The Wendy’s Peterborough Phantoms fought back from three goals down to take a point against the Bristol Pitbulls, but came out on the wrong side of the penalty shootout.
Ales Padelek’s Pitbulls took the lead on 12:26, when Caly Robertson found Owen Smetham in the right circle and he dispatched his shot beyond Hayden Lavigne.
The doubled their lead in controversial fashion, as Bayley Harewood skated into Lavigne and the puck went over the line - goal given.
Phantoms took their timeout after the second goal but it was to no avail, as Jacob Bryceland extended the visitors lead to three at 16:27.
Ashley Tait’s side pulled one back with 20 seconds to play on the period, as Dillon Lawrence found space out in front and fired a powerplay goal beyond Tommy Nappier.
Phantoms had a big chance to get another back at 26:49 when they were awarded a penalty shot, but Nappier saved Cam Hough’s effort.
Another penalty shot was awarded at 38:46 when Jake Bricknell scythed down Morgan Clarke-Pizzo, but Nappier denied Luke Ferrara and it remained 1-1.
That was until Jasper Foster redirected a Billy Thorpe blue line effort, which wrong-footed the Pitbulls’ goalie and trickled into the net.
And the leveller followed just a couple of minutes later, when Ferrara blasted a fierce shot into the back of the net, five seconds into a powerplay.
But they weren’t level for long, as a fortunate bounce out in front saw Cam Hamill lift his shot into the top corner at 33:25.
Zaine McKenzie ensured the sides would go into the second intermission all square, though, as he fired in his first goal of the season on his home season debut for the Phantoms.
The third period was end-to-end, but lacked real quality in front of goal. Overtime was largely the same - albeit Phantoms did think they’d won as they found the net, only to find Chris Wells had called Janne Laakkonen for interference instead.
Phantoms killed the penalty well, but Harewood scored the only goal of the shootout to take the extra point back to Bristol.
PP - Lawrence - Miss
BP - R.Smetham - Miss
PP - Ferrara - Miss
BP - Bricknell - Miss
PP - Hough - Miss
BP - Harewood - Goal
FINAL SCORE: Peterborough Phantoms 4-5 Bristol Pitbulls (After Penalty Shots)
Phantoms goals:
19:40 (PP 1-3 BP): #14 Dillon Lawrence / #33 Ralfs Circenis / #62 Janne Laakkonen (PPG)
30:01 (PP 2-3 BP): #95 Jasper Foster / #25 Billy Thorpe (EHG)
32:17 (PP 3-3 BP): #19 Luke Ferrara / #14 Dillon Lawrence / #62 Janne Laakkonen (PPG)
39:28 (PP 4-4 BP): #24 Zaine McKenzie / #45 Callum Buglass / #19 Luke Ferrara (EHG)
Pitbulls goals:
12:26 (PP 0-1 BP): #72 Owen Smetham / #92 Caly Robertson / #91 Mason Lipsey (EHG)
15:03 (PP 0-2 BP): #77 Bayley Harewood / #29 Calum McGill (EHG)
16:27 (PP 0-3 BP): #14 Jacob Bryceland / #26 Jake Bricknell / #77 Bayley Harewood (EHG)
33:25 (PP 3-4 BP): #7 Cameron Hamill / #10 John Dunbar / #72 Owen Smetham (EHG)
65:00 (PP 4-5 BP): #77 Bayley Harewood (SO)
Phantoms man of the match: #14 Dillon Lawrence
Pitbulls man of the match: #77 Bayley Harewood