Images (C) Jo Loat
Final score: Basingstoke Bison 5-3 Bristol Pitbulls (League)
By Matthew Church
Saturday 4th February 2023
Refs: Poulton and Solovjovs – Linos: Davies and MacPhee
Riding high after a four-point weekend last time out with victories against the Seahawks and Bees, the GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison looked to win their third consecutive game as they welcomed the Bristol Pitbulls to Hampshire. With both sides fighting for one of the lower playoff spots, it was set to be a thrilling contest.
A fast-starting Pitbulls side used their speedy, young forwards to excellent effect early on and silenced the home crowd at 2:39 by taking the lead, when a speculative shot from the left circle by Josh Shaw (assisted by Solder and S.Morris) slipped through Alex Mettam and into the net. Shortly after, Zac Milton missed a clear chance for the Herd before the visitors then enjoyed a sustained period of pressure, causing chaos around the Bison net and only desperate defending kept the puck out of the goal. Calm heads were needed to regain control and leading by example, up stepped the Bison captain to level the game at 12:45. After gaining entry into the offensive zone, a pass to the right saw George Norcliffe (Milton, Landsbergs) fire a shot on net, which trickled through Will Kerlin and across the line for a 1-1 game.
Both sides pushed hard throughout the rest of the opening period but there would be no further scoring after 20 minutes. The middle period saw an increase in tempo from the Bison as they searched for their first lead of the contest and it arrived at 24:55 courtesy of their leading points-scorer this season. Import forward Gaël Lubwele (Balaz, Kelly) showed superb skill to skate past his man on the right wing, cut in towards goal and go around Kerlin before tucking home for a 2-1 advantage. Both Liam Morris and Zac Milton would miss excellent chances to extend the Herd’s advantage further as the middle frame wore on, leaving the home side still only one goal in front after 40 minutes and fans full of nerves, given how important the outcome could prove to be.
An electric start for the Pitbulls in the final period saw them level the contest at 2-2, with a fantastic snipe from Eliott Lewis (Solder) at 44:02 as he blasted home from the left dot. To the relief of the Bison faithful, before the visitor’s second goal had finished being announced, the home side had taken the lead once again just 19 seconds later. A battle down low saw the puck trickle out to the right post where man-of-the-moment ‘Lubey’ aka Gaël Lubwele (Milton, Balaz) jumped forward to poke home at 44:21, for a 3-2 lead.
The exhilarating final frame continued minutes later when the Pitbulls fought back yet again, to level the contest at 3-3 with another superb strike. This time it was Caly Robertson (Lipsey, Smith) who waltzed through the Bison defence and slotted past netminder Mettam at 47:47 to give his side renewed hope. As the third period passed its halfway point, both sides were crying out for a hero. Not to be outdone by his fellow import, Bison forward Marcel Balaz (King, Mitchell) aka Balzer to some, stepped forward to grab the game-winning goal and send the home crowd wild at 53:01. Breaking up ice with the extra man, Balaz sent a sumptuous shot from the left wing through netminder Kerlin and into the top corner with precision, handing the Herd a 4-3 advantage.
Desperate to rescue at least one point from the game, the visitors pulled their netminder in favour of the extra skater with just over one minute remaining. However, the gamble failed as Marcel Balaz (Milton) completed his brace at 59:49 with a close-range empty net goal to complete a sensational 5-3 win for the Bison! The prize… two hugely significant points in the race for the playoff places.
Next up at home, is a visit from the Swindon Wildcats on Saturday 11th February. See you all there!
Match Stats:
Bison stats: Balaz 2+2, Milton 0+3, Lubwele 2+0, Kelly 0+1, King 0+1, Landsbergs 0+1, Mitchell 0+1, Norcliffe 1+0
Netminder: Alex Mettam 25/28 (89.29%)
Pitbulls stats: Solder 0+2, Lewis 1+0, Lipsey 0+1, S.Morris 0+1, Robertson 1+0, Shaw 1+0, Smith 0+1
Netminder: Will Kerlin 25/29 (86.21%) plus 1 empty net shot
PIM: Bison 4 – Pitbulls 4. SOG: Bison 30 – Pitbulls 28.
Bison MOM: Balaz – Pitbulls MOM: Kelly
Tickets for Saturday’s game versus the Wildcats can be purchased from the following link: https://iceaccount.co.uk/basingstoke-bison?Reference=Bison-Website
