PREVIEW: Storm @ Coventry Blaze

TICKETS: The Go Goodwin’s Manchester Storm welcome the Coventry Blaze on Saturday 15th September, here at SilverBlades Ice Rink Altrincham, and then followed by the MK Lightning on Sunday the 16th of September! Tickets can be ordered online, by calling the box office on 0161 926 8782, or in person at the box office.

The Elite League action starts today for your Go Goodwins sponsored Manchester Storm as they travel to Coventry for their first league game of the season, facing the Blaze in a 5:15 pm faceoff.

New Conference for the Blaze & Storm: With the introduction of the Milton Keynes Lightning and Guildford Flames, the Elite League has moved to 3 conferences of 4 teams. Manchester and Coventry have moved to the Patton conference, alongside the two new sides. The teams will play each other 4 times at home and away, while continuing to face their out of conference rivals twice at home and twice away. The conference winners will automatically qualify for the playoffs, but no preferential seeding will be given to them. Tonight’s match between Coventry and Manchester will be the first Patton conference game ever.

Frustrating night for Coventry and Manchester last night: Both sides were in action last night, scoring 3 goals each, but neither team managed to secure 2 points. Storm faced local rivals Sheffield in a bruising Challenge Cup encounter, eventually succumbing to 2 late goals in a 6-3 loss. Ryan Trenz, Dallas Ehrhardt, and Chris Auger with the Storm goals on the evening, Mike Clemente turning away 23 shots. Coventry travelled to Nottingham to take on the Panthers, going down 4-3 in a tight game. Jordan Pietrus, Edgars Bebris, and Vojtech Kloz getting on the board for the Blaze, Kevin Nastiuk making 26 saves on the evening.

Blaze bolster their lineup: Coventry added Edgars Bebris during the pre-season on a trial basis, and moved this week to add him to the lineup on a fulltime contract. The Latvian forward played his junior hockey in the UK, before moving to Latvia and Belarus and then spent 7 seasons in the former EPL, scoring 335 points in 384 games. With Dannick Paquette and Garrett Ladd missing last night’s game through injury, he provides useful depth and injury cover while keeping players competing for their place in the lineup.

One to watch: Adam Courchaine arrived at the Blaze after a successful career in Europe, spending a number of season in the German top league, the DEL. The skilled centre, who can also play left wing, knows where the net is and was the DEL top points scorer in 2013/14.

MATCH DETAILS:

  • Game at Planet Ice Coventry SkyDome: Croft Road, Coventry, CV1 3AZ
  • Storm fans should purchase tickets in Block 7
  • Doors open from 4:15pm
  • Face-off at 5:15pm
  • Live Twitter updates from the game will be via StormLive
  • Live stream via BlazeTV
  • Storm will be in their WHITE away shirts

TICKETS: The Go Goodwin’s Manchester Storm welcome the Coventry Blaze on Saturday 15th September, here at SilverBlades Ice Rink Altrincham, and then followed by the MK Lightning on Sunday the 16th of September! Tickets can be ordered online, by calling the box office on 0161 926 8782, or in person at the box office.