It was a night of milestones at Planet Ice Peterborough as the Wendy’s Peterborough Phantoms picked up a four point weekend with an excellent victory over the league champions, the Swindon Wildcats.
Will Bray got his first start between the pipes for the Phantoms as Hayden Lavigne took a well earned rest ahead of the playoffs. Janne Laakkonen was looking to reach 100 points for the season, whilst Cam Hough is chasing down the NIHL National single season record goal tally.
They had a golden chance to take the lead early on when Ralfs Circenis was awarded a penalty shot, but he saw his attempt saved by Tyler Perre in the Cats’ net.
But Phantoms did take the lead a couple of minutes later when Luke Ferrara sent Hough towards goal and Phantoms’ #29 sniped a great shot into the top corner.
Phantoms continued to threaten, but after Hough went close again on a powerplay, the Cats broke shorthanded and Logan Vande Meerakker went to the backhand and squeezed the puck in between Bray’s skates and the goalpost.
Ashley Tait’s side restored their lead four minutes later, however, with a lovely powerplay marker. It was a move which saw Laakkonen find Circenis, who dropped it off for Hough to rip into the top shelf.
Both sides continued to threaten after the first intermission with Tom Norton and Hough going close to Phantoms’ third, whilst Will Bray expertly gloved down an Aaron Nell shot from the middle of the zone.
Swindon broke Phantoms’ resolve for a second time in the game at 32:03 as Caden Villegas marked his first visit to Peterborough with the equalising goal for the away side.
But after Billy Thorpe and Hough were both denied by Perre, it was Cam Hough again ringing out from the stands as the Canadian forward restored Phantoms’ lead with an expertly taken hat-trick goal - a goal which saw Laakkonen hit 100 points for the season!
And it was becoming the Hough show on 39 minutes when he broke away and made no mistake with his finish into the far corner, picking up goal number 61 on the season, levelling the all time single season NIHL National scoring record.
The Wildcats continued to show their resolve and firepower which saw them claim the title, though, as they struck first in the third. It was Villegas again on the scoresheet as he tapped home after a smart cross crease feed from Sam Godfrey.
Bray was called into action several times in the closing stages as the Cats pushed for a leveller, making a string of saves which included a Vande Meerakker penalty shot.
And the scoring was rounded off by Luke Ferrara, who broke up ice and sent the puck into the empty net to seal an excellent win and a four point weekend.
FINAL SCORE: Peterborough Phantoms 5-3 Swindon Wildcats
Phantoms goals:
5:40 (PP 1-0 SW): #29 Cam Hough / #19 Luke Ferrara / #62 Janne Laakkonen (EHG)
12:21 (PP 2-1 SW): #29 Cam Hough / #33 Ralfs Circenis / #62 Janne Laakkonen (PPG)
36:37 (PP 3-2 SW): #29 Cam Hough (Hat-Trick) / #62 Janne Laakkonen / #19 Luke Ferrara (EHG)
39:00 (PP 4-2 SW): #29 Cam Hough / #19 Luke Ferrara / #62 Janne Laakkonen (EHG)
57:58 (PP 5-3 SW): #19 Luke Ferrara / #62 Janne Laakkonen / #25 Billy Thorpe (ENG)
Wildcats goals:
8:25 (PP 1-1 SW): #23 Logan Vande Meerakker / #11 Chris Jones / #61 Sam Godfrey (SHG)
32:03 (PP 2-2 SW): #26 Caden Villegas / #19 Aaron Nell (EHG)
42:57 (PP 4-3 SW): #26 Caden Villegas / #61 Sam Godfrey (EHG)
Phantoms man of the match: #40 Will Bray
Wildcats man of the match: #26 Caden Villegas