Image (C) Jo Loat
FINAL SCORE : KNIGHTS 11 BISON 2 (3-0, 6-1, 2-1)
By Nigel Simmonds
Refs : Mr Wells & Mr Williams
Lino’s : Mr Hardy & Mr Smith
After finishing 8th in the Final League standings, your GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison, would face League Champions, the Leeds Knights, in a two legged Q/Final to play for a place in the NIHL Finals weekend in Coventry.
On Saturday, the Bison, made the long trip up north to Yorkshire, (for the 3rd week running), to face the Leeds Knights, in the Q/Final 1st Leg, of the NIHL Play-Offs.
Missing for the Bison were, Carl Graham, Oli Hemmings-Maher, Aidan Doughty.
But, Roman Cathcart was added to the squad & suited up for the match.
Sam Gospel & Alex Mettam would both get the nod to start for their respective teams, between the pipes.
Knowing that this was going to be a very difficult weekend, against the very impressive League Champions, the Leeds Knights, I’d imagine hardly any fans around the league, could honestly, see an upset coming from this match up and being frank, I wouldn’t have blamed them.
As expected, the Knights came out strong, hard & fast, in front of a good noisy home crowd and within 2 minutes, they would be celebrating the first goal of the night. Kieran Brown (League’s Top Scorer) buried the puck past Mettam, with a low crisp strike. Lewis Baldwin assisting the goal (1.43).
Not the start, the Bison would’ve wanted, but they steadied the ship for the next few minutes and then got an opportunity to strike back, when Knights Bailey Perre, picked up a Hooking call (6.14). Sadly, the visitors couldn’t find a way past the solid Leeds defence & Sam Gospel between the pipes. They returned to full strength.
Gaël Lubwele would pick a Slashing call (14.23), putting the Knights on the PP. The Bison PK unit had almost killed the penalty, but with a few seconds left, Kieran Brown struck again (16.19). Matt Hayward & Jacob Witkowski picking up assists.
A few seconds after the restart, Jay King & Bailey Perre both picked up penalties. King being given an Interference call & Perre received a Roughing call (16.28). Just over a minute into the penalty, Bison’s Neil Liddiard was called for Hooking (17.35), making it 4-on-3 in favour of the Knights. Bison managed to kill off the first penalty, so they returned to 4 skaters, whilst the Knights would return to full strength. Into the final minute and Mac Howlett (Brown, C Shudra) picked up the puck and went coast to coast, finishing neatly past Mettam, to give the home side a deserved 3-0 lead (19.03).
At 19.32, Oli Endicott & Josh Kelly exchanged words, with Endicott throwing a punch.. Kelly went after him, but was intercepted by Jordan Griffin and a fight broke out.
Endicott was awarded a minor Roughing call, whilst Kelly & Griffin both picked major Fighting majors, but Griffin was also awarded a 2 min Instigator penalty too (19.32).
This gave the Bison a 5-on-3 powerplay.
The final few seconds ran down and at the first period break, the home side were in full command, with a 3 goal advantage. Shots on Goal were, 14 on Mettam & 5 on Gospel.
Into the second period and the Bison still had a two man advantage for 1.31. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t create a good shooting lane and Leeds killed off the penalties successfully.
That missed chance, would cost the Bison dearly, as soon after, Mac Howlett picked up his second goal of the night, after good set up work from Witkowski & Hayward (21.40).
The Knights were on it completely and looked like they could score on every attack, although Alex Mettam was being peppered, he saved what he could, but had no chance on goals already scored.
At 27.15, Kieran Brown completed his hat-trick, with Lewis Baldwin assisting the goal. A minute later, Brendan Baird picked up an Elbows penalty (28.16). The Knights PP unit came out again and as expected, they scored again. That man Kieran Brown again, adding his 4th goal (29.12), with Howlett & Hayward adding the assists. This guy really is a class act.
With the score standing at 6-0, Bison Coach Ashley Tait, decided to replace Alex Mettam, with Jordan Lawday… You could really tell that Mettsy didn’t want to go off, but it really wasn’t his fault & I just feel Ash just had to make that decision, to save him from any more punishment.
Knowing Mettsy and how he loves to perform, i’m sure he would’ve felt really disappointed, that he couldn’t have saved any of the goals, but the Knights were that clinical, he really didn’t stand any chance.
Jordan Lawday came out and was called upon straight away, making a save, on his first shot faced.
Then a fight broke out just in front of the Bison net. Oli Endicott with a hard hit on a Bison player behind the net, wasn’t received well by Liam Morris and wasn’t having any of it and dropped the gloves with the Leeds player. Liam threw a barrage of quick punches and it was over, as soon as it had begun.. with Mo getting the take down !
Endicott & Morris both received 5 min Fighting majors and the Bison man also received an Instigator minor penalty too (29.38).
The Knights went back in the powerplay and as they had before, they made that extra man count. Ethan Hehir, getting the faintest of touches on the puck, that just crept past Lawday, into the net (31.17). Adam Barnes & Archie Hazeldine with the assists.
The Bison players, like the diehard travelling Bison fans, appeared very much shell-shocked, with what was happening in front of their eyes.
Frustration was now kicking in with the Bison and when Marcel Balaz picked up a Hooking call (32.11), he then voiced his opinion and picked up an extra 2 mins for Abuse of Official call.
Leeds were absolutely ruthless and from the resulting powerplay, they netted again, making it 8-0. Zach Brooks scoring unassisted (33.08).
Bison returned to full strength soon after, but that wouldn’t stop the onslaught that the Leeds offence were piling on the Bison net.
Matt Hayward, stripping the puck away from the Bison defence and skated in and scored with ease (37.00), also unassisted.
The only thing more depressing than what we were witnessing, was being reminded of the scoreline, by the Knights announcer, every time he read out the goal scorer, assists & time !!
Then, at 37.33, the Bison finally got on the scoresheet. Edgars Landsbergs (Milton) picking up a loose puck and finished neatly top shelf…. But, it happened so quickly, that hardly anybody in the travelling fans, actually realised that the goal had been scored. I had seen the water bottle on Gospels net fly into the air, so I did start to cheer, but I won’t lie, I did then doubt myself on whether it actually had gone in and wondered if i’d just imagined it…. but then the light went on and the cheers started… think it was more of the relief, that we’d actually scored..
That was all the action for the period and at the 2nd interval, the Knights went in with a very convincing & pretty much, an unassailable 9-1 lead. Mettam faced 9 shots, before being replaced & Lawday who came in, also faced 9 shots. Gospel faced just 10 shots.
Into the 3rd period of the games 1st Leg and quite frankly, it was now a case of whether Leeds would go all out to score some more or would Bison come out, score a couple, just to make the scoreline, look a bit more respectable.
The Bison had a couple of early chances, but Gospel saved the shots easily and cleared the puck to safety.
A couple of minutes later and Leeds would make it double figures, as Jacob Witkowski (Howlett) scored (44.31). It was a pure masterclass, that we were witnessing from the Knights. Honestly thought, they were going to score, every time they went forward. I’m not being horrible to the Bison players, but they were just being taken apart, by a very good Leeds team.
To add salt, to an already gaping wound, the Knights scored again.. Matt Haywood (Barnes, Endicott) netting on this occasion (45.28), making it 11-1.
Marcel Balaz picked up another penalty, this time, it was a Cross-Checking call (46.17).
The Bison would thankfully kill the penalty successfully.
The Knights would pick up a Bench Penalty, coming from a Face-Off Violation call (49.14). But, their PP units, couldn’t find the net and the visitors returned to full strength.
Marcel Balaz exited the penalty box and was straight back into the play. Neil Liddiard picking him out with a well timed pass and the Slovak sniper skated in and beat Gospel over his shoulder, with a lovely shot, going top shelf (51.17).
Knights Oli Endicott, who’d had a pretty eventful evening, took another trip to the penalty box, as he picked up a Hooking call (55.39), but the Bison, who looked completely demoralised, just couldn’t create anything and the Knights would return to full strength.
The final two minutes came & went and at the final buzzer, the Knights, with a 9 goal advantage & barring a miracle comeback by the Bison in the 2nd leg, had already booked their place in the Semi-finals, at the Planet Ice NIHL Final Four Play-Offs, being played this coming weekend in Coventry.
Paul Petts would pick up the beers for the Bison & who else, but Kieran Brown picked them up, for the Knights.
Match Stats:
Knights Stats : Brown 4+1, Haywood 2+4, Howlett 2+2, Witkowski 1+2, Brooks 1+0, E Hehir 1+0, Baldwin 0+2, Barnes 0+2, Endicott 0+1, Hazeldine 0+1, C Shudra 0+1.
Nets : Gospel (24/2)
Bison Stats : Balaz 1+0, Landsbergs 1+0, Liddiard 0+1, Milton 0+1.
Nets : Mettam (23/6) Lawday (23/5)
PiMs : Knights 22 Bison 26
SoG : Knights 46 Bison 24
I would just like to add ……
I really want to say a huge “Thank You” to everyone, that throughout the season, has taken time out of their days, to read my Match Reports… I do hope you liked them..
***** If anyone wants to take over, when we return.. you’re very welcome too..***** lol
A big Shout Out to my fellow Media ‘Match Report’ Buds, Simon & Matt Church… Thanks for all your help & laughs guys !
Also, a Big Thanks to John Neville (& any other teams media guys), that have helped me out, by obtaining me a copy of the Game Sheet, so I have all the info required, to compile my report.
That’s all from me for now. I am very positive that we WILL return & I really hope to see you all back again, in Sept 2024 !!
GOODBYE & THANK YOU !!
