Photo (C) Jo Loat
Final Score : Steeldogs 2 Bison 4
Sunday 12th December 2021
By Nigel Simmonds
Refs : Mr Wells & Mr Williams
Lino’s : Mr Hardy & Mr Neenan
After Saturday evenings hard fought victory, which saw us play some scintillating second period hockey, scoring 5 unanswered goals and then the lows of the third period hockey, allowing Sheffield back into the game and tying the game at 5-5, but thankfully we eventually gained the extra point, via a penalty shootout !
Your GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Bison, travelled to South Yorkshire to face the Steeldogs, for the last time this season. Ryan Sutton & Dan Weller-Evans sitting out again & new ‘hometown boy’ signing Jordan Lawday, made his debut between the pipes.
Both teams made a fast start and Lawday & Zimozdra were both tested early doors…
Brendan Baird would pick up the first penalty of the evening, as he was given a Roughing call (3.35).
Steeldogs would score on the powerplay, but it wasn’t without a little controversy. Ben Morgan’s long cross ice pass picked out Matt Bissonnette, but he was clearly offside, as he received the puck. However, no whistle came and his pinpoint pass found Jason Hewitt and he tapped the puck in past Lawday (5.19).
Steeldogs Lee Bonner picked up an Elbows call (5.50) and Bison would go on the powerplay themselves.
As hard as they tried, they couldn’t beat Zimozdra and Sheffield returned to full strength.
Then the visitors got on the board.
Elliott Dewey & Adam Harding combined to set up George Norcliffe and he cooly picked his spot top shelf, over the shoulder of Zimozdra, to tie the game (8.40).
Then saw a little flurry of penalties.. Sheffield’s Tim Smith picking up a Slashing call (16.51), but that was quickly followed by Ashley Tait, as he was given a Hooking call (17.09).
Then both teams imports clashed together, with each player picking up a Slashing call (17.44), but these would be called as co-incidental penalties, which means they wouldn’t show on the clock and we continued to play 4-on-4.
From the resulting face off, Bison took the lead… Adam Jones found Jay King and he shot the puck on net. Adam Harding (17.49) managed to get a good piece of it and the puck redirected past Zimozdra, leaving him flat footed.
As the seconds ran down, Lawday thwarted Bonner with a nice double pad save, to keep Bison still in front as we entered the first period break, with Bison leading 2-1.
Into the second period and early chances came and went.
Steeldogs captain Lewis Bell picked up a Tripping call (25.07), but Bison’s powerplay would be cut short, when Zack Milton was called for Hooking (26.21). Both teams would see off their respective penalties successfully.
Jack Brammer was next to fall foul of the officials, as he was given a Hooking penalty (30.48) and the Bison made him pay. Adam Jones bringing the puck into the Steeldogs zone with speed. He managed to get behind around behind the goal and with a great pass, he found Alex Sampford in the slot and Stampy fired the puck high into the net (32.11), to extend the visitors lead to two, much to the delight of the small amount of travelling Bison fans.
Brammer found himself in trouble again, as after a Bison attempt on the Steeldogs net, he reacted badly and set about Brendan Baird in an unprovoked attack. Brendan, rightly escaped any punishment, but Brammer was given 2 minutes for Roughing and a 5 + Game for Fighting…. and his night was done…
So basically, Bison now had a 7 minute powerplay. But unfortunately, as sometimes happens in hockey, the team with the advantage concede a short handed goal. It was a bit of a messy goal, with a mix up in the Bison defence, the puck fell kindly to James Spurr (39.17) and he beat Lawday to get the Steeldogs back in the game. Matt Bissonnette getting an assist on the goal.
There was still enough time for Sheffield to try an attack on the Bison net, but Lawday cleared the puck as the buzzer sounded to end the period. A little coming together and a few face rubs & couple of punches thrown, the outcome was Jonathan Kirk & Adam Harding both picking up Roughing calls (40.00).
Into the 3rd period and we started 5-on-5, as Harding & Kirk’s penalties were both co-incidentals.
Both returned to the ice at the first whistle, after the 2 minutes had past.
Then a little turning point in the game. Steeldogs import Matt Bissonnette was called for Slashing (43.07), but he also managed to talk himself into a 10min Misconduct penalty, for airing his thoughts to the officials. That would keep him out for a good chunk of the final period, which would only benefit the Bison. Sheffield killed off the minor penalty and returned to full strength.
Then a really poor cross ice pass by the Steeldogs, was seized upon by Ashley Tait and he strided in, picked his spot and let loose an absolute rip snorter of a shot, that flew past Zimozdra to give the Bison a deserved two goal lead (48.01). Things have certainly turned around in the last couple of weeks in the Bison camp and Ash has continued to lead from the front, as he has been openly forthright about recent performances, which resulted in the release of Martinec.
We entered the last 10 minutes and both teams were still trying their best to create scoring chances. Steeldogs had a glorious chance as Jason Hewitt was sent up ice all alone… but Jordan Lawday made a brilliant save and the chance went by.
Time was running down and with just under 3 minutes remaining, Steeldogs threw caution to the wind and pulled their nettie for an extra man on the ice. At the next whistle and with the face off in the Bison zone, Sheffield used their “Time Out”.
Into the final 2 minutes now and with Steeldogs throwing everything (even the kitchen sink !) at the Bison net, the defence just had to find a way to clear the zone, the best they could. Adam Jones was given a Delay of Game penalty (59.35), when he cleverly used a Steeldogs player to move the goal off it’s moorings, after a goal mouth scramble… but the ref was wise to what Jonesy had done, so he had to call the penalty.
25 secs left and it was now 6-on-4 in Steeldogs favour, but with a two goal deficit, it would be nothing short of a miracle, if they pulled this off. Another face off win for Sheffield and they moved the puck with speed, looking for a good shooting lane, but Bison D stood firm. Jay King was given a really soft Tripping call (59.59), but it didn’t matter.
There was only just enough time to drop the puck and the buzzer sounded to end the game and Bison had picked up their first league 4 point weekend.
Man of the Match :
Steeldogs : Oops, didn’t catch who it was !
Bison : Ashley Tait
Stats :
Steeldogs : Hewitt 1+0, Spurs 1+0, Bissonnette 0+2, Morgan 0+1.
Nets : Zimozdra 27/4 (85.19%)
Stats :
Bison : Harding 1+1, Norcliffe 1+0, Sampford 1+0, Tait 1+0, Jones 0+2, Dewey 0+1, King 0+1.
Nets : Lawday 30/2 (93.33%)
Shots on Goal : Steeldogs 30 Bison 27
Penalties (PiMs) : Steeldogs 51 Bison 14
