SLOUGH PHANTOMS 6-3 DIAMONDS
17th January 2010

After getting their first win early in the New Year at Solihull the Diamonds faced a daunting journey to face an in-form Slough Phantoms side boasting a 100% record, the League’s two top points scorers and having just signed the GB Captain for good measure.

The late face off time of 19.30 became 20.00 due to a late finishing U16 game and it was the home side that had the initial pressure but roughing call on Alice Lamb after only 1.10 gave the Diamonds an early power play opportunity. However, Slough made light of being a player down and Nicole Jackson was forced to save twice in quick succession from Louise Wheeler. It was no surprise when the Phantoms took the lead on 5.07 when a swift break out saw Kingston light in defence and Wheeler beat Katie Firth to set up Laura Byrne to score (0-1). The Phantoms were controlling the puck and looked odds on to score when Sarah Hutchinson was dispatched for bodychecking on 5.56. Jackson saved well before the numbers were evened up when Swiss forward Sabrina Liechti was called for hooking on 6.52. Good Slough passing kept the puck in the Kingston end but eventually Natalie Davies broke out and fed Meagan Geypens but the attack fizzled out. Jackson saved from Angela Taylor before Geypens made a long dangerous break but couldn’t get a shot away. The influential Taylor clipped the Diamonds bar and the Phantoms then had a power play as Firth lost her balance and clattered into Wheeler on the boards on 11.53. Again, however, it was the short handed team that had a great chance as Leen De Decker intercepted a defensive pass but saw her effort saved by Lita Lee Jarrold. Good Kingston defence killed the penalty and they began to get into the game. A defence splitting pass from Holly Cornford put De Decker through again one on one but again the home keeper stood firm. Jackson was forced to smother the puck in a scramble and then Davies blocked a shot, took off with puck but saw her shot saved. The Diamonds were now playing really well on the break and Davies had another good chance saved before another swift break saw the puck get to Geypens on 16.08 and she outstripped the defence to score at the second attempt (1-1). Unfortunately the visitors couldn’t hold out and with a little over a minute until the end of the period a blue line shot rebound was snaffled by Carla Macmillan (1-2).

At the start of the second period Slough were quickly out of the blocks and Kingston simply couldn’t clear the puck for some time but when they did lift the siege Davies shot just wide. Both keepers were in action and then good work down the boards by Kirsten Deighton set up a chance for Geypens but she couldn’t connect. Davies had an effort saved and at the other end cool defensive work by Cornford stopped Taylor getting through. Becky Craig and Kimberley Hughes opened up the defence for De Decker who hit the net minder, while Jackson stopped a point blank MacMillan effort and then foiled Taylor as the pace picked up in what was becoming an excellent game. Davies sent a glorious pass to Geypens but couldn’t quite reach the return. Cornford sent De Decker through the centre and a neat drop pass gave Craig a shooting chance. Geypens forced a big rebound but there were no Kingston forwards in the right place to take advantage but on 31.47 the Diamonds got a deserved equalizer as De Dekker got in front of her marker to flick in Craig’s pass from out on the right wing (2-2). Jackson had to be at her best to save a Taylor bomb but defensively the Phantoms were looking increasingly jittery and on 33.19 the Diamonds went into the lead when Hutchinson found herself in front of the Slough net and kept her composure to score (3-2). A long break out from Cornford set up Geypens but Jarrold saved and then good defensive work stopped the Canadian’s progress. As the period moved into the last two minutes Slough mounted a series of attacks. The Diamonds took an unfortunate bench penalty for too many men on the ice on 38.43 and then faced a 5 on 3 for the final minute with Geypens called for hooking. It took only a few seconds for Taylor to make the most of the numerical advantage as she bundled the puck in from close range on 39.09 (3-3). However, there was controversy surrounding the goal with the Diamonds strongly claiming that the referee had already whistled the play dead. Despite this setback Kingston managed to hold out for the remainder of an exciting period.

A long ice cut gave both teams a rest and after the restart it was the Phantoms on the power play who pressed. Jackson saved from Taylor and killed the rebound and then she saved an effort from Wheeler. A Slough shot was deflected onto the top of the bar and the Diamonds were forced to expend a lot of energy defending. Eventually a bit of individual skill from GB skipper Taylor broke the stalemate as she held onto the puck round the back of the net until a shooting chance opened up and she found a gap at the near post on 44.13 (3-4). The reply from Kingston was immediate and De Decker was through when she was taken out from behind but surprisingly no penalty was called. The game was still being played at full tilt and a crunching collision between Taylor and Hutchinson left the Phantoms forward on the ice for a while before she was able to skate to the bench. Davies sprung Geypens through the centre but her shot was saved and shortly after her pass out of defence was intercepted but Taylor’s shot hit Jackson’s face mask. The dangerous Taylor hit the bar as Slough upped the intensity and then on 47.58 Wheeler burst through with the benefit of a couple of fortunate  ricochets and beat Jackson (3-5). The Diamonds needed a quick response and De Decker was through yet again but was taken out by Taylor and this time a bodychecking penalty was called but the Phantoms penalty kill unit saw off the two minutes without any real alarms and, back to full strength, they went on the attack with a flashing shot clipping the outside of Jackson’s post. The Diamonds looked to be tiring after working tirelessly for the previous 50  minutes and eventually pressure from the home team yielded a goal from Taylor on 52.58 (3-6). Geypens carved through the Slough defence leaving Taylor and Lamb in her wake but couldn’t beat Jarrold. Taylor let rip with a shot from the slot but Jackson was equal to it and then made a good save in heavy traffic close to the net before thwarting Taylor once more. As the clock ticked down Cornford ventured forward and had two efforts saved in the last action of a fast and exciting game.

Yet another good performance by the Diamonds on the road against a top four team that came up just short – the story of the season so far. Tons of endeavour, committed defending and some excellent approach work but the team just couldn’t sustain it for the full 60 minutes. In the end the Phantoms outshot the Diamonds 61 to 33 and deserved their win but it took them threequarters of the game to get in front and they were indebted in the end to their big game players who just had too much craft and experience for the Kingston tyros.