Image (C) Jo Loat
FINAL SCORE : STEELDOGS 9 BISON 4 (3-2, 2-1, 4-1)
By Nigel Simmonds
Refs : Mr Brown & Mr Williams
Lino’s : Mr Carratt & Mr Hardy
After Saturday evenings entertaining match, which sadly ended in defeat, by a single goal.
Your GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison, made the long trip up north to Yorkshire, for the second week running, to play the return leg, of the double header, against the Sheffield Steeldogs, this being the final League game of the season.
Scratches for the Bison were, Neil Liddiard, Carl Graham, Roman Cathcart, Oli Hemmings-Maher, Josh Kelly & Aidan Doughty.
However, Sam Hemmings-Maher would suit up again, to help out a depleted Bison team & hopefully for him, gain some much needed experience, at the higher level, which will only help out his game, going forward.
Dmitri Zimozdra & Alex Mettam would both get the nod to start for their respective teams, between the pipes.
The Bison got off to the best possible start, when Bison Skipper George Norcliffe (Baird), continued his weekends scoring purple patch, when he netted, with just 27secs on the clock.
But sadly, that was soon cancelled out, when Jonathan Kirk (Palmer), drew the Steeldogs level, timed at 1.29.
Kirk (Brammer) would follow that up, with another goal, just over 30 secs later, giving the home side the lead (2.02). It was all a bit fast & furious, in the opening minutes of the game.
Paul Petts would pick up a Tripping call (8.52), giving the home side, a powerplay opportunity. Not long into the penalty and Jason Hewitt (Kirk, Bissonnette) would beat Mettam, to give the Steeldogs an early two goal advantage (9.11).
This resulted in the Bison Coach Ashley Tait, to once again use his ‘Time Out’, early in the first period, in which he bellowed his disapproval, at his teams lacklustre display.
With his words, clearly still ringing in their ears, the visitors went up the ice and quickly got a goal back. Hallam Wilson (Morris) firing the puck past Zimozdra, timed at 10.11.
Jack Brammer would give the Bison their first PP opportunity, when he picked up a Slashing call (10.53), but the Bison couldn’t capitalise and the Steeldogs returned to full strength.
A couple of minutes later and Jay King would be penalised, with a Hooking call (13.28), putting the Steeldogs back on the PP. Thankfully, the Bison managed to kill the penalty successfully.
There were many more scoring chances for the Steeldogs, but Alex Mettam kept the puck out and at the first period break, the home side went in, with a narrow one goal lead. Shots on Goal were : 5 on Sheffield & a whopping 22 shots on the Bison.
Into the 2nd period and Bison would get a powerplay opportunity early on, when Brammer was penalised again, this time for Interference (23.00). But, as before the Steeldogs PK units were strong and kept the puck out and soon returned to full strength.
Thomas Banner would be called for Tripping (26.12) and soon after, the home side would open up a bigger gap in the scoreline, as Vlads Vulkanovs (Bissonnette, Hewitt) put the puck into the net (26.28), to really give the home fans, something to cheer..
Jay King would again pay a visit to the penalty box, as he picked up a minor High-Sticks call (28.44), but the Bison penalty killers would once again be staunch in defence and kill the penalty.
The Bison would pull back another goal through George Norcliffe (Mitchell, Balaz) as he notched his 5th goal of the weekend (31.13), to get the visitors back in the game.
At 32.38, a bad line change by the Steeldogs, saw them pick up a Bench minor penalty for Too Many Men. That was quickly followed up by another penalty call, this time Matt Bissonnette getting a minor Abuse of Official call (33.42).
This gave the Bison a two man advantage on the powerplay, for just under a minute, but sadly they couldn’t find the net and the Steeldogs would go on to kill both penalties successfully.
Into the final minute of the period and it would be quite an eventful one.
Firstly, Lee Haywood picked up a Slashing call (39.15). The Steeldogs would score a short-handed goal (39.50), through Matt Bissonnette (Hewitt).
Jay King really wasn’t happy and he talked himself into a 2+10 Abuse of Official penalty. Also timed at 39.50
Seconds later and it started to all kick off a bit. A few comings together, words & punches exchanged.. from that, Gaël Lubwele & Jordan Buesa both picked up Roughing calls (39.58).
The puck dropped for the restart and immediately the buzzer sounded for the end of the 2nd period. The home side going in with a comfy 5-3 lead & Shots on Goal were : 11 apiece on each nettie.
The Bison came out for the final period, minus Lubwele, Morris & Baird. I don’t know for what reason, but that certainly didn’t help & it was going to make it alot harder now, for the visitors to try and recover the two goal deficit.
But, much like the first, the Bison started the period, with an early goal. Edgars Landsbergs (Balaz, Milton) scoring a nice goal, past Zimozdra (40.19), to close the gap to just a single goal.
Sadly though, much like the first period, the Steeldogs would come right back. Tom Palmer (Doxey) restoring the two goal lead (42.06).
Both teams returned to full strength, from the penalties overhanging, late from the 2nd period.
Steeldogs were piling on the pressure now and it would result in another goal. Vlads Vulkanovs (Buesa) ripping the puck past Mettam (44.33).
Marcel Balaz would pick up a Hooking call (45.25), giving the home side another good scoring opportunity, but thankfully, Alex Mettam and the makeshift defence in front of him, were clearing their zone and returned to full strength.
At 49.28, the Steeldogs scored again, when Brad Doxey netted, with assists coming from Lee Haywood & a certain Rui Tait.
Now, that name may not mean alot to some, but Rui Tait, is in fact Steeldogs Warren Tait’s son, which also makes him, Bison Coach, Ashley Tait’s nephew. I’m sure he loved getting his first senior point, against his uncle team … bragging rights for sure !
The home side would continue to bombard the Bison net and that constant pressure would pay off again, when Tom Palmer (Buesa, Vulkanovs) netted again, against a now severely wilting, depleted Bison side (52.19), putting them way out of sight now and securing the 2pts.
Marcel Balaz would pick up another Hooking call (55.14), but once again, Mettsy kept out the Steeldogs powerplay scoring chances.
The final few minutes ran down and at the final buzzer, the Steeldogs had got a deserving 9-4 victory.
The Shots on Goal were, a very poor 6 shots only on Zimozdra, but Mettam faced a huge 24 shots. That’s the second week running, he’s faced over 50 shots in a game.
You won’t win games, conceding that many, i can tell you.
Jonathan Kirk picked up the beers for the Steeldogs, whilst George ‘Gordan’ Norcliffe was named as the visitors MoM and he fully deserved it, for his weekends efforts, as he scored 5 of Bison’s 7 goals, over both games.
The Bison, finally finished in 8th spot in the league table. Now they must take on the League Champions, the Leeds Knights, in a 2-legged NIHL Play-Offs Q/Finals, over next weekend, with the winner going on to play in the Semi-Final game, at the NIHL Finals weekend, in Coventry (15th/16th April).
Match Stats:
Steeldogs Stats : Kirk 2+1, Palmer 2+1, Vulkanovs 2+1, Bissonnette 1+2, Hewitt 1+2, Doxey 1+1, Buesa 0+2, Brammer 0+1, Haywood 0+1.
Nets : Zimozdra (25/4)
Bison Stats : Norcliffe 2+0, Landsbergs 1+0, Wilson 1+0, Balaz 0+2, Baird 0+1, Milton 0+1, Mitchell 0+1, Morris 0+1.
Nets : Mettam (57/9)
PiMs : Steeldogs 12 Bison 24
SoG : Steeldogs 57 Bison 25
Bison travel to Leeds this Saturday (8th) & are back on home ice, next Sunday (9th April), when the Knights visit the Bison Arena (Face Off – 5.30pm), for the 2nd leg of the Play-Off Quarter Finals…
Don’t miss out – Good seats are still available by clicking the following link: https://iceaccount.co.uk/basingstoke-bison?Reference=Bison-Website ….
