and
it's found its way into his glove, Fleming across the blue line to Trentz, Trentz now
plays it out to the far side, back to Trentz on the blue line, shot comes in from Trentz,
Fleming looking to get his stick on it wasn't all that far away from it as Micka Vickman
went diving across his crease, Bill Sirclean's clear there zone though, 10 seconds left to
go on the power play, the Storm looking for a quick turnaround, Trentz, into the zone
he comes out, Luke Moffitt centre-right, shot, goal and Manchester Storm and when somebody
like Luke Moffitt finds that much space right in the middle of the offensive zone he's not
going to make any mistakes and a little bit of a slow start to the season in Manchester
Storm cutters but really starting to find his skates and find his stick and it's the
third goal of the season for the Storm number nine Luke Moffitt and with 4.31 left to go
in this first period it's Storm 2, MK0 and called straight into immediate defensive work
down in the corner, in fact Earhart just skated away from that one, Scott Pitts trying to bring
the puck out of the Manchester Storm zone to Matt Becker, we've got two officials and
two players getting in each other's way over on the far side, back to Becker though, Hammond
is with him, intercepted though by MK, they've got two on two chance here, it's Hook who
finds it down into the corner, chases in on the forecheck and Mike Clemente not happy
at all, neither is Dallas Earhart, I think Hook might have caught Clemente there, Declan
I'm not sure if you caught it out of the corner of your eye, I was watching the puck once
again but there were certainly a little bit of afters down there after the puck came away.
Yeah it looked like as Hook came to come around and when Clemente played the puck he just caught
a bit of the back heel of each other and Clemente went down and no one hockey, everyone, takes
their goalie, it's number one so Dallas Earhart steps up to it.
It's a Hook and Earhart in the box and we've got some four on four hockey out on the ice,
Fleming fires it across, off the post, big shot coming in from the point for the Manchester
Storm, Matt Stannis who fired the shot away and here's Stannis once again, cross-eyes
pass, shot comes in, that one goes wide from Becker, Storm's still with possession,
trying to get something into the lane, Fleming chasing that one in the corner, Stannis coming
away with it, Trens, back to Trens, takes it past Barrow Paul on the boards, Scott
Pitt behind the net looking to set up, good turn from Trens, back to Pitt, Pitt avoiding
the check very well, manages to keep the puck once again as Milton Keynes start to throw
their bodies in, Springer now on the blue line, looking for space, Springer looking
to take that one round the boards, he had two Milton Keynes players for company though,
no way through for the Storm number 27, shot from the lightning, Padsay, Mike Clemente
and the rebound didn't fall as Barrow Paul thought it might do, got stuck under his
skate, good chance that from MK and MK once again, still on the puck, fires thread across
Mike Clemente's crease, Nickerson now in down the boards, fighting for the puck, Milton
Keynes, Manchester still come away with it, big cross-size pass, it's one on two, things
evening up, and good pressure from the MK defence there, making sure the Storm didn't
have a clean shot away, Hammond breaking it up once again, Pitt with a shot there it
is, it's 3-0 to the Manchester Storm, 3-38 gone in the second period, in fact it was
Luke Moffitt who got the goal for the Manchester Storm, my apologies for that, Moff getting
his second of the night, Storm though with good possession of the putt once again at
the start of this second period, Swindlehurst, post things behind the Milton Keynes net now
the lightning looking to bring things away, one back though by the Storm and here's Swindlehurst
once again, fire to centre-ice to Pitt, Hammond, Becker, back-handed shot by Becker which
has gone over the glove of Major League, when he thought he had it in the Milton Keynes
net, it's popped up and over and found its way into the back of the net, Manchester
Storm 4, Milton Keynes lightning term we mentioned, not sitting back on our laurels with a 2-0
lead, we saw what happened last night, Ryan Finich is going to be a happy man right now.
Yeah absolutely, there's no saying back whatsoever, the sticking together as a team, the sticking
together to the game plans is actually well-finished.
Two goals in the first five minutes and ten seconds for the second period for the Manchester
Storm, 4-0, here in the Storm shelter this Sunday evening, Matt Becker getting another
goal for the Storm, the elite league's leading scorer last term and then of course playing
for the Brayhead clan, doing it in the Storm shelter this Sunday evening and Scott Pitt
gets the assist and his first point in a Manchester Storm jersey, Storm still on the offensive,
another chance coming in and it's another goal for the Manchester Storm, 5-0.
And I have to say another goal I think, Bigman is going to be disappointed with in the Milton
King's net, Luke Moffitt gets his hat-trick here this Sunday evening, the shot came in,
took an affliction off the net, Moffitt was there, ready to tidy it up, I said that Luke
Moffitt had really stepped his game over the last couple of weeks since finding his feet
deck and well the hat-trick is a good way to prove that isn't it?
Yeah, absolutely, especially on that goal there, he managed to get a bit of separation
from his man and Bayer has made a nice little no-look pass there where no one was expecting
it and he just slowed it home, perfect for him.
We're going to change you net-minder for the Milton King's lightning, Vickman has been
replaced by number 90, Adrovne is in goal, of course he was injured for a few weeks,
that's why Micka Vickman was originally signed for the Milton King's lightning as injury
cover, Vickman impressed that much, Pete Russell signed Vickman onto a contract, Nate Fleming
on the blue line, to trends, takes his stumble back to Fleming, Moffitt looking to get goal
number four, we're going to whistle on the play, the play has been whistled down, Adrovne
was on his back, the puck went to the left-hand side of the Milton King's net, take a look
at that one on the replay, comes back to Fleming, Fleming finds it across, trends then comes
in, there's the trick from trends, shot comes in, half shot really from Luke Moffitt, didn't
get all of it, it was cleared to the left-hand side, I'm not really sure what I'm looking
at there Declan Palmer, if I'm being perfectly honest, the net doesn't appear to have come
off its moorings, unless Adrovne did manage to actually cover the puck and we couldn't
see it.
Yeah, I think the ref just lost say of the puck under the big goal, he saw, I think he
just blew it down, just not knowing where the puck was really.
Milton King's back to full strength, another good penalty kill from the lightning, trends
takes a little bit of a slip in defence there for the storm, good puck skill there once
again from the Manchester storm, Rosehill fires it across into the lane, pressure comes
in and the net is off its moorings and we've got a little bit of handbags in front of
the Milton King's net, Adrovne once again is kind of underneath all of that, Luke Moffitt
not happy about something on the nearest side to our commentary position, conversation
on the far side of the net between the Milton King's netminder and I think it was Jay Rosehill
who was involved in there, net came off his moorings though which is what was whistled
down initially and in Sheffield it's the Steelers' nil, Brayhead clan nil and the clan team
bus which all broke down on the way to Sheffield this evening, should have been a five o'clock
face-up I think he should have been but he was put back to six o'clock, Paul Phillips
on the puck for MK, taken away from him by the Manchester storm now to find a little
bit of clear ice, Byers, two hands and good work by Manchester storm, Luke Moffitt skates
around Adrovne in the Milton King's net and the man who's going to have pink hair here
next Saturday has got his fourth goal for the Manchester storm here this evening, is
Manchester storm six, Milton King's lightening nil, any ideas what Luke Moffitt had for breakfast
this morning?
What's about his wee bit?
The breakfast series are available of course, we'll just throw that disclaimer in there,
Springer just turning in, taking the puck away from the pressure that was coming in,
great pass down the line, Mike Hammond looked together on cross-ice to Scott Pitt who was
waiting for it on the far side, however just mis-controlled the pass, just lost the puck
as it came off his stick, Milton King's once again looking to get something going, Doucet
chasing that one in, Forbes, straight across the crease of Mike Clemente, nobody really
looking though for the puck as it flashed across the goal, Vero Paul, he's had a really
good game for the Milton King's lightening, really impressed last time he was here in
the shelter, and we've got a penalty being called, it's Doucet and Paul Swindlehurst
who are having a heated discussion in front of Mike Clemente's crease, and both players
on their way to the penalty box, I think Paul Swindlehurst was just inviting around for
a cup of tea and some biscuits after the game deck, yeah definitely was, back to four
on four hockey then, Swindlehurst in the box for the Manchester storm to set in the box
once again for the Milton King's lightening, and as we mentioned a little bit earlier on
we had some four on four hockey here, it is genuinely amazing how much extra space is
out there with just one man for each side being removed, yeah it opens up the ice completely,
a lot of teams like to go man to man when it becomes four on four, that opens up the
opposite side massively, Milton King's winning that draw, they've got seven minutes, 13 seconds
to try and get something on the board here this evening, Carney, miss hit shots, found
his way through to King, you just couldn't quite get that one on target, and we've got
another penalty coming in on the play, and we've got some handbags down in the corner
sadly just out of our view, you can see it at home, Carney's involved in the midst of
that once again, see is that shot there, that shot comes in, King involved in the initial
hit there, and as you would expect from the Manchester storm, Guy's once again sticking
up for their teammates following in with a big check, however Carney finds himself in
the penalty box, so power play for Manchester storm, four on three, out on the ice, tripping
the call on Carney, just over seven minutes to go in the third period, and we'll see
if the extra space and the extra man can be taken advantage of, hits, cross ice, Becker,
this Bayer's trying to get that turn away shot, couldn't quite dig it out though from
under his skates, the storm come back, now Becker, back to Pitt, plays it around the
boards to Becker, Bayer's with him, Hammond waiting for it on the far side, Storm cycling
the puck on this power play, Hammond looking to find the opening to Pitt, back to Hammond,
still at the top of the lane, will he take a shot, no he gets it away, Bayer's, sorry
Becker firing that one in, and once again I think a drop in through his pads at that
deckline and didn't quite know where it's gone, but from a Milton Kings point of view
he kept it out, which is the main thing. Yeah, with Hammond and Becker, they've just got
that connection where they just find each other, and you never really know what they're
going to do, so I think he was expecting to pass across there and just looking all pad
to him. How much of a difference has Scott Pitt made too, I mean I know he's only been
with us for a couple of days of training since he signed for us in the middle of the week,
but of course that line of Pitt's Hammond and Becker, I mean they put fear into the
elite league last year, playing for Brayhead. Yeah, after playing with Becker last year,
I think he just fits them through perfectly, like those two just find each other and now
they've got a third guy where they just always know where each other's going to be. Shot
coming in from the Manchester Storm, padded away by Adrovne. Springer, Stanis on the
front of the shot, comes in. Adrovne once again, he's kind of taking that back in now,
I think that's Gerard Hansen who's kind of, I think someone's just trying to test exactly
how flexible he is in his hockey pads. Being bent over behind the Milton Kings lightning
net there, Adrovne has frozen the puck now, he managed to get his catcher on that one.
Still got 33 seconds left to play on this four on three spell of the power play. And
referee Tom Perring not happy about something. Stanis coming on for the line change when
the play was ready, ready to go once again and referee just coming over and having a
word in the Manchester Storm Benches ear. Moffitt in there for Manchester. Springer,
Stanis finds it round to Moffitt once again, Stanis looking to get this shot away, he's
setting up. Here is that shot blocked by Essary. It was just behind Springer who was waiting
for it. Springer to Moffitt once again, comes in, pads saved by Adrovne once again, he's
done very well in his crease there, the full butterfly. Pads out both ways, managed to
block the initial shot and also managed to block the rebound as that came in. Storn back
to five skaters, Milton Kings back to four skaters, still 10 seconds of the power play
left to go. Kim and Long just losing that as he was getting led his left fly as he entered
the zone. Milton Kings back to full strength with exactly five minutes left to go in the
third period, it's still storm six, lightning nil here in the storm shelter. Trends around
the back of the net to Swindlehurst. Cross-ice pass from Swindlehurst to Rosehill, Rosehill
chasing that one in himself. Foster coming away with that one for Milton Kings. Now the
race is on down the line. The box seal chasing his own chip and chase, manages to come away
with it. Once again the Manchester storm just taking the line chase there, all very almost
being caught out but it's come okay, it's Hammond with a shot in, Adrovne with a glove
save, he flips it onto the roof of his net, wasn't too far away from getting through.
Becker fighting for it down on the boards. Shane Baker looks to bring it around and
get that one across the lane, however he loses out on the puck. Foster wasn't paying attention
there, puck came across in front of him, he was off for a line change, didn't see it coming.
Nickerson firing that one down into the zone. Milton Kings would have been offside though.
Doucette getting out and getting very quickly back in, he's a Milton Kings player on the
four check. Making sure Dallas Airheart doesn't take too much time, cross-ice pass from the
storm, comes to Vero Paul. Nickerson firing that one straight down the ice and probably
the easiest ice in call we've had of the evening. Milton Kings still pushing right in the way
to the end. Forbes, shot comes in, pad save, Clemente scrambling away around in front of
the crease of the Manchester Storm netminder. Storm clear their zone once again into the
last 10 seconds of the game here in the storm shelter this evening and it's going to finish
the Manchester Storm six. Milton Kings lightning nil, a very entertaining game of hockey. Mike
Clemente gets his first shut-out of this elite league season and that shut-out performance,
Declabarba probably only overshadowed by a certain Mr. Luke Moffitt who put four on
the other end tonight. Yeah, it's always good to see you go all the way out, but I think
when a player scores more than a hat trick, he almost takes it a little bit. Storm players
all going back and giving their netminder lots of love for his shut-outs this evening
and the traditional handshake as the lines of Milton Kings and Manchester Storm make
their way through centre ice. Yeah, you know, every once in a while you have those nights
where everything's going in and our line with Bizi and Hanson. We've been playing well,
just not getting the puck clock, so it was good to finally get some tonight. After the
disappointment of last night, blowing a two-goal lead on the road in Milton Kings, I should
imagine there's maybe jangling a bit at the end of the first tonight. Two nil, was there
any feeling of deja vu in the locker room? Not really. We all woke up this morning with
a pretty bad feeling in our stomach. We gave away those two points last night for sure
against the team. We should have beat when we're up to nothing against them, but we
had a good comeback tonight, came back, everyone was fired up and we had a good performance.
Patrick, hopefully of many in Storm colours this evening. I mean, what goes through your
mind when you just can't stop scoring out there on the ice? I mean, you seem to be everywhere
in the final period as well. Didn't quite manage to get any more shots away on the net,
but every time the puck came loose, you seem to be on the end of it. Yeah, I guess when
you're hot, you're hot, and you just try to take advantage of it when you can, because
those days don't come around very often. So, home and away double-headed for both teams
this weekend and two very, very different results. Yeah, for sure. When you was going
to be tough this weekend, we're pretty short, it's no excuse, but tonight wasn't good enough.
Coming into tonight's game, after having clawed back a two-nil deficit last night and coming
away with the two points, were you feeling confident coming here and how disappointed
are you at the end result? It's a different game altogether, but we thought we could come
and try and stay compact again that we did last night, and then it just never happened
for us tonight. We never really had much. We've had great goaltending all year, we've
been smart on our own end, and tonight everything went wrong. I thought Manchester played pretty
well tonight. They were pretty smart how they played, and they didn't really rough it up
as much. They're just begging or strong on the boards, and we didn't win any battles
on the boards, and it kind of killed us, I think, to be honest. Our D looked tired tonight.
We played 4.5 D last night, a lot of the game. We had to do it to get the result we wanted
last night. He always come pretty well in a game, but we were off tonight for sure.
