Double loss blow for Lightning
League campaign off to disappointing start
Milton Keynes Lightning's English Premier League season got off to a disappointing start as they were beaten in both games at the weekend.
They went down 3-2 to Sheffield Scimitars on Saturday after leading 2-1 at the first break and the following day they lost 5-3 at Bracknell Bees after taking a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes.
Scimitars stunned Lightning with a goal on 2m 36s when a stray dropped stick on the ice was enough to deflect Lloyd Gibson's cross from the right into the path of Robert Farmer and he slotted past goalie Barry Hollyhead.
In the first few minutes Lightning had to soak up a lot of pressure but they got back on terms when the third line – the most lively of the three combinations – produced the equaliser on 13m 12s. Matt Towalski charged forward and shot with the puck rebounding to Grant McPherson to tuck away.
The hosts went in front at 17m 46s when Ales Parez found a gap to the left of netminder Paul Jones.
Lightning started the second session brightly but Sheffield gradually fought their way back and Zdenek Sikl forced a great save from Hollyhead shortly before he set up Peter Slamiar for the leveller at 29m 4s.
Patrik Zgibor then produced an effort which Hollyhead could only parry but the Sheffield player could not put away the rebound.
The home side were handed an early powerplay in the third period when Ben Morgan was called for tripping Adam Carr but they could not get close enough to goal to make it count.
The winning goal came after James Archer was penalised for tripping Oliver Barron and Scimitars capitalised with the extra man – Sikl the provider for Morgan with a pass across the face of goal to find a gaping hole beyond Hollyhead on 46m 15s.
From then on there was no way back for Lightning, even after Hollyhead was withdrawn in favour of the extra skater with 50 seconds remaining.
At Bracknell Andre Smulter fired the travelling side in front after three minutes and Nick Poole doubled the lead on 9m 52s with a powerplay goal following Scott Moody's penalty for tripping Michael Wales.
But Bracknell started to turn the game in their favour just before the break when Tom Duggan netted on the powerplay and they scored two further powerplay efforts in the second session through Peter Jasik and Joe Greener.
Further gloom hit Lightning in the third period with two more unanswered home goals before Smulter struck with about two minutes to go to give the visitors what was no more than a consolation goal.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Milton Keynes
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
