A pulsating game of hockey saw the hosts stave off a baffling Blaze outfit to claim a 6-4 decision.

The opening period of competitive hockey in the new campaign was an entertaining one, as both sides went all out from the first shift. An early 5-on-3 for the hosts was converted by Cutler, whose powerful one-timer brought the crowd to its feet, with a huge centre-ice celebration rightly following. The goalscorer then turned provider for Storm’s second, winning a puck battle and instantly feeding a gleeful Gilmour, who finished smartly from close range. A perfect opening ten minutes for Manchester was rounded off by a determined effort from Hinam, who found a gap between Robson’s blocker and pad to make it 3-0. The Blaze found themselves in penalty trouble again, but a clever banked effort from Luciani came off the back of Weninger to give the visitors their first goal of the game while shorthanded.

The middle twenty was equally action-packed, with a tremendous stop from Robson denying Caines on the doorstep in the 23rd minute. However, the hosts would not be denied a few minutes later, as an excellent powerplay was finished off by Nardi after slick set-up play from Hinam and Welsh. Man-advantage opportunities continued to define the contest through the first 40 minutes. Storm did well to kill a 5-on-3 chance for Coventry, yet just as the first penalty expired, a rocket from Boysen made it 4-2 shortly after the game’s midway point. Another powerplay brought another goal, as former Steelers defenceman Saucerman’s low slapshot had just enough on it to burst through Weninger and pull the Blaze within one. Coventry might well have gone into the final period level, were it not for an excellent pad save from Weninger to deny Mismash one-on-one in the dying moments of the second.

An excellent pad save by Robson denied Gilmour and the Storm the chance to restore their two-goal advantage, in what moments later proved to be a potentially decisive action. The Blaze went almost immediately up the other end of the ice to level the scores. A clever drop pass from Gleason teed up Barriga, who finished high and true, as the visitors hauled themselves back into the contest at 4-4 and laid the groundwork for a hugely captivating finale. Neither side looked willing to settle for overtime from that point, with chances created at both ends in astonishing fashion. A low wrist shot from Ulett then snuck through the wickets of a visibly frustrated Robson — an effort he would expect to stop on most occasions. The empty-netter from Haden with 90 seconds left iced the game and ensured the hosts took two points from their opening Challenge Cup encounter.