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.