Photo (C) Jo Loat
Final score: Basingstoke Bison 6-5 Sheffield Steeldogs – after Penalty Shots (League)
By Matthew Church
Saturday 11th December 2021
Refs: Poulton and Williams – Linos: Earl and Kowal
In their penultimate home game before Christmas, the GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison looked to ride the momentum of a 3-point weekend last time out as they welcomed the Sheffield Steeldogs to town once again. An opening period littered with penalties saw the Herd forced to desperately see off sustained attacks from their opponents and somehow they did just that, holding firm and even having a couple of glimpses at goal thanks to the influential Adam Harding who made a welcome return after an injury. Despite being out-shot 3 to 1, the home team went into the first break level at 0-0.
The opening goal of the game would appear almost instantly, however, as the middle frame began and it would be the Steeldogs who struck first, whilst still on the powerplay as Alex Roberts was in the penalty box for Tripping. At 20:13, the dangerous Jason Hewitt (assisted by Matt Bissonnette and Lee Bonner) used the extra space well to fire home for a 0-1 lead. Barely a minute later, the visitors doubled their lead to the dismay of the home crowd when Jack Brammer (Bissonnette) converted neatly at 21:19. Needing to regroup quickly, the Bison went on the offensive and began to heavily out-shoot their opposition, a tactic which would prove highly rewarding with 5 goals before the next intermission.
At 26:09 import Alex Roberts (Tait, Milton) would score the Herd’s first goal, collecting a pass from Tait and finishing from a tight angle to make the score 1-2. Fast forward to 27:26 and the game was tied. Welsh wizard Adam Harding (unassisted) saw an initial backhand shot come back to him off a Steeldogs player and he knocked the puck home with ease, for a 2-2 scoreline.
Clearly in the ascendency, every move by the Bison looked like it could end with the opposition net bulging and at 31:55 they took their first lead of the night, Zack Milton (Baird) danced around the Steeldogs defence before spinning to slot home past Miles Finney in net, clearly pleasing the Herd faithful in attendance.
(C) Jo Loat
The home team were not finished there and took a 4-2 lead at 34:41 courtesy of the evergreen player coach Ashley Tait aka Tait the Great, who broke away down the left wing and managed to hold off chasing Steeldogs players before out-waiting Finney and lifting the puck home. The Bison would finish off the middle period with yet another sublime goal at 36:15, when the in-form Aidan Doughty (Jones, Harding) broke down the left wing slightly quicker than the previous goal, giving the Steeldogs no chance and he duly sent a laser past the visiting netminder to leave his team 5-2 ahead after 40 minutes.
(C) Jo Loat
With too much talent to simply fade away, the Steeldogs would mount an incredible comeback in the opening 10 minutes of the third period and undo all of the Herd’s hard work. Firstly, Jason Hewitt (Bell) reduced the scoreline to 5-3 at 43:13 when the Bison sat off and gave him slightly too much room to fire home. Momentum was now firmly with the away side and they confirmed this with another goal at 46:03 thanks to James Spurr (Bissonnette, Hewitt) who ended a seamless 3-on-2 break with a classy finish that gave netminder Mettam no chance.
The Steeldogs’ comeback was complete when Lee Bonner (Brammer, Towner) was quickest to pick up a loose puck and send the puck into the net at 49:19, levelling the game at 5-5. No further goals would see the contest needing a nerve-wracking Overtime period.
(C) Jo Loat
As is almost always the case, 3-on-3 Overtime is end-to-end and full of drama, with this game being no exception. The Bison would go close with efforts from Harding and Norcliffe, whereas the opposition’s best chance falling to Jason Hewitt who was denied only by a sprawling Alex Mettam in net. Somehow neither side was able to score, leaving the lottery that is penalties to decide the game and they went as follows:
Bissonette – goal
Harding – goal
Hewitt – saved
Tait – saved
Bonner – saved
Roberts – missed
Spurr – saved
Milton – missed
Towner – missed
Doughty – goal! Aidan Doughty kept his composure and beat Finney to his right side, with an eruption of joy in the stands and his team mates pouring onto the ice to celebrate an epic 6-5 penalty shoot out win!
Bison MOM: Alex Roberts – Steeldogs MOM: James Spurr
Bison stats: Harding 1+1, Milton 1+1, Tait 1+1, Baird 0+1, Doughty 1+0, Jones 0+1, Roberts 1+0
Netminder: Alex Mettam 38/5 (86.84%)
Steeldogs stats: Bissonnette 0+3, Hewitt 2+1, Bonner 1+1, Brammer 1+1, Bell 0+1, Spurr 1+0, Towner 0+1
Netminder: Miles Finney 36/5 (86.11%)
PIM: Bison 8 – Steeldogs 4. SOG: Bison 36 – Steeldogs 38.
Next up at home for the Bison, a visit from Leeds Knights on December 18th!
