Photo (C) Liam Church
Final score: Basingstoke Bison 2-4 Sheffield Steeldogs (Playoff group)
Sunday 10th April 2022
Refs: Brooks and Poulton – Linos: Earl and Kowal
With the league campaign done and dusted, the GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison were now looking to redeem their season as playoff hockey rolled into town. Fresh from a splendid win in their opening Playoff group game away to Sheffield the previous night, the Herd welcomed the same Steeldogs team to town, hoping to make it a four point weekend.
Early penalty trouble saw the home side under pressure almost immediately with both Brendan Baird and Liam Morris picking up Hi-Sticks penalties and while the Bison kept their opponents at bay during the penalty kill, at 7:07 the pressure finally told as the Steeldogs scored the first goal of the night. Power forward Matt Bissonnette (assisted by Hewitt and Graham) took advantage of a defensive lapse in concentration and had the whole net to slot into for a 0-1 lead. The Herd were lucky shortly afterwards as the visitors had a second goal washed out after the officials lost sight of the luck, before taking advantage of this fortune a few minutes later to bring themselves level at 13:27, to the relief of the home crowd. Against the run of play, Alex Roberts (Morris) danced around two Steeldogs’ defenders before ripping home with speed, making it a 1-1 game.
In a continuation of the opening frame, the away side appeared to find it slightly easier to create scoring chances, pinning the Bison back at will and the Steeldogs duly retook the lead at 25:17 when Matt Bissonnette (Graham, Hewitt) scored his second goal of the game, taking advantage of tired Bison legs that had just killed off a full two minute 5-on-3 penalty kill, by passing with ease before easily tapping home at the back post for a 1-2 lead. The home side continued to work tirelessly in order to break down their opponents but could not find a way through a highly organised defensive set up, meaning that after 40 minutes the Herd were a single goal behind.
With one period left and plenty at stake, a solid start was imperative for the Herd. Therefore, it proved to be a complete disaster when the Steeldogs extended their advantage at 41:11 as Lee Bonner (Brammer) lasered a shot home that only referee Brooks saw cross the line before coming back out off the underside of the crossbar. Despite protestations, the goal stood and it left the Herd with a mountain to climb. To their credit, only a few minutes later the home side attempted to do just that as they brought themselves within one at 44:23. A low and hard shot from the left wall by Ash Tait was somehow deflected by import Alex Roberts (Tait, Milton) and the puck evaded Zimozdra before sailing into the net, leaving the Herd with more than enough time to hopefully pull level.
Despite their best efforts, the Herd could not find the magic key to an equalising goal as the end of the game edged ever closer and at 57:14, the final nail in the coffin was struck as a powerplay goal from Lee Bonner (Graham, Valdix) from down low on the left wing was lifted over a stricken Mettam in net, to put the Steeldogs 2-4 in front.
The final buzzer sounded and whilst it was a disappointing night for the Bison, the general consensus in the crowd was that two points from the opening weekend of games was a respectable tally. Next up, are two games against fierce rivals Peterborough Phantoms, beginning with a clash at home on Saturday 16th April! See you there as the boys look to bounce back in style and send the team to the finals weekend in Coventry.
Match Stats:
Bison stats: Roberts 2+0, Milton 0+1, Morris 0+1, Tait 0+1
Netminder: Alex Mettam 41/4 (90.24%)
Steeldogs stats: Graham 0+3, Bissonnette 2+0, Bonner 2+0, Hewitt 0+2, Brammer 0+1, Valdix 0+1
Netminder: Dmitri Zimozdra 26/2 (92.31%)
PIM: Bison 16 – Steeldogs 14. SOG: Bison 26 – Steeldogs 41.
Bison MOM: Alex Roberts – Steeldogs MOM: Dmitri Zimozdra
