Keck hat-trick sinks Storm in back and forth clash

Photos: Mark Ferris/Scott Wiggins

A thoroughly entertaining game on Saturday afternoon saw the Coventry Blaze run out winners over the Manchester Storm by three goals. 

In a contest that was up and down throughout, it was Coventry who had the better of the opening 20 minutes and led by to at the first break. Ross Venus finished off a great feed from Simen Edvardsen on the powerplay at 6:32, while a fine individual effort from Tristan Keck doubled Coventry's lead shorthanded with 59 seconds left in the period.

Needing a response to keep their hopes of finishing the round-robin in first alive, Captain Dallas Ehradrt's solo effort got them on the board at 29:46, and almost four minutes later Jacob Lundell Noer fired home to make it a tied game. Ben Lake then slapped past Shane Owen shorthanded to put Storm ahead with 61 seconds left in period two.

The third continued to be an end-to-end affair, and it was Coventry who got the next breakthrough: Simon Edvardsen entered the sone and made no mistake with a well-placed finish to tie things up with 10:25 to play. David Clements did it all himself to put Coventry ahead at 53 minutes, and a wonderful passing play from Keck and Mike Hammond resulted in the latter getting his second of the game at 54:44. He scored on the empty net to complete a hat-trick in the dying seconds.

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