Bracknell Bees 4 Guildford Flames 3

BRACKNELL BEES notched up a fourth home win in five games after edging out fierce rivals Guildford Flames in a seven-goal thriller on Sunday night.

Vanya Antonov led the scoring for the hosts with a brace, while import duo Frantisek Bakrlik and Milan Kostourek also netted on what was a night of high drama and heroism at the Hive.

The scoreline, however, was only half of the story from a game which was a real advert for the English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL).

A healthy crowd in excess of 2,000 witnessed countless chances, endless big hits, a missed penalty shot, a disallowed goal and a late ejection.

They also watched a dominant Bees side race into a 3-0 lead within the opening 16 minutes as Guildford simply had no answer to their hosts’ firepower.

Quickest out of the traps, Antonov and Jan Bendik both went close for Bees during the opening exchanges before Matt Towalski flashed a strike across the face of goal from over on the left wing.

Bracknell netminder Alex Mettam was called into action soon after, keeping out an opportunist effort from Matic Kralj.

The same player was thwarted minutes later, as was Andy McKinney as the Flames began to ask some questions of their guests.

This was shortly after killing the first penalty of the evening; Marcus Kristofferson sitting out a hooking call having ended a Bees attack illegally.

But just minutes later, and with five skaters back on the ice, the away side fell behind.

And it was a devastating move by Bracknell engineered by Bakrlik, who surged forward down the left before committing a D-man and squaring for Antonov, who made no mistake when clinically beating netminder Gregg Rockman from close range on 8:29.

The strike was to open the proverbial floodgates, as the same player would make it 2-0 via a powerplay goal soon after.

With Kevin Phillips binned for tripping, Bracknell made the numerical advantage count through Antonov, who provided the deftest of touches to turn home Bendik’s powerful drive from the blueline.

Getting in the way of a Tom Duggan effort saw former Flame David Savage deny the visitors the chance for a quick response, but Bees were now hitting full throttle.

Guildford arrived in Berkshire boasting the leanest defence in the league, yet they would find themselves 3-0 down on 16:21 when Bakrlik, amid a goalmouth scramble, bundled the puck home, with Callum Fowler grabbing the assist.

Rockman could have done better to have kept out the goal, but this was to be his last involvement on the night, as he was promptly replaced by Stephen Wall.

Bracknell were looking dangerous every time they surged forward, yet the next goal would see the opposition reduce the deficit.

Blown up for boarding saw Lewis Turner sent to the penalty box, but the D-man barely had time to take a seat when Kralj lit the red lamp, hammering a shot past Mettam from Jez Lundin’s cross-rink pass.

A coming together between Fowler and McKinney saw the pair punished for roughing, meaning both sides would begin the second session with four men on the ice.

But this would not stop Bees extending their lead in the 22nd minute, Kostourek adding his name to the list of scoring when tipping the puck in the top shelf following a flowing move down the left.

Guildford’s reply was immediate, but neither Kristoffersson nor Andrew Hemmings could convert chances which came their way before Bakrlik and Ben Campbell traded chances which failed to test either netminder.

A spell of Flames pressure, however, would follow, but Mettam saved well to deny Kristoffersson once more after Bracknell had been carved open through the middle, with Campbell seeing a shot deflected wide and then unable to net amid a crowded end zone as the hosts desperately managed to keep the side at bay.

Three opportunities would then fall the way of Danny Meyers, the former Bee who could not find a way past Mettam from either long and close range before some last-ditch defending also kept him out at the far post.

McKinney (roughing) and Bakrlik (hooking) fell into penalty trouble as the period progressed, but it was from more illegal play when Bracknell were awarded a penalty shot after Lukas Smital was fouled as he bared down on goal.

Because he was hacked down, responsibility fell with the player-coach, but Wall was equal to the effort.

The save appeared to fuel Guildford with added encouragement, and they would go on to half the deficit on 34:06 when Phillips managed to arrow a powerful strike between Mettam and Savage on the goal line and into the top corner.

Captain Matt Foord, Fowler twice and Smital all saw opportunities fall their way, but none of the trio could find the goal needed to put further breathing space between the near neighbours.

And Bracknell would be left to rue these missed chances, as Meyers got the goal his perseverance deserved just two minutes into the final stanza when picking out the top corner from range.

The strike came on the powerplay, as Turner was this time serving a two-minute tripping charge.

While Bees’ attack work yielded four goals earlier in the evening, it would be their defensive resolve which saw them ultimately hold out to secure a first four-point weekend of the season, following Saturday’s 7-2 success at Hull Pirates.

Desire and determination were in equal abundance as a Flames side relentless in their efforts to tie up the scoring would eventually end up defeated and frustrated.

They did, however, have the puck in the net once more while Smital sat out a contentious slashing call, but Kristoffersson’s celebrations having appeared to make it 4-4 were short lived.

This was because, after some deliberations between officials, the ‘goal’ was chalked out as the away side had two men in the crease.

But the heart rates of those wearing the black and gold and those up in the stands continued to be tested as Guildford began to throw the kitchen sink.

Lundin, Myers and Campbell were all presented with a sight of goal, but neither failed to find the target or a way past Mettam, who impressed in his role as the last line of defence.

Bees, though, should have killed the game off late on when Bakrlik broke free down the left and picked out Antonov, but the forward dragged his shot wide when under little pressure.

Kostourek was off target and Tom Relf was thwarted by Wall as Bracknell were unable to capitalise amid a brief period of respite – but it was not long before hearts were back in mouths once again.

Bodies were put on the line once more as Campbell was denied a way to goal as the nervy atmosphere intensified.

Guildford duly pulled Wall as the clock began counting down the final minute, but it almost proved costly as Kostourek stole in. Sam Godfrey, though, raced back to divert his strike away from goal.

Further Flames pressure followed, but an infringement from Kristoffersson saw the play called back, ending any hopes of forcing overtime in the process.

And in what was a highly-charged affair, the forward was unable to keep his cool, picking up two 10-minute misconduct calls for his behaviour towards the referee before receiving a match penalty for abuse of officials after his angry outburst continued off the ice.

A two-goal salvo saw Antonov take home the man-of-the-match award for Bees, with Wall receiving the honours for Guildford.

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