LIGHTNING OUT TO RECLAIM ASHES

MK Lightning are back in competitive action this coming weekend as they set out to  take back the Ashes they narrowly lost to local rivals Peterborough Phantoms last season, starting with the home leg this Saturday (24 September, 7pm). The ashes in question are the remains of the equipment of two former Lightning skaters who left MKL to play for Phantoms, and the two teams contest the right to own the ashes in season-opening challenge matches every season.  Despite a 5-4 first leg victory for Lightning in last year’s competition, Phantoms took an aggregate 7-6 overall victory at the end of the second leg.  Lightning took the lion’s share of victories over their local rivals on home ground last season, but were unable to break down the Phantoms on their own ice – something that the team fully intend to put right in the coming season says player-coach Poole.  “Reclaiming the Ashes would obviously be a great way to prepare for the start of the league season.  We fell a little short at the Phantoms’ barn last year, but we’ve strengthened and freshened up our roster over the summer, we know where we went wrong last season and we’ll be working hard to cut out the mistakes this year.  “We have an awesome level of support especially at our home rink, and the Ashes games give our supporters the chance to help fire us up for the season to come – and the team get the chance to get into top gear in time for starting our league push next week.  We’re all looking forward to hearing our fans in full voice again and putting down a marker for the season to come”. Over the close season Lightning were in the happy position of being able to retain the majority of the roster which went so close to defeating Guildford Flames in the EPL play-off final in Coventry, and have further strengthened by recruiting Tom Norton from Elite League champions Nottingham Panthers and former NHL draft pick Juraj Gracik from Slovakia.  Peterborough retained nine of last season’s roster, have recruited players including Chris Allen, Greg Randall and Rick Skene, but have said goodbye to many of last years’s team including Dwayne Newman, James Hutchinson, James Morgan, Tom Carlon, Thomas Jeffery, Joe Miller and Darius Lelenas.  Miller, Carlon and Lelenas were responsible for a third of all the Phantoms' goals last season. MK Lightning play Peterborough Phantoms at Planet Ice, Milton Keynes at 7pm on Saturday 24 September, with the away leg at Planet Ice Peterborough on Sunday 25 September, facing off at 5.30pm.