MATCH DETAILS:
Sunday 10th June – Ice Hockey Summer Classic Cup
Flintshire Phantoms (Deeside) 7 - Riverside Raiders (Widnes) 5
Period Scores: 2-1, 3-1, 2-3
Penalties In Minutes: Phantoms 11 - Raiders 34
Match Officials: Povall / Alway
Local rivals the Deeside-based Flintshire Phantoms and Widnes-based Riverside Raiders played out a fascinating and highly entertaining game in the Summer Classic cup on Sunday, with the North Wales team coming out 7-5 winners.
Holding the higher place in the league table and having already won 0-6 away in Widnes back in May, the Phantoms went into the game with the upper hand but the Raiders were hopeful of taking back local bragging rights and the result was a finely balanced and closely fought encounter.
The Phantoms opened the scoring after 4 minutes through Ken Valyear but Mike Teinert equalised for the Raiders just 3 minutes later. A goal for George Perrett handed the hosts a 2-1 lead heading into the first break but another equaliser – from Mike Filek just 4 minutes from the restart - put the Raiders back on level terms.
Three straight goals for the Phantoms – from Jason James, Valyear again, and Ondrej Liebelt gave the Flintshire team a significant advantage and they led 5-2 after two periods.
A goal from Jack Walker after 45 minutes gave the Raiders hope of a late surge but they were pegged back again by a David Meadows strike on 48 minutes to make the score 6-3.
Walker struck again just 40 seconds later to drag the score back to 6-4 but Robin Spencer restored the 3-goal cushion with a goal on 52 minutes.
Laurence le Vay rounded off the scoring with a 5th goal for the Raiders on 58 minutes and a bit of pushing and shoving at the end saw misconduct penalties being handed out to Phantoms’ James Ashbrook and Raiders’ Ben Donkin.
The Raiders have an early chance to put Sunday’s defeat behind them when they entertain league leaders Wyre Seagulls this Sunday 17th June at Planet Ice Widnes. The game faces off at 4.30pm and admission is free.
The same evening, the Halton Huskies take on the Blackburn Buccaneers at Widnes in a challenge game. That game faces off at 8.30pm and admission is also free.
The Flintshire Phantoms are away to the Altrincham Aardvarx on Saturday 23rd June in a challenge game and are next at home the next day when they entertain the Sheffield Ice Tigers at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday 24th June.
You can find out more about the Phantoms on their Facebook page HERE
Report by Paul Breeze
Team Line Ups and Player Stats
Flintshire Phantoms: Brian Chalmers, Chris Gorden, Chris Dalavalle (0+1), Daniel Ryall (NM – 29.33 / 3 goals), David Meadows (1+0, 2PIM), Gareth Jones (2PIM), George Perrett (1+0), James Ashbrook (7PIM + GM), Jason James (1+0), Jason McGee, Mark Smith (NM – 30.27 / 2 goals), Ondrej Liebelt (1+0), Robin Spencer (1+0), Ryan Clark, Steven Furber, Stirling Steeves, Thomas Wilson, Patrik Vazan, Ken Valyear (2+0)
Riverside Raiders: Adam Jenkins, Ben Donkin (16PIM), Bobby Samari, Elizabeth Wright (0+2), Howard Hughes, Jack Walker (2+0, 2PIM), James Kelly, Jordan Birtwistle, Laurence le Vay (1+0), Luke Williams, Michael Filek (1+0, 14PIM), Michael Teinert (1+0), Michael Rogers (NM, 60 mins - 7 goals), Nick Jackson, Oskar Emmanuelsson (0+1), Rasti Geroc, Rob Melvin, Stephen Harvey
