EPL ICE HOCKEY:

by Mike Appleton

LEIGH Jamieson scored a dramatic overtime winner to send Milton Keynes Lightning through to Sunday's EPL Play-Off Finals with a 3-2 win over Manchester Phoenix.

Just 19 seconds were remaining of a game that had almost slipped away from his team when he poked a loose puck past Stephen Fone.

Before then, a second period double looked to have ended Phoenix' hopes of progressing to the Final.

Matt Towalski and Adam Brittle took advantage of lapses in the defence to fire home just after the half hour mark.

As good as Milton Keynes were though, Phoenix were a shadow of the side that lifted the League Championship recently.

But they proved in the space of 25 seconds just why they are title holders.

Pavel Gomenyuk managed to stuff home a pass from Curtis Huppe on 58:47 then Tony Hand smashed home his 29th of the season to send the game into overtime.

But Jamieson ensured his side's progression - and on the balance of play it was well deserved.

Mindful of only having won one game against the Phoenix in six outings this season, Lightning started the better with Blaz Emersic firing an early tester before Brittle forced a quality save from Fone.

But Phoenix eased into the match following Towalski's Interference penalty and then had another opportunity when Michael Wales was called for Slashing.

With five minutes left in the period Manchester's Marcus Kristofferson was called for Holding – the resultant powerplay unfruitful.

Lukas Zatopek rattling Fone's crossbar late on.

Then, two goals in three second period minutes turned the match on its head.

After weathering some early Phoenix' attack, two opportunistic shots gave Milton Keynes a 2-0 lead.

Firstly, Towalski fired home as Grant McPherson won the face-off on 30:03, then Brittle latched on to Monir Kalgoum's feed on 32:57.

It was a devastating blow for the League Champions and they appeared shell-shocked, spending the majority of the period trying to get out of their own zone.

And if it wasn't for Fone, it could have been a lot worse.

The third period ebbed and flowed with Phoenix having all the possession but Barry Hollyhead was in no mood let them back in to it, making a couple of fine saves.

Lightning's defence though, marshalled by the excellent Jamieson and Michael Farn, deserved all the plaudits for keeping the top-line of Hand, Kristofferson and Huppe quiet.

In fact, that 370+ point line couldn't use the big ice to their advantage all afternoon.

Frustrations boiled over as the game headed to a conclusion with Kristofferson and Adam Carr heading to the box for Cross Checking and Roughing respectively; quickly followed by Phoenix' Joe Miller and MK's Kalgoum (both High-Sticking).

Andrew Sharp was then given a Game Misconduct for leaving the bench and trying to instigate a fight.

But Phoenix aren't Champions for a reason and two goals in 25 seconds sent the game into overtime.

Pavel Gomenyuk beat Hollyhead all ends up on 58:17 then Tony Hand rolled back the years with a characteristic rifle home.

Fone made a wonder save early in the overtime period and then denied Zatopek with another world class stop.

But the Lightning had taken the additional five minutes by the scuff of the neck by then and with just 19 seconds remaining, Jamieson sent his charges into dreamland.