Images (C) Tony Sargeant
FINAL SCORE : MK Lightning 6 Bison 2 (2-0,3-1,1-1)
By Nigel Simmonds.
Refs : Mr Bicknell & Mr Brooks
Lino’s : Mr Kowal & Mr O’Neill
After two successive 4pt weekends, your GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison, travelled to Befordshire to take on the unbeaten MK Lightning.
Bison were still missing injured Adam Jones & the two-way young duo of Oli Hemmings-Maher & Roman Cathcart.
A very feisty start to this game, following a booming hit on Sam Talbot on the boards by Lubwele, Bobby Chamberlain picked up an Elbows call (0.30) as he took it upon himself for a little retribution, for his linemate.
Unfortunately, Bison couldn’t take advantage of the extra skater and MK killed the penalty.
A minute later and Marcel Balaz would pick up a Tripping call (3.57).
But like MK, Bison would successfully kill the penalty.
Lightning would take the lead, when Rio Grinell-Parke (Barnes-Garner), fired home from close range, beating Mettam up high (6.46).
The Bison almost replied immediately on an odd man rush, when Balaz fed Norcliffe, but the Bison skipper fired agonisingly just wide.
A little later and MK would double their lead, when Callum Field (Norris, Martelly) slotted home past Mettam (15.52).
Then, a coming together after the whistle, between Grinell-Parke & Hallam Wilson, earned both guys a trip to the sinbin (17.01), with a Slashing minor for Grinell-Parke & a Cross-Checking minor for Wilson.
MK’s Ben Russell, then picked up a High-Sticks call, as he caught Lubwele in the face, as he was driving hard to the net (19.10).
That brought an end to the 1st Period, with the home side taking a 2-0 lead into the locker room.
Bison started the 2nd period still with just over a minute on the PP. But the Lightning would kill off the penalty. A couple of minutes later and Russell would pick up another penalty, this time a Holding call (23.01). A minute into the Bison powerplay, MK would fall foul of the officials again, when Ed Knaggs was called for Boarding (24.04), thus giving the visitors 57 secs of a two man advantage. With Russell returning to the ice, MK picked up the puck and surged forward on a 2-on-1. Tim Wallace feeding Liam Stewart and he buried the puck past Mettam, for a short-handed marker (25.08). MK returned to full strength soon after.
Then newly appointed MK skipper Lewis Christie picked up a Slashing call (28.21), but Lightning would kill the penalty.
Just over halfway in the game now and Ed Knaggs picked up a Roughing call…… but this just sparked off a bit of a free for all. Landsbergs & Talbot squaring off and then Chamberlain & Morris getting embroiled into fisticuffs. All four players picking up 5 min Fighting calls & Knaggs was awarded a minor Roughing call (31.10). MK would kill off the minor penalty & returned to full strength.
Liam Stewart (Griffin, M Stewart) would score his second of the evening (33.36), when he tapped in from close range, after good work & a precise pass from James Griffin.
MK’s Ross Green picked up a Holding call (35.50), giving Bison another chance on the powerplay.
If they were to stand any chance, they had to score on one of these man advantages, they were being given.
Thankfully, they finally got on the board, when Bison Captain George Norcliffe (Doughty, Milton) beat the impressive Jordan Hedley with a well placed finish (36.25), giving the good amount of travelling supporters, something to cheer.
Unfortunately, the Bison fans were silenced soon after, when Marcus Mitchell picked up a Roughing call (38.06). From the resulting powerplay, Liam Stewart (Norris) would complete his hat-trick, firing in a hard shot from the point, which beat everyone & the puck rippled the twine (39.01).
As the last few seconds ran down to end the period, there was an exchange between Alex Mettam & Hallden Barnes-Garner, with both guys egging each other on to ‘drop the gloves’. This earnt both players minor Unsportsmanlike penalties (40.00).
Into the final period and both teams would return to full strength. But that didn’t last long… MK’s Mack Stewart double-hander slash on a Bison players stick, made Jay King see the red mist & both guys became embroiled into a fight, with Jay winning comfortably. Both picked up 5 min Fighting majors, but Stewart also collected a minor Slashing call (42.43).
Straight after the restart, Aidan Doughty was given a Boarding call (42.48) and he was joined a few seconds later by Lubwele after having a coming together with Wallace. Both guys were escorted to the penalty box, but remarkably Wallace was let off and returned to the bench. This gave the Lightning a man advantage, which they took full advantage of, as forementioned MK player/coach Tim Wallace (L Stewart) beat Mettam with a laser of a shot, that sent Mettsy’s water bottle flying (43.55).
There was a bit of a lull in the game after all that action, with nobody taking any scoring chances & the intensity appeared to calm down between the teams.
Bison would score their second goal, when Marcel Balaz (Norcliffe) beat Hedley with a shot, that Hedley got a glove on, but it had enough on it, to go over the line (54.33). Sure he would want that one back.
Hallam Wilson would pick up a Holding penalty (57.04) late on, but Bison would see it off successfully.
That would be all the action for the game and at the final buzzer, MK Lightning completed another win, remaining unbeaten, with a deserved 6-2 victory.
Bison skipper George Norcliffe picking up the beers for the visitors & hat-trick hero Liam ‘Disco’ Stewart chosen for the Lightning.
Match Stats:
Lightning Stats : L Stewart 3+1, Wallace 1+1, Field 1+0, Grinell-Parke 1+0, Norris 0+2, Barnes-Garner 0+1, Griffin 0+1, McKenzie 0+1, M Stewart 0+1, Talbot 0+1.
Nets : Hedley (37/2)
Bison Stats : Norcliffe 1+1, Balaz 1+0, Doughty 0+1, Milton 0+1.
Nets : Mettam (37/6)
PiMs : Lightning 35 Bison 29
SoG : Lightning 37 Bison 37
MoM Lightning : Liam Stewart
MoM Bison : George Norcliffe
Bison return to home ice tonight, when one of the league’s new boys, the Bristol Pitbulls visit the Bison Arena. Good seats are still available and can be purchased from the following link: https://iceaccount.co.uk/basingstoke-bison?Reference=Bison-Website
