Image (C) Jo Loat
FINAL SCORE : Steeldogs 4 Bison 3 (2-0,0-1,2-2)
Saturday 22nd october 2022
By Nigel Simmonds.
Refs : Mr Hands & Mr Ryder
Lino’s : Miss Andrews & Mr Devaney
With only one game this weekend, your GalaxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison, travelled back up to South Yorkshire again, but this time the destination was the Steel City of Sheffield, where they would face the Steeldogs, for the first time this season. It would be a good opportunity to continue the good form, that the Bison have shown over the last few weeks.
Bison still missing Adam Jones.
Oli Hemmings-Maher & Roman Cathcart & Jay King would miss this game.
Dmitri Zimozdra & Alex Mettam would get the starts in net.
After a quiet couple of minutes, Steeldogs had the first chance of the game, when Vlad Vulkanovs had a point blank shot saved by Mettam.
Bison would then take a penalty, when Josh Kelly picked up a Hooking call (4.23), but Bison would see off the penalty successfully.
Steeldogs would however take the lead, when Matt Bissonnette (8.26) got a tip on a Tim Smith shot from the point, which gave Mettam no chance. Alex Graham also assisting. I honestly thought Hewitt scored it … but Bissonnette’s name is on the official scoresheet.
It was quite a nervy start from the visitors and that wasn’t helped, with a poor giveaway in their zone , which gave the home side another opportunity and they took it with both hands. James Spurr hustling the Bison defence and winning the puck behind the goal, which he fed to Vlad Vulkanovs, who skated out all alone and picked his spot, to net past Mettam (14.01).
Steeldogs would withstand any further Bison attack and at the first interval, the home side went in with a worthy 2-0 lead.
Into the second period and an early powerplay chance arose for the Bison, when Steeldogs Louie Newell, picked up a Tripping call (22.19). The Bison powerplay unit came out and set about reducing the deficit. Aidan Doughty & Bison Captain George Norcliffe, set up Zack Milton, who took a couple of strides in and fired his shot past Zimozdra (23.06) and celebrated in front of the travelling Bison fans.
A minute or so later, another penalty was called on Steeldogs. This time it was Ben Morgan for Tripping, as he brought down Zack Milton (24.33). However though it would come at more of a cost to Sheffield, as Jason Hewitt also got entangled in a coming together between Morgan & Milton and unfortunately, he came off alot worse… he lay injured on the ice and received a good few minutes of treatment, before sadly leaving the ice on a stretcher.
Obviously, we all hope it’s nothing serious and he makes a full, speedy recovery !
After a lengthy break for the injury, Bison restarted the game, on the powerplay. Sadly, they didn’t really test the Steeldogs nettie and Sheffield returned to full strength.
Steeldogs would then get assessed another penalty, with Charlie Thompson awarded a Tripping call (31.02), but once again the Bison PP was unsuccessful and the penalty was killed.
Bison’s Liam Morris would take a trip to the penalty box, when he flipped the puck over the glass and a Delay of Game penalty was called (33.17). The visitors penalty killers came out and succeeded in killing the penalty.
Into the last couple of minutes of the middle period now and more penalties were called. Firstly, a Tripping call on Ben Morgan (38.54), who really wasn’t happy about it and was remonstrating with the other official who was up the ice. But, nothing changed and he sat the penalty. But, 20 secs later and a real tame challenge on a Steeldogs player and he went down… up went the arm off the official…. funnily enough, it makes you wonder, if it was a tit for tat call, that evened up the penalties.. Marcel Balaz the penalised player, for Tripping (39.19).
Neither team had an opportunity in the remaining seconds and the period ended, with only one goal between the teams, going into the 3rd period.
Into the final period and it was a little bit of 4-on-4 play for 55secs, before the Steeldogs gained a little time with a man advantage. Again, neither team could take advantage of the extra room out on the ice and both teams returned to full strength.
Steeldogs would persist and they extended their lead at 46.02. Charlie Thompson & Tom Palmer assisting to find Jonathon Kirk on the point and he let fly with a laser of a shot, which rippled the Bison net, with Mettam clearly unsighted.
There was still plenty of time for the Bison to get back in the game, but they just seemed a little ‘off colour’, compared to previous weeks performances. But, if they could get one, they would be back in the game, with Steeldogs looking a little unsettled, maybe still from losing their main lynchpin, in Hewitt.
A couple of minutes later and afree a pretty innocuous play, saw the puck end up out towards the right hand side boards. Liam Morris picked it up and skated in hard, past a Steeldogs defenceman and got away a good, hard backhand shot, which somehow managed to wriggle through Zimozdra’s pads and over the line (48.55), with Marcus Mitchell picking up an assist.
It gave the Bison fans something to cheer and with just over 10 minutes to go, this was still anyone’s game.
A couple of minutes later and from a face off in the Bison zone, Bissonnette won the puck, but was brought down by Marcel Balaz, who rightly received a Tripping call (51.40).
Sadly, Steeldogs would make the Bison pay, as Louie Newell scored with another great tip, from a shot by Lee Hayward, which wrong footed Alex Mettam (53.23). Vulkanovs picking up the 2nd assist. That gave the home side a bit of breathing space, with only a few minutes to go in the game.
Time was running down and as we entered the final 2 minutes, Bison were pushing to score again… and they did. George Norcliffe saw his shot well saved by Zimozdra, but the puck fell to Marcel Balaz, who swept the puck into the net (58.16).
This prompted the Bison to use their ‘Time Out’.
It was now a matter of when/if Mettam would get pulled for the extra attacker. The face off took place, but Bison couldn’t get far enough up ice for Mettsy to scoot off. Then a stoppage on play in the Steeldogs zone and Mettam was pulled for the extra man. Seconds after the puck was dropped and Steeldogs were given a penalty.
Alex Graham given a Holding call (59.04), giving Bison a 6-on-4 advantage. But within seconds of the restart, Gaël Lubwele was given a High-Sticks call (59.25), which nullified the advantage. Mettam returned to the Bison net.
The puck was dropped and Bison had got control of the puck going forward, Mettam was gone again and with almost the last play of the game, Bison had a shot on net, but sadly the puck was charged down and the final buzzer sounded, giving the Steeldogs a narrow, but deserved victory. The Bison will feel that they probably should’ve done better.
Match Stats:
Steeldogs Stats : Vulkanovs 1+1, Bissonnette 1+0, Kirk 1+0, Newell 1+0, Graham 0+1, Haywood 0+1, Palmer 0+1, Smith 0+1, Spurr 0+1, Thompson 0+1.
Nets : Zimozdra (41/3)
Bison Stats : Balaz 1+0, Milton 1+0, Morris 1+0, Norcliffe 0+2, Doughty 0+1, Mitchell 0+1.
Nets : Mettam (44/4)
PiMs : Steeldogs 10 Bison 10
SoG : Steeldogs 44 Bison 41
MoM Steeldogs : Warren Tait
MoM Bison : Liam Morris
The Bison are back in action on this coming Wed (25th), when the Bristol Pitbulls are our opposition.
Face Off is 8pm… Doors Open – 7.15pm.
