Phoenix beat champs

MANCHESTER Phoenix laid down a timely marker by beating current Elite Ice Hockey League Champions Coventry Blaze on Saturday.

Captain Kenton Smith scored the winner in overtime to give Phoenix their first win over Paul Thompson’s men.

The 4-3 victory was even more important as it looks like both could meet in April’s end-of-season play-offs.

Adam Walker and David Beauregard, with his 43rd of the season, put Phoenix two goals up.

But Adam Calder pulled one back early in the second period before Kyle Bruce met a cross from Nathan Ward to make it 3-1.

Phoenix should have shut the door then, but Calder and Dan Carlson benefited from mistakes to level it up.

However, 63 seconds into sudden-death overtime, Tony Hand’s magic set up Smith and Phoenix gained a deserved win.