Thanks to Neil Hughes, an Eagles fan, for this report.....
Another midweek visit by the bees of Bracknell to the centrum. They did bring up a few fans who seemed to be cramped into a Toyota Land cruiser but the overall turnout was pretty sparse which meant the atmosphere was fairly muted at times. Ayr were without Byram and probably will be until the end of the season. Bracknell were without Schulte and some Russian bloke who was listed in the programme. LaScala dressed but didn't play.
Boniface was the ever popular 'chap with the whistle' and craig and Grieve were on the lines. Basilio and Campese were in goal, the latter wearing some very very clean equipment.
1st Period
The game was a minute old when Parco attempted a slapshot and shattered his stick in the process. Johnstone was the first to try his luck at the other end, firing over the bar. Hoffman managed to ignore a load of hooks by the Bracknell defender to get a shot away which Campese caught but it was Bracknell who took the lead at 5-38. Junkin had just missed an easy effort but recovered the puck for another attempt from the circle. Basilio got a pad to it but it fell invitingly for Ward to fire home. Ayr's response was quick. Working hard in the Bracknell zone, Purdie found Kummu on the point who wound up and took a slapshot that was deflected past Campese by Groleau, timed at 6-46. This geed up the home side who created a load of chances, Campese saving from bauba and Young before Biette shot wide from point blank range after being nicely set up by Steer. Campese made blocks from St Pierre and Parco before Ayr got their reward at 14-04. Parco broke out of the Ayr zone down the right and found St Pierre before rushing into the slot to take the return pass and flicking the puck over Campese's left shoulder into the top of the net. With Montanari going close on the wraparound, taking a little cross check from Campese in the process, Ayr's number three was not long in arriving. Fed by Groleau, Montanari rushed past two d men across the face of the goal before shooting. Campese got a pad to it but it fell on the line where Purdie tapped it in, timed at 15-15. Yes! Purdie got a goal. Even he, in his current run of form couldn't miss it but it might just bring his confidence back. Biette was the first player of the night to pay a visit to the box, 2 minutes for holding at 16-29, Ayr killing off the PP without much fuss. At 19-34, cote got two minutes for interference giving Ayr a man advantage going into the break.
SoG 11-6
2nd Period
So much for the man advantage. Ayr created nothing until a Schuler shot from point was saved by Campese with 8 seconds left. Campese also made a reflex save to deny Boe but Bracknell pulled a goal back with their first real attack of the period at 22-58. Ward and Stewart got the assists, it was one of these (it is very hard to tell who is who for the bees) who made an excellent diagonal pass to release Brant, standing on the Ayr blue line. Cutting in slightly, Brant shot straight at Basilio who blocked it but somehow the puck crept in at the near post. Drouin came close to an equaliser, shooting inches wide and at the other end, Groleau nearly caught Campese out, shooting whilst on the ice only for the goalie to just deflect it wide. Ferraccioli copped a tripping minor at 25-20 but the Ayr PP unit adopted it's woeful mode and created few problems. Basilio had a couple of saves to make at the other end, Chasse getting one of them. Linesman Craig got a puck on the knee which made him hobble for a while, justice some would say for some dodgy decisions the last time he was here. Kummu visited the box at 30-21, interference the call but apart from a saved effort by McCosh, the PP created no problems. Woolf came very close to scoring when a shot from the slot was padded onto the post by Campese and a Montanari rush up the center led to him making an impossible reverse pass which was inches away from finding Groleau and sending him clear.
SoG 9-7
3rd Period
Groleau broke clear in the first minute of the third and went upstairs on the sprawling Campese, only for the goalie to stick a glove up and deflect it over. Cote caused Basilio a problem with a shot that was spilled by the Ayr goalie who managed to block the rebound. Greg Burke went close on the wraparound and with Bracknell creating the chances, Ayr used their timeout at 45-05. It didn't have the desired effect when at 48-38, Bracknell equalised. It was a centering pass from behind the goal by Druoin that found Cote arriving in the slot to shoot wide of Basilio into the bottom corner. Ward got the other assist. The rest of regulation time was a demonstration of the art of goaltending. Basilio denied chasse and Junkin in quick succession, Campese blocking a Parco effot after the Ayr forward broke free. Ayr's momentum though was halted when they got a PP, Mccosh going for slashing at 52-42. It was bad, very bad. Even handed again, Basilio made a good double save after a Bracknell 4 on 2 but the save of the evening was made by Campese. It was a typical Montanari rush up the ice, Campese going down but Monty pulling the puck back to Burgess who first timed it straight towards the top of the net. Somehow, the prostrate goalie managed to get a glove to it and deflected it over the bar. With time running out, Ayr were thwarted by Campese on numerous occaisions, Purdie, Parco, Montanari and Woolf all cursing the Bracknell goalie. After the buzzer, Woolf thrashed his stick against the boards in frustration, shattering it in the process.
Overtime
Both Hoad and Woolf were tripped whilst making rushes into the Bracknell zone but Boniface was having none of it. Kummu went close on a wraparound effort that his forward colleagues would have been impressed with. Groleau came close on a 2 on 1 breakout, trying to beat Campese on the near side but only finding a lillywhite pad. Basilio was matching Campese at the other end, one shot bobbling agonisingly wide after the Ayr goalie got the blocker to it. However, at 66-09, Ayr got the winner. Breaking out of the zone, Burgess found Kummu who in turn found Hoffman in the high slot. Hoffman's shot found Campese's five hole and the fans celebrated a hard fought win. The players meanwhile started a bit of a brawl, caused just before the goal when Purdie was hooked by a Bee (don't know which). Purdie retaliated with a slash and the bee slashed back. Meanwhile, the goal was being scored, giving everyone a chance to join in the fun, though nothing too serious came of it.
SoG (Third period and OT) 14-21
FINAL SCORE AYR 4 BRACKNELL 3 (OT)
Total SoG 34-34
PiM 4-6 (+ anything added at the end)
MoM Ayr Purdie
Bracknell Chasse
A strange game this one. Bracknell will be pleased to get a point here as they rarely get anything when they make the long trip north. Despite a short bench, it was a spirited performance by the visitors, especially after being outplayed in the first period. Campese looks a useful replacement for Bernard though it is to be hoped his pads and helmet start to look a bit more tatty, soon. Although Ayr won tonight, it was an inconsistant display by the team. First period they were hitting hard, passing well and, most importantly, finding the net. In the second, they were all over the place though they improved in the third and OT. Luckily, they only had 3 PP's as they were embarassing with the man advantage, despite recent improvements in that department. As for Purdie getting the MoM award, it was perhaps sympathy after his recent lack of form but he did put in a useful display tonight. I would have given it to Kummu who looked more dangerous going forward than some of the forwards, or Montanari who looked fast and focused. He deserved a goal tonight. Still, it is two points and a place in the semi final of the challenge cup is still a possibility.