SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2006
HNA TIER 5 FALL/WINTER LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
PHANTOMS vs. FIREBLADES
Phantoms 1 – Fireblades 2 (SO)
BENSENVILLE, IL – Last season, the Phantoms and the Fireblades
met in the championship game, and the Phantoms were blanked
2-0. With elimination on the line for both teams, and the memory
of last year’s matchup fresh in everyone’s mind,
the stage was set for an epic on-ice battle. While it might
not have been exactly “epic,” the game was anything
but boring.
The first period was a constant battle in the neutral zone,
as each team denied the attack and forced turnovers and waged
prolonged battles along the boards.
About halfway through the second period, the Phantoms jumped
ahead due to a beautiful tic-tac-toe play. Speedy winger, James
“Open Bar” Abella cruised down the boards and into
the Fireblades zone. Pulling a move he learned from repeated
viewings of Top Gun, Abella slammed on the brakes and
watched the defender “fly right by.”
Abella quickly fired the puck across to Bo “Make Each
Shift” Coonce in the slot, who hesitated for a split-second
before sliding the biscuit to David “He Ain’t Fakin’,
He’s” Deacon, who sat all alone by the side of the
net. Deacon one-timed the puck in before the goalie could react,
and the Phantoms bench erupted in jubilation, celebration, and
dreams of post-game inebriation.
The Phantoms defense of Ron “The Mad Accountant”
Axe, Scott “Marcel Marceau” Battle, and Dan “3-Wood”
Phillips, were joined on the blueline by Randy “It’s
The Third Freakin’ Round Of The Playoffs, And You’re
Still Calling Me Peaches” Cochran. Cochran adjusted quickly
to his defensive duties, and all four worked as a solid unit,
denying the Fireblades at every turn.
Of course, it was the stellar work of the man between the pipes,
AJ “The Brick Hit-House” Brandt, who kept the Fireblades
off of the scoreboard. Brandt made a number of spectacular saves,
and the rest of the team fed off of his intensity and drive.
The Phantoms had a golden opportunity to pull ahead by another
goal in the third period. Left wing, V “Is For Vendetta”
Tongwarin worked the puck out of the corner and over to John
“The Leveling Litigator” Cullis in the slot. Cullis
faked the shot and instead passed the biscuit to the opposite
slot, where Greg “The Southern Dandy” Rolnick unleashed
a wicked slap shot that was heading for the top shelf of the
net.
In an instant, everything started to move in slow motion, and
Rolnick gazed in horror as the sprawling goalie’s glove
came out of nowhere to snag the puck just before it could cross
the goal mouth. Every player on the ice, Phantom and Fireblade
alike, stood for a long moment in silence, gaping in amazement
and incredulity at the play. Finally, Rolnick broke the quiet
with a mournful wail of, “ARE YOU [expletive deleted]
[expletive deleted] ME?!?!?!?”
With only two minutes left to go in the game and the score still
1-0, the Phantoms tried valiantly to kill off the clock and
keep the puck out of their own zone. However, the Fireblades
were not to be denied.
As the clock ticked down to 1:51 remaining, the Fireblades took
control of the puck in the bottom corner of the Phantoms zone,
parallel to the net. In an attempt to get the puck in front
of the net, the Fireblades winger threw a pass towards the crease.
Brandt was screened by a number of players and couldn’t
see the puck, which ricocheted off of a skate and in between
his leg and the near post.
The game ended in a 1-1 tie, and after five minutes of overtime
play, the score remained unchanged. Following HNA playoff protocol,
the game then went to a shootout.
While Battle, Coonce and Cochran were denied, Cullis and Rolnick
scored. The Fireblades scored two as well, and the shootout
then went into a sudden death format. After the Fireblades made
their sixth attempt, it all came down to one shot.
The Phantoms elected to send Cullis back in, and although he
made a nice move, the goalie was able to get a piece of the
puck and make the save. And with that, the Phantoms season came
to an end.
It was a hard fought game, and while the Fireblades now move
on to play the Mutiny, the Phantoms are left to gear up for
the abbreviated summer season.
Stay tuned to the Chicago Phantoms website for this year’s
season ending awards and updates on the summer campaign…
GAME NOTES: The Phantoms and Fireblades both had 19 shots through
overtime; The Phantoms PP went 0-4, but the PK killed off both
Phantom penalties; Over the last two seasons, matches between
the Phantoms and Fireblades have never been decided by more
than two goals; Check your local listings this summer as ESPN
8 the Ocho airs a behind the scenes Phantoms documentary, “Phantastic!
The Phantoms & Their Phans,” shot at the numerous
team charity events over the course of the season. The Phantoms
Charities are proud to have raised an impressive $208.37 for
the “Keep Jeff Blake In Chicago Fund.” The KJBCF
is aimed at raising enough cash to sufficiently bribe Blake’s
boss into eliminating Blake’s travel schedule in 2007.
The phone lines are still open, so donate today! |