The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze were narrowly defeated 2-1 in the Elite League by Guildford Flames at the Spectrum on Saturday.
The matchup, featuring second and third place teams, saw Coventry dominate early chances, with Guildford’s netminder Jake Kupsky making crucial saves against efforts from Mike Regush and Nick Seitz. At the other end, Blaze goalie Mat Robson answered with a pivotal one-on-one stop, keeping both teams scoreless.
The Blaze had a powerplay opportunity at 14.16, with Kyle Locke serving time for interference. Despite Coventry’s intense pressure, Kupsky held firm, frustrating the visitors.
Near the end of the period, Robson made another key save, denying the Flames in a high-stakes moment that resulted in David Clements taking a penalty for hooking. Both goalies left the ice to applause as the first period closed without a goal.
The second period saw additional powerplay chances for each team. Guildford took a penalty for too many men on the ice, while Coventry’s Chase Gresock was called for roughing. However, both defences held, and the elusive opening goal continued to evade both sides.
The deadlock was finally broken in the third period, 3.20 minutes in, when Guildford’s captain Brett Ferguson capitalised on a Coventry turnover, with Daniel Tedesco assisting to put the Flames up 1-0. Coventry’s persistence paid off at 48.43 as Archie Hazeldine set up Jackson Cressey for a close-range equalizer, finally getting one past Man of the Match Kupsky.
The celebration was short-lived, as Guildford’s Josh Waller responded just 25 seconds later, using his speed to chase down a loose puck and fire a top-corner shot past Robson, reclaiming the lead for the Flames.
Coventry pulled Robson in the final minutes, pressing for an equalizer, but Kupsky continued his standout performance, securing the Flames a hard-fought 2-1 victory and all two points.
Photo credit: John Uwins
