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.
