EPL ICE HOCKEY:

Playoff quarter final second leg

Manchester Phoenix 7 Bracknell Bees 2 (Phoenix win 10-6 on aggregate)

Rampant Manchester Phoenix tore through Bracknell Bees in their playoff quarter final second leg last night to book a place in the EPL Playoffs Final weekend.

Two goals apiece from Robert Schnabel, Joachim Flaten and Andy McKinney plus one from captain Luke Boothroyd sent Phoenix through to a semi-final spot against Basingstoke Bison next Saturday at the Skydome in Coventry.

Before the game started, Phoenix coach Tony Hand was presented with the British Olympic Association (BOA) accolade award for 2013.

Hand guided GB to the verge of qualification for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, taking them to February's final qualifiers in Latvia.

Although GB were unable to win the group and progress to next year's Winter Olympics, their performances throughout the qualifiers won praise throughout the ice hockey world, and Hand was rightfully cheered to the rafters when the trophy was given on the ice.

Phoenix came into the game a goal behind, after Bees won the first leg 4-3 on Saturday night, and in a frantic, big-hitting first period, Phoenix laid siege to the Bracknell goal.

Joachim Flaten put Phoenix ahead after 12 minutes to even up the tie overall, and grabbed a second right at the end of the first period to give Manchester an aggregate lead.

Man of the match Robert Schnabel scored a third for Phoenix on 27 minutes with a beautiful solo effort, during which he skated from one end of the ice to the other with the puck never leaving his stick until he slotted it coolly past Tom Annetts in the Bees’ goal.

It was inevitable in such a high-tempo, high-stakes game that tempers would flare, and this duly occurred on 28 minutes, when Phoenix defender Ondrej Pozivil clashed with Bees hard man Scott Spearing. Spearing received a 10-minute misconduct penalty, but Pozivil was thrown out of the game for head-butting.

It was Phoenix who seized the initiative after the dust had settled just a minute later, as Andy McKinney’s speculative shot crept past Annetts to make it 4-0 on the night.

Bees finally got on the score sheet through Ollie Bronniman after two minutes of the final period, but Schnabel bagged his second of the night, and Phoenix’ fifth, with an absolute rocket from the blue line on the 45 minute mark.

Lukas Smital scored a second for Bracknell after 50 minutes, but Phoenix replied immediately through skipper Luke Boothroyd, who fired on goal and saw his shot fumbled by Annetts for a sixth.

Bracknell replaced Annetts with Carl Ambler in goal for the final 10 minutes, but he was unable to prevent McKinney tapping in a seventh for Phoenix three minutes from the end, to send the Phoenix fans into raptures and bring their season at home to a rousing climax.

Coach Hand said after the game: “The plan was to keep the game close after the first leg and do the job at home tonight. We did what was required last night and I thought we dominated the match tonight. I had very little coaching to do as the team executed the game plan to perfection. All credit to Bracknell, they did what they had to do on Saturday to bring a lead up here. They are a tough team to play and are always dangerous on the break with players like Smital and Masa. I thought we played very well and it is great to be going to Coventry next week. It is the last trophy of the season and we will give it our best shot.”