Final Score : Phantoms 5 Bison 3
Sunday 8th November 2021
By Nigel Simmonds
Stats :
Phantoms : Salem 2+0, Padelek 1+1, Bowering 1+0, Weldon 1+0, Billing 0+3, Buglass 0+1, Norton 0+1, Pollard 0+1, Robson 0+1, Spiers 0+1.
Nets : Marr 34/3 (91.18%)
Bison : Norcliffe 1+0, Roberts 1+0, Sutton 1+0, Jones 0+2, Baird +1, Martinec 0+1.
Nets : Mettam 26/5 (80.77%)
Shots on Goal : Phantoms 26 Bison 34
Penalties (PiMs) : Phantoms 22 Bison 8
Refs : Miss Cuglietta & Mr Hands
Lino’s : Mr Carrington & Mr O’Neill
After the previous evenings exhilarating, deserved victory, a 13 goal thriller, against old rivals the Bees, your GalxC Cooling Services Basingstoke Bison, made the trip up to Peterborough, to face the pesky Phantoms.
Bison having already beaten the Phantoms twice this season, but both were on our home ice.
This game would be alot harder though, as it’s a small ice pad & quite a hostile crowd, at times !!
Also, Phantoms didn’t play on Saturday, so would probably be a bit fresher….
From the drop of the puck, both teams set about finding away of creating early chances. These came in the shape of George Norcliffe & Nathan Salem, who both saw their attempts thwarted by the opposing netties. Norcliffe had another good chance when he broke through the Phantoms defence, but was brought down by Luc Johnson, who picked up the Tripping call (9.01) on the play. Phantoms would however successfully kill the penalty.
Bison had a great opportunity to open the scoring, when a mix up in The Phantoms defence saw Alex Roberts internet the puck and with only Marr to beat, he tried to outdeke him, but Marr dislodged the net and the chamce was gone. A little bit later on and Bison created a 3-on-1…. Hallam Wilson finding Ash Tait and his slide rule pass, found Filip Martinec in with only Marr to beat, but his shot was saved, although he should’ve done better.
Into the final minute of the period and Phantoms Ross Clarke would flip the puck over the glass, as he tried to clear the puck. This resulted in a Delay of Game penalty (19.42). Bison couldn’t create anything in the 18secs they had and the period ended goalless. Shots on Goal were, 9 on Marr & 11 on Mettam.
The 2nd period started with Bison still having 1.42 of powerplay, but this would be killed off by Peterborough. Luc Johnson would again be penalised, this time it was for Hooking (25.08). Once again, the Phantoms penalty killers saw off the penalty and returned to full strength. Then there were a couple of penalties, a few seconds apart, one for each side…. Phantoms Tom Barry for Slashing (28.11) was quickly followed by Bison’s Zack Milton, picking up a Hooking call (28.36). From the resulting face off, Peterborough opened the scoring. Glen Billing won the puck and it rolled to Brad Bowering, who let rip and the puck flew past Alex Mettam (28.38).
Both teams continued playing 4-on-4 hockey and both teams returned to full strength as the penalties expired.
Bison’s Brendan Baird, would be next to take a trip to the penalty box, when he picked up a Cross-Checking penalty (33.13), sending Phantoms on the powerplay. However, Ales Padelek would negate the man advantage, when he was awarded a Holding call (34.51). Bison would return to full strength & would also gain 42secs of powerplay action, but disaster struck, as Nathan Salem (35.31) would take full advantage of a mix up in the Bison defence and scored backhanded past Mettam, as he lay stricken on the ice. A shorthanded goal, with Scott Robson assisting the goal.
Into the final minute and as like the 1st period, a penalty was called. Ashley Tait, the culprit this time (39.42), however it was a really soft call. Phantoms would create one really good chance in the dying seconds, when Padelek fed Tom Norton and his rocket of a shot was well saved by Mettam. The buzzer sounded to end the period and Peterborough went in leading 2-0.
Shots on Goal this time, read 10 shots on Mettam and a lowly 5 shots on Marr.
(C) Darill Stoddart
Into the 3rd period we went and it was Phantoms this time, who would have a man advantage to start the period, weirdly with exactly the same amount of time as Bison did at start of the 2nd…. 1.42…. and they didn’t need long to make it count.
Tom Norton & Glen Billing, creating a chance for Phantoms captain Will Weldon at the back post, who took at least 3 swipes at the puck, before it finally crossed the goal line (40.56).
Now Bison found themselves 3 goals down, in a rink where it’s tough to get one goal, let alone 3 !!
But thankfully, they weren’t defeated just yet… Ryan Sutton opened Bison’s account, when he redirected an Adam Jones shot, past Jordan Marr (43.13).
A minute later and another penalty. A poor hit by Phantoms youngster Jasper Foster, sending Hallam Wilson crashing into the boards and a Charging call was awarded (44.49). Unfortunately, the Bison couldn’t make inroads into the scoreline. Then, Adam Jones and Luv Johnson clashed behind the play. Co-incidental penalties called, with Johnson picking up a Roughing call & Jones a Slashing call (both at 46.09). Fosters penalty was killed off and then Jones & Johnson would return to the play, as their penalties ended.
Nathan Salem would then be given a minor penalty, when he twice offended at the face off and was promptly awarded, a Face Off Violation call (48.49).
Bison were still in the hunt for their 2nd goal. They tried and tried, but couldn’t break down the Phantoms sturdy defence.
Then, just as the Phantoms returned to full strength, Bison struck …. Filip Martinec picked up the puck and got off his shot, which Marr saved, but the puck looped up and Norcliffe was on hand to bat the puck into the net (50.55). Brendan Baird also credited with an assist.
So, with 9.05 left on the clock and Bison just one goal down, it was now anyone’s game. We started to look the stronger side, but you can never count out the Phantoms, especially on their piddly little ice pad…
Phantoms Brad Bowering was called for Interference (52.29) and Bison had another opportunity on the powerplay. However, we couldn’t create enough and Peterborough returned to full strength. Then disaster struck for the Bison… Phantoms scoring not once, but twice, in just under a minute, to really take a stranglehold on the game & kill off pretty much any chance, of a Bison win.
Firstly, Nathan Salem scoring again, when Ales Padelek was given time to skate all the way around the back of the net & got his pass in front of net, which fell kindly to Salem, who slotted home with ease (54.57). Duncan Spiers also assisting.
Then, Padelek (55.54) helped himself to a goal, as he cooly finished top shelf, after an initial save by Mettam. Nathan Pollard assisting this goal.
It was like having your heart ripped out, but there was still time for some action …. penalties…. and a goal !!
Duncan Spiers picked up a Delay of Game penalty (56.21), when he failed to release the puck in the corner. Miss Cuglietta wasn’t having any of it and made the call.
We entered the final 2 minutes of the game and just as the Phantoms penalty was about to expire, Bison’s Alex Roberts scored a late consolation goal (58.18), with Adam Jones picking up the lone assist. At the same time, Tom Norton remanstrated with Miss Cuglietta and after a few choice words, she handed Norton an Unsportsmanlike penalty (58.18), which he wasn’t best pleased about, sarcastically tapping his stick on the ice.
With 1.12 on the clock and as the face off was in the Phantoms zone, Alex Mettam was pulled for the extra attacker, but we just couldn’t find a good shooting lane, to get the puck on to the net.
The clock ran down and Phantoms ran out winners, although the Bison did put up a spirited fight in the 3rd, until those two quick goals killed the game.
