Seahawks and Phantoms Share the Spoils as the Post-Season Beckons
Hull Reckitt Seahawks v Peterborough Phantoms – 15/03/2025
With the spectre of the playoffs looming large, it seemed somewhat fitting that the Hull Reckitt Seahawks faced the Peterborough Phantoms at the weekend in a home and away double header.
The Phantoms are now a confirmed playoff opponent for the Seahawks alongside Planet Ice NIHL National Division title winners, Leeds Knights, and either the Telford Tigers or the Solway Sharks who are battling for the remaining playoff spot.
When it comes to Peterborough, the story of the season has been a mixed one for the Seahawks, with the teams proving to be evenly matched, so it was little surprise that the weekend yielded a 4-1 home win for Hull and a defeat on the road.
On Saturday, the Seahawks put in a dominant performance which started when a pinpoint pass from Owen Sobchak split the Phantoms defence and found Emil Svec, with the Czech forward breaking away and burying a chance past Hayden Lavigne in the Peterborough goal, at 12:19, to make it 1-0 to Hull.
Such was the dominance of the Seahawks, a second marker seemed inevitable, and it came at 16:45 from the stick of Lee Bonner who made no mistake with a one-timer in front of goal to double Hull’s lead.
However, as the period drew to a close, a powerplay opportunity for the Phantoms would offer a way back.
With Seahawks D-man Tom Stubley sitting a two-minute penalty for delaying the game, Luke Ferrara converted a chance, at 19:41, to halve the deficit and send the teams into the locker room at end the first stanza 2-1.
In the second period, it was the turn of Peterborough to incur the displeasure of the match officials.
Nathan Salem and Cameron Hough were both sent to the penalty box for two-minutes apiece for holding and unsportsmanlike conduct, respectively, which put Hull on the powerplay at 34:33.
The Seahawks needed just 12 seconds of the one-man advantage to stretch their lead back to two goals, with skipper Bobby Chamberlain jamming the puck home from close range, at 34:45, assisted by Sobchak.
That goal would prove the only one of the second period and gave Hull a 3-1 lead.
With 32 seconds gone in the final period, Svec netted his second of the night, assisted by Bonner and Declan Balmer, to wrap up the win and the points for the Seahawks as well as bringing up the 100-point tally for Svec for the second season in a row.
“We took care of business and played really well tonight,” said Seahawks Head Coach Matty Davies.
“We dominated the game from start to finish.
“The team knows what we need to do and how we need to play as we go into the playoffs in order to be successful – tonight was a perfect example of that, as we gave them nothing and took advantage of our powerplay opportunities, which is a big part of our game.
“We are still short-benched, so managing the team, spreading the minutes and trying to get our injured players back at the right time will be crucial for us over the remaining games of the regular season.”
On Sunday, the Seahawks made the long trip down to Cambridgeshire for the away match against the Phantoms.
Jason Hewitt was back icing after being suspended for the match up in Hull the day before and Declan Jones was also back in the team following a spell out injured.
The first period was a game of two halves, as the Seahawks went 2-0 up thanks to efforts from the returning Hewitt, with the veteran forward scoring a shorthanded goal at 08:38; after converting at the backdoor from Lee Bonner who broke away on the right wing; and Jamie Chilcot, with the Hull D-man tucking the puck past Hayden Lavigne at the second attempt at 13:10.
However, the Phantoms were in no mood for a repeat of the away match 24 hours earlier and went into the first period intermission level thanks to a quickfire double from Luke Ferrara, at 15:20, and Jasper Foster 13 seconds later, at 15:33.
Ill-discipline from the Seahawks in the second period would turn the game in favour of the hosts, as Jarvis Hunt netted the go-ahead goal for the Phantoms, at 27:50, while Alex Kent sat a two-minute penalty for holding.
Hull did manage to find a leveller, at 30:28, through Bobby Chamberlain, but another penalty, at 38:36, this time for Declan Balmer for interference, allowed Peterborough to take the lead once more through Ferrara’s second of the night.
A solitary strike from Foster at the start of the third period would prove decisive and extend the Phantoms’ winning margin to two.
Despite calling a timeout and pulling the goalie for the extra skater, the Seahawks couldn’t find a way back and the game ended 5-3.
By Mark Bateman
