Hand snaps up Holland early

Manchester Phoenix head coach Tony Hand has made his first summer signing in preparation for the 2010/11 season with feisty winger Dean Holland putting pen to paper.

The 21 year old Geordie is an addition to the home grown talent already on the Phoenix roster for the new season and has spent the past few seasons playing for the Newcastle Vipers in the Elite Ice Hockey League.

Tony Hand said, “I’m very pleased to have signed a player like Dean so early in the summer. He’s an energy player and will bring some grit to our team for next season.

“Dean will bring another excellent work ethic to our roster and I’m sure the fans will like what they see from him.”

He joins Phoenix returnees Adam Summerfield, Luke Boothroyd, Greg Wood and Ben Wood who have all signed on for next term.

Holland said, “Manchester is a big city and in sporting terms demands winners, and I’m coming to the Phoenix to do exactly that – to win.”

Phoenix bow out in Semi Final

Manchester Phoenix 1-2 Slough Jets

Manchester Phoenix’s season ended on Saturday night at the Coventry Skydome as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against the eventual playoff champions Slough Jets.

After dramatically clinching a place at the playoff finals last week, Phoenix were paired with the Jets in the second semi final and fought bravely for sixty minutes before eventually falling to a Blaz Emersic goal in the third period.

Phoenix took the lead in the first period, player coach Tony Hand found James Neil at the back post and he crashed home on the powerplay.

However the Jets drew level in the first minute of the second period, with Slava Koulikov firing a slapshot past netminder Steve Fone in the Phoenix net. The third period saw Manchester control the flow of the game, but Greg Rockman held firm in the Slough net before Blaz Emersic broke in on goal to score the game winner against the run of play.

Slough Jets went on to beat the Guildford Flames in the final on Sunday by the same scoreline, Emersic doing the damage again for the Jets with a penalty shot winner in overtime.

Phoenix edge past Phantoms for a place at the finals.

Manchester Phoenix 3-2 Peterborough Phantoms (6-5 agg)

Defenceman Joe Graham fired Manchester Phoenix to the Playoff Finals weekend after a dramatic quarterfinal battle against Peterborough Phantoms.

With the teams tied at 2-2, Graham put Phoenix in front with little over two minutes remaining as his shot hit the goal post before deflecting in off Phantoms netminder Stephen Wall.

In the first leg at Peterborough on Saturday, the teams drew 3-3 leaving everything to play for in the return leg at the Ice Dome. Phoenix opened the scoring through Robert Lachowicz in the 9th minute, and Ryan Johnson added a second in the 17th minute.

In the second period, Phantoms started a fight back, a Maris Ziedins strike slid under Phoenix netminder Steve Fone and it was Ziedins again that netted for the visitors in the third period to level the tie. But after chances at both ends, it was the home side who found the net late on, making sure that Phoenix would join Slough Jets, Swindon Wildcats and Guildford Flames at the final weekend.