Photo (C) Tony Sargeant
Final Score : Lightning 4 Bison 8
By Nigel Simmonds
Refs : Mr Hewitt & Mr Williams
Lino’s : Mr Anstey & Mr Carrington
Your GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison, started the weekend on the road, with a trip to Milton Keynes, to face a strong Lightning side, recently bolstered by signings of Morgan Clarke-Pizzo (son of David Clarke, British Ice Hockey legend) & ex-Nottm Panthers Head Coach Tim Wallace.
The Bison, still missing top d-man Adam Jones & promising youngster, Tom Banner, so the defence would have another testing night in front of them.
The Bison have struggled the last two times we have visited here, losing 6-3 & 8-3, so we were all really hoping for third time lucky !
Matt Smital would get the start for MK & Jordan Lawday would be back between the pipes for the Bison.
Because it was a Saturday evening game, the travelling support would be bolstered by lots more fans, that maybe can’t make Sunday evening or midweek games, due to work, school, etc…. and they were in very good voice, mainly orchestrated by the main man, DJ Bavy !
From the drop of the puck, it would be MK that had the first chance, when Liam Stewart tested Lawday, but Jordan made the save. George Norcliffe would have Bison’s first chance, but his shot flew just wide of the net.
Soon after, Lightning thought they had taken the lead, when the puck entered the net, but the goal was washed out, with the ref saying that Liam Stewart had used a kicking motion to score..
Alex Roberts picked up the first penalty, when he was called for Hooking (3.44), giving MK a good chance to take the lead and that’s exactly what they did. Liam Stewart & Dr Russ Cowley, setting up Bobby Chamberlain at the back post and he buried the puck with a nice shot (4.19).
Bison wouldn’t be too disheartened by this and within a couple of minutes, they were level. Alex Roberts & Zack Milton testing Smital, before the puck fell to Coach Tait and he evaded a challenge, before cooly slotting home on the backhand (7.21).
A few more minutes later and Bison scored one of the prettiest goals I’ve seen this season, with a tic-tac-toe play, which took apart the Lightning defence. Zack Milton found Tait and a quick pass across ice, found Brendan Baird skating in unattended to finish the great move (10.46).
Then, before I had time to jot down the details of the previous goal, Bison scored again. Adam Harding & George Norcliffe finding Liam Morris ghosting in at the back and Mo buried the puck (11.08), much to the delight of the travelling Bison fans, who I’m not gonna lie, where probably as stunned as the MK bench… and this caused Lightning to use their Time Out, where their coach tore into his players and was visibly angered..
With the coaches words still ringing in their ears, MK came back out to stop the Bison advances. But it would be Bison that almost extended their lead, when Norcliffe had a great opportunity to score, but unfortunately the puck just got away from his stick, before he get his shot off. The Lightning were definately on the ropes and had very little response to all the Bison pressure
Then, there was a coming together after a chance by Lightning, when Mikey Power and Liam Morris exchanged a few jabs each, but they both received 2 min Roughing penalties (14.08), but neither team could punish the other and both teams returned to full strength.
Then, Bobby Chamberlain, being his normal sly self, made a naughty challenge on a Bison player and Alex Roberts dropped the gloves to fight Chamberlain. Both received 5 min Fighting majors, but Chamberlain also picked up a Charging call for the original challenge (16.14).
With Bison on the powerplay, they set about adding more misery on the Lightning. Just before the penalty ended, Lewis Christie was called for Roughing (18.08), after he threw a punch way after the whistle had stopped play.
Bison had very little time of 5-on-3 & MK soon returned to 4 skaters. The remaining time ran down and at the first interval, the Bison had a resounding 3-1 lead and were rightly applauded off the Ice, by the travelling Bison faithful.
Smital faced 7 shots, whilst Lawday faced 8.
Into the 2nd period and it would be pretty much, ‘as you were’ for the Bison. More pressing the fragile MK defence and for once, the Lightning offense was pretty quiet.
Bison would continue making Smital’s night a very tough one and Zack Milton would add another goal for the visitors (24.42), after good work from Roberts to find his linemate in space. Like buses, another Bison goal was soon upcoming 20 seconds later, when Roberts, who turned provider into scorer, when he scored his first of the night (25.02), with Tait & Dewey assisting. That would also see Matt Smital’s poor night come to an end, as he was pulled, with Brandon Stones replacing him.
MK would pull a goal back a minute later, when Leigh Jamieson found the top corner ((26.02), after Wallace & Christie created the opportunity for him. But Bison were far from finished yet.. Lightning’s Halden Barnes-Garner would be called for Roughing (27.02), when he threw a punch, after a coming together on the boards.
The Bison took full advantage of the extra skater and Ashley Tait set up Roberts, whose shot managed to squirm through Stones defence and trickled into the net (27.41) for a powerplay goal.
Bison recent performances have been superb and this is deffo up there, as one of my favourites. But there was still more to come.
Ollie Stone was called for Slashing (33.05), when Clarke-Pizzo’s stick was hit out of his hands. Bison would successfully kill the penalty though.
Just before the end of the period, MK’s Sam Talbot would pick up a Slashing call (39.26). Bison couldn’t find a way past Stones before the buzzer sounded to end the 2nd period, with Bison in a very commanding 6-2 lead going back into the changing room.
Smital faced 2 shots (conceding on both) & Stones faced 4, whilst Jordan faced 12 shots.
Into the final period and Bison still had over a minute remaining on the powerplay from Talbot’s penalty.
Lightning managed to survive this and returned to full strength.
Then, Lightning would get another goal back, when Morgan Clarke-Pizzo would net (44.14), after good work from Callum Field & Mikey Power. Would this spur them into a comeback… it’s always possible.
They got a great opportunity, when Bison Captain Elliott Dewey, was called for Tripping (48.32).
However, it was Bison’s night tonight and a poor turnover in neutral ice, gave Alex Roberts a perfect chance at getting his hattie. He skated away and finished with aplomb, going top shelf over Stones’s right shoulder (50.27), with the short handed marker.
That was pretty much Game, Set & Match for the visitors, with just under 10 minutes to go.
The last few minutes were running down and both teams were still trying to forge forward to create more chances. Bison certainly were enjoying this and they managed to score again late on.
Aidan Doughty making Stones pull off a good save, before George Norcliffe saw his shot come back off the bar, before the puck dropped nicely at Harding’s skates and he roofed the loose puck home (58.06). Into the final minute and Lightning still had time for a very late, delayed penalty consolation goal. Dewey being called for Hooking, but Sam Russell converted the puck, with Cowley & Laishram assisting (59.30).
The final seconds ran down and at the buzzer, the travelling Bison fans created the Bison players with a wall of sound, that rang around the rink… Great job Guys !!
Lightning’s Morgan Clarke-Pizzo & Bison’s George Norcliffe, both being selected as their teams respected MoM.
Match Stats:
Lightning : Chamberlain 1+0, Clarke-Pizzo 1+0, Jamieson 1+0, S Russell 1+0, Cowley 0+2, Christie 0+1, Field 0+1, Laishram 0+1, Power 0+1, Stewart 0+1, Wallace 0+1.
Nets : Smital 9/5 (44.44%)
Stones 13/3 (76.92%)
Bison : Roberts 3+2, Tait 1+3, Milton 1+2, Harding 1+1, Baird 1+0, Morris 1+0, Norcliffe 0+2, Dewey 0+1, Doughty 0+1.
Nets : Lawday 26/3 (88.46%)
Shots on Goal : Lightning 26 Bison 22
Penalties (PiMs) : Lightning 15 Bison 13
