Phantoms opened their 2018/2019 season with a challenge game win in Basingstoke in the first leg of the Billy Glover Memorial Cup.
A feisty affair served up sixty minutes in penalties resulting in five powerplay goals, the first of which gave Phantoms the lead on 10:05 when a neat pass from Will Weldon set up Tom Norton to round the Bison netminder and open the scoring. The lead lasted less than four minutes as Liam Morris was left wide open to beat Jordan Marr with the only even-handed goal of the game. A late powerplay saw Phantoms regain the lead right on the buzzer when Corey McEwen despatched with assists from Ales Padelek and Tom Norton.
An even middle period resulted in many penalties but no goals, a situation that was remedied just 41 seconds into the final period when a James White penalty was punished by a wrist shot from point through the crowd from Tom Ralph.
A holding call on Bison’s Adam Jones at 48:37 served up the only goal of the final period, when the resulting powerplay saw Tom Norton and James Ferrara working the puck back to Ales Padelek who unleashed a beast through Alex Mettam for what was to prove the game winning goal. A string of further penalties on Bison limited their opportunities to respond, leaving Phantoms to run out comfortable winners.
The second leg of the Billy Glover Memorial Cup will be at Bretton Sunday, face-off 5:30pm.
Game Stats HERE.