Lightning pair share landmark night with win over Leeds

Lightning celebrate scoring against Leeds. Pic: Tony Sargent

Former Milton Keynes Lightning head coach Nick Poole returned to Planet Ice on Saturday to honour one of the team’s longest-serving players – home grown Leigh Jamieson who was joined by his wife, Janine for a presentation to mark 500 appearances for the club.

‘Jaimo’ completed the milestone during last weekend’s game at Swindon Wildcats and was closely followed to the half-millennium total by Grant McPherson who made his 500th appearance at Hull Pirates on Sunday. Ironically he would have reached the 500 mark ahead of Jamieson had he not been suspended for sticking up for his team-mate during a bench clearance at Telford Tigers a few weeks ago.

Rio Grinell-Parke went on to bag a hat-trick when the team confirmed their place in the end of season play-offs with a comfortable 7-4 win over Leeds Chiefs while Tomas Kana hit three when MK were edged out 6-5 at Hull

Lightning were 7-4 winners against Leeds Chiefs. Pic: Tony Sargent

On Saturday MK went 3-0 ahead in the first ten minutes and made it five without reply before Leeds scored twice in three minutes towards the end of the second session.

Lightning James Griffin opened Lightning’s tally on the powerplay after 4mins 26secs before the ever improving Grinell-Parke scored the second on 6mins 23secs. After 9mins 57secs it was 3-0 through Russell Cowley.

Richard Bentham’s trip on Taylor Dickin proved costly for Leeds gave MK a powerplay during which Tom Carlon passed from behind the net to Liam Stewart who hit a first time blast to increase the lead to 4-0 at 23mins 19secs. Goal number five was the result of a great piece of team-work – Stewart breaking from defence to feed Dickin who supplied Grinell-Parke at 28mins 30secs.

Lewis Houston powerplay strike on 32mins 7secs opened Leeds’ scoring and they followed up with a second at 35mins 11secs through Adam Barnes.

Harry Ferguson’s hard work in front of goal was rewarded on 46mins 17secs before a Stewart rocket was blocked but not held by the goalie only for Grinell-Parke to follow up and put the puck away at 49mins 26secs to make it 7-2. Chiefs took their tally to three thanks to Houston at 53mins 57secs ahead of Lewis Baldwin firing in a shot at 57mins 59secs for a 7-4 final score.

A Tomas Kana hat-trick was not enough to ensure Lightning success on Humberside when they lost out by the odd goal in 11 as the battle for mid-table places continued on Sunday. While the finishing spots in the middle of the National Ice Hockey League may not seem to matter in fact they do in determining the end of season play-off groups. Fifth spot would mean Lightning playing the league champions but avoiding the second and third placed teams. The top two teams in each group qualify for the Coventry finals weekend so fifth place would, on paper, be preferable.

Lightning went into Sunday’s game in that coveted fifth place but the 6-5 loss at Hull Pirates meant they slipped to sixth.

Kana got the first of his three goals on the powerplay with a blue line shot on 13mins 23secs. By then Lightning were a goal behind, having conceded after 1min 20secs thanks to Sam Towner.

When Cale Tanaka dropped the gloves he earned two minutes for roughing with his Hull opponent, declining the encounter, remaining unpenalised. That put Pirates on the powerplay and Lee Bonner gave the hosts the lead again after 18mins 39secs.

Within seconds it was 3-1 thanks to a Jordan Fisher strike at 19mins 17secs but within 17 seconds of the middle period Lewis Christie scored his first goal of the season for MK before Hull registered the next goal when James Archer scored after 24mins 25secs.

Lightning made the most of a powerplay as McPherson celebrated his 500th game with a goal on 30mins 45secs.

Hull replied when Bissonnette was on the mark after 34mins 25secs. –the response from Lightning was swift thanks to a delay of the game call on Kevin Phillips 15 seconds later. Kana scored the all-important fourth goal on the powerplay at 35mins 45secs to keep MK in with a real chance.

Despite early pressure from Lewis Clifford’s men, Hull edged further in front with Bonner beating Skinns on 46mins 23secs to give the home outfit a 6-4 lead. Kana completed his hat-trick on 50mins 32secs to set up a tense final few minutes with Lightning desperately seeking an equaliser.

In a final throw of the dice Skinns was withdrawn to enable an extra skater to take the ice but Pirates’ rear-guard could not be breached.