Ripley hat tricks helps Blaze put 6 past Flames

Photo: Scott Wiggins

Nathan Ripley scored his first professional hat trick as Coventry Blaze put six past Guildford Flames in a five-goal win at the Skydome on Sunday evening.

It took Ripley 7:41 to open the scoring for the hosts as the beneficiary off a terrible pass from a Flames defenseman behind his own net. Ryan Tait levelled at 12:52, but Ian McNulty one-timed a Brady Norrish pass beyond Eamon McAdam to put the Flames back ahead.

The Blaze took complete control of the game in the middle period, starting with Ripley's second at 22:01, followed by Cole Donhauser 70 seconds later. Ripley completed his hat trick putting home a rebound off a Donhauser shot at 25:48 which put the Blaze 5-1 ahead and led to Flames Head Coach Paul Dixon calling his timeout to steady the ship. It worked in the sense that it kept the Blaze off the scoresheet for almost 13 minutes before Brady Norrish blasted a one-timer off a restart, popping the water bottle in the process, at 38:20.

Taz Burnham took to the Flames' net for period three, but with no scoring it was the hosts who took the cup win with a couple of fights thrown in before the final buzzer.