The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze earned a hard-fought point on the road but were narrowly defeated 3-2 by the Guildford Flames in the Elite League following a thrilling shoot-out.
Determined to bounce back after a frustrating home loss to the Manchester Storm, the Blaze made an ideal start. Alessio Luciani opened the scoring at 2.33, combining beautifully with Nick Seitz to give Coventry a 1-0 lead.
The Blaze doubled their advantage at 19.14 during a 5-on-3 powerplay. With Daniel Tedesco and Charlie Dodero in the penalty box for Guildford, Seitz turned scorer, assisted by Brandon Alderson.
Seitz’s offensive contribution brought him to 26 points in Elite League regular season action, the best of any player (15 goals, 11 assists).
The second period saw chances for both sides, but it took until 37.23 for the next goal. Guildford’s Jack Jacome, full of energy, tipped a shot from Travis Brown past Mat Robson to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
The Flames drew level at 41.20 when Great Britain international Lewis Hook capitalised on a Blaze mistake, delighting the sold-out home crowd.
As physicality ramped up in the third period, a pivotal moment came at 54.14 when Travis Brown received a major penalty for kneeing Luciani. Coventry piled on the pressure during the extended powerplay, but Guildford’s Man of the Match, Jake Kupsky, stood tall in goal to keep them out.
Regulation time ended 2-2, sending the game into overtime. Drama continued when Luciani was pulled down on a breakaway, earning a penalty shot. However, Kupsky denied him with another crucial save. Coventry were forced to kill a minor penalty with 1.30 remaining in overtime, which they successfully managed, taking the game to a shoot-out.
In the shoot-out, Kupsky excelled again, stopping all of Coventry’s attempts. Meanwhile, Guildford’s Jacome, Ethan Strang, and Brett Ferguson were clinical, securing a 3-2 victory and the extra point for the home side.
Photo credit: John Uwins
