Phantoms completed a creditable three point weekend with a pulsating home tie with high flying Guildford Flames on Sunday evening with Joe Miller helping himself to four of the goals.

Phantoms were without suspended head coach Tim Peacock, leaving Jon Kynaston and Paul Bignell to call the shots and they were off to a flyer as Joe Miller left his marker for dead to whip home Phantoms opener with just over two minutes on the clock. Shortly after taking the lead, Phantoms lost big defenceman Doug MacIver who took a nasty puck to the face but he timed his return from treatment just right as Joe Miller fired home his second with exactly seven minutes on the game. Flames pulled one back on the powerplay at 8:26 through Masa but Phantoms ended the opening period 2-1 ahead, albeit a number of missed opportunities could have given them a more comfortable lead.

The visitors opened the second period in the ascendancy as Phantoms struggled to regain their first period tempo and Smital deservedly tied the game on 23:24 with a neat finish in close and when Gary Clarke was left wide open on 29:33, the former Milton Keynes marksman rifled home in style to put Flames ahead for the first time. As the game passed the mid-point, Phantoms found themselves back on the powerplay and having missed a good opportunity just seconds earlier, Maris Ziedins regained the puck out wide and skated in to whip home a trademark wristshot to bring the scores level again. Having restored their hi-tempo game, Phantoms dominated the remainder of the period and Joe Miller was on hand to crash home a big rebound to complete his hat-trick on 37:22 and leave Phantoms back in front going into the final period.

Phantoms had the dream start to the final twenty when Brent Gough showed great determination to drive in from wide and backhand home on a 4on4 play just 69 seconds from the start but dangerman Masa was left unmarked to crash in 1on1 to beat Stephen Wall through the five-hole with still only 42:26 on the clock. With tiring legs leaving the game increasingly wide open, it was Flames who pounced next with Masa completing his hat-trick on 51:56 but the home crowd were back on their feet with just over four minutes left on the game when that man Joe Miller was again on the spot to make a steal in front and crash home for his fourth goal on the night and Phantoms 6-5 ahead. As the clock ran down, Flames threw everything at the Phantoms goal and deservedly tied the game once more with just 1:48 left on the clock.

There was no more scoring in regulation time and the game entered sudden death overtime, Phantoms eighth period of hockey over the weekend. Flames threatened first but Stephen Wall stayed big to bounce away a point blank effort before James Morgan looked to have an open goal on the back post but the puck agonisingly slipped behind his stick and through his legs. Seconds later it was all over as former Phantom Nathan Rempel jumped on to a neat pass to finish top shelf and secure the extra point for Flames.

Phantoms Man of the Match was four goal Joe Miller.

Phantoms opened their tough weekend with a stunning come from behind victory over the Scimitars in Sheffield on Saturday night.

An open and free flowing first twenty looked destined to finish goalless until Haywood broke the deadlock with just 22 seconds left on the clock. Scims extended their lead early in the second courtesy of the same player but Phantoms jumped back into the game on 25:23 with a goal from Maris Ziedins. After this point, the game descended into mayhem for Phantoms as they fell foul of referee Dave Goodwin who called a string of penalties on Phantoms players, culminating in a match penalty on coach Tim Peacock at period end after the two clashed verbally on the ice. As Phantoms players queued to enter the penalty box, the home side grabbed their opportunity, rattling in a succession of powerplay goals to finish the period 5-1 ahead.

Period three saw the coach-less Phantoms fired up and looking to make their point and Shaun Yardley’s goal on 48:37 lit the blue touch-paper and set up the most spectacular display of fireworks during the next ten minutes as Doug MacIver crashed one home just 33 seconds later and then Joe Miller struck for 5-4 at 51:34. With Phantoms in the ascendancy, James Knight - fresh from sitting out a ten minute penalty - grabbed the game tieing goal with still more than six minutes left on the game.

Doug MacIver sat out a late minor penalty to lift the seige on the Scims goal but Phantoms kept the home side at bay and ended regulation time at 5-5 and with a powerplay of their own. Phantoms started the overtime period 4on3 and James Morgan wasted no time in nailing the winner to secure the most unlikely of come back wins.

Phantoms man of the Match was Joe Miller. Sunday night sees Guildford Flames at Bretton for a 5:30pm face-off.

At 8:15pm on the evening of Wednesday 3rd March 2010, two very different hockey teams will take to the ice at Peterborough Arena for the annual Phantoms Charity Game.

What is very different about these two teams is that it is a requirement that the players who have signed up can not skate. Of course they will now be cramming in the ice-time to get up to speed for the big night or at least to get into sufficient shape to jump off the bench without falling flat on their faces !

The reason they are signing up for what should be a hugely entertaining and eventful evening is, of course, to raise money for this years chosen charities which are SportAid, Active Inspiration and Cancer Research (Hockey Fights Cancer).

2009’s hugely successful event raised a fantastic £4,000 but all involved are hoping to exceed that from the 2010 game.

Funds are being raised in a number of ways ………

• by sponsoring the individual players directly
• by securing a match night sponsor
• by selling spectator tickets - you can also pay for entry on the night at £3 each
• via a game shirt and hockey memorabilia auction to be held at a Phantoms game later in March
• via donation on Phantoms.Com via the DONATE button below

This year’s two rosters will include the following ……..

Kev & Abby (Heart FM), Mikey Clarke (Lite FM), Emma Foster (Thomas Cook), Toby Clark (Phantoms), Bo Turner (Peterborough CC), Craig Morley (DalRod), Miranda Lundie (Capitol Letters), Leigh Porter (Yours Clothing), Cameron Brownlie (Marshall Peugeot), Steve Briggs (Evening Telegraph), Lee Langley (National Express), Tracy Rosella (City & County), Alick Whittingham (Phantoms Barmy Army), David Jackson (Phantoms Online Forum), Paul Corbridge (Peterborough Power Station), Mark Kerr (Saxons US Football), Julian Willis (Fenmarc), Katie Lawrence (General & Medical), Serena Day (Cross Keys Homes), Alethea Snart (Thomas Cook), Chris Weston (Woodcock Holmes).

Phantoms would like to say an extra big thank you to General & Medical Healthcare who have kindly stepped forward to be our match sponsors for the 2010 Charity Game.

Phantoms greeted their new coach, Tim Peacock, with their worst home showing since the start of the season, trailing in a distant second to the Swindon Wildcats on Sunday evening.

Despite a disjointed opening that saw the visitors marginally on top, it was Phantoms who opened the scoring on 15:34 as James Knight crashed on to a neat pass from wing-man James Spurr to deflect home. On 17:32, Wildcats tied the game when Jozef Kohut was left wide open to ghost in and beat Stephen Wall from close in and the well deserved goal heralded a 32 second spell of defensive suicide as Kohut and linemate Jason Cassells were both gifted simple close range finishes to end the period 1-3 in favour of the Wildcats.

Phantoms found a little more energy in the second period and pulled a goal back via James Spurr on 23:11 but, for the most part, the Wildcats D was controlling their zone with Jan Krajicek in imposing form and Chris Douglas in typical athletic mode between the pipes.

The home side needed an early strike in the final period but struggled to create any sustained offensive play and a powerplay goal from Danilics on 50:07 was more than merited as Wildcats ran out comfortable 2-4 winners.

Phantoms man of the match went to James Knight.

Peterborough Phantoms today parted company with Head Coach Doug Irwin.

After what has proved a difficult season for the team on the ice, with inconsistent performances that haven’t been helped by a catalogue of injuries, the club’s management team have decided to make the change whilst the team are still in the hunt to try and retain their play-off title. Owner Phil Wing said, “we thank Doug for his efforts this season but felt that now is the right time to make the change as we push for the end of season honours and a positive close to the campaign”.

The Head Coach responsibility for the remainder of the season has been handed to Tim Peacock. Tim has been Asssistant Coach for the past two seasons and is a former player with the Peterborough Pirates. On this appointment Wing said, “Tim has worked with the players over the last two years and knows their strengths and weaknesses very well. We feel confident that he can maintain our league position as we try and get the team back to full health over the next few weeks and it will also give him the opportunity, with a reasonable amount of time, to put his own mark on the team”.