Finally we have the news fans of the GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison have been waiting all summer for………….it’s hockey time again.
The 2022/23 Planet Ice NIHL National League Season gets underway with a series of 4 Challenge games, 2 against Bees IHC and 2 against the leagues new boys Bristol Pitbulls.
First up are Bees IHC (formerly the Bracknell Bees) with Saturdays home game at the Silverdome Arena facing off at 6.30pm.
This will be followed by a short trip to the Slough Ice Arena aka The Hangar on Sunday for the return fixture, face off for this game is 5.00pm.
Saturday night will give fans of the Herd their first opportunity to see this seasons roster in action, plus the chance to welcome our summer signings, Marcel Balaz, Edgars Landsbergs, Gael Lubwele, Adrian Dusznik and Josh Kelly to the Bison family.
Our opponents this weekend are coached by the former Bison Coach Doug Sheppard, and Captained by another former Bison, Stuart Mogg.
Their roster includes a few names familiar to fans of the Herd, namely Joe Baird, Josh Smith and Alan Lack. For 2022/23 they have been joined by the ever popular net minder Dan Weller-Evans, who has made last seasons loan move from the Bison into a permanent one, and JJ Pitchley signed from Raiders IHC, JJ had a brief 12 game spell in Basingstoke under Coach Sheppard during the 2015/16 season.
One other addition is 24 year old forward Brendan Walkom, a dual US/Canadian national, who joins from the Bentley University Falcons and will be the Bees 2nd import alongside Slovakian Dominic Gabaj.
One to Watch: 19 year old forward Juha Lindgren, a product of the Slough Jets junior programme, Lindgren made the step up from NIHL 1 South to the National League last season, making a total of 58 appearances, scoring a highly impressive 51 points (28+23) for the Bees, no doubt the team & player will be hoping for more of the same.
As befits a local rivalry, games between the two sides are generally feisty affairs to put it mildly, despite this weekend being first of a new season, fans will no doubt be treated to 120 minutes of end to end competitive action.
Lastly, on Saturday night while Ash & Tosh are working on various line combinations, the players are building up their match fitness on the ice and Moose is remembering how to simultaneously post live updates & watch the game, the Voice of the Bison DJ Bavy will be taking the Wall of Sound through their pre-season paces, if you don’t know the drill, you will do by the end of the night.
#IsitSeptemberyet……..…..#Yesitis
