Image (C) Jo Loat
FINAL SCORE : TIGERS 3 BISON 5 (1-2, 1-1, 1-2)
By Nigel Simmonds
Refs : Mr Poulton & Mr Williams
Lino’s : Mr Anstey & Mr Carrington
After Saturday nights very disappointing result, a 3-2 loss to the Bees IHC, your GalxC Cooling Services sponsored Basingstoke Bison, made the trip to Shropshire, to face the Telford Tigers, who are also currently struggling results wise, very much like the visitors.
The Bison were still missing Paul Petts, Roman Cathcart & Alex Sampford, whilst new signing Neil Liddiard suited up again, since returning to the Bison, after a 20 year gap.
The already short benched Tigers, would suffer another blow, when they lost stalwart Ricky Plant during the warm-up and unfortunately, he was unable to play.
Brad Day & Jordan Lawday, would both get the start between the pipes, for their respective teams.
From the drop of the puck, Tigers would push forward and unbelievably, they scored on their first attack. Scott McKenzie (Goodison, Silverthorn) beating Lawday, with just 17 secs on the clock. Not the start, the visitors had planned. From the face off, McKenzie & Marcus Mitchell had a coming together, which would earn them both, a minor Roughing call (0.24), leaving both teams 4-on-4 for the next 2 mins.
Thankfully, the Bison wouldn’t take too long to get back on level terms, when Zack Milton scored, after an exquisite pass from Bison Captain, George Norcliffe (1.29). A minute later, both teams would return to full strength.
Tigers D-man Rhodes Mitchell-King, would get called for Cross-Checking (10.11).
From the resulting face off, the visitors would take the lead, when Gaël Lubwele (Milton/Landsbergs) scored on the powerplay (10.20).
The home side had a couple of good chances to get back in the game, but they were denied by Jordan Lawday, who made some great saves to keep them out. That was pretty much all the action for the period and at the first interval, the Bison took a 2-1 lead into the locker room.
Into the 2nd period now and the visitors would pick up an early penalty, when Zack Milton was called for High Sticks (20.37).
But the Bison PK units would kill the penalty and as Milton stepped back out onto the ice, he was off up the ice with a one-on-one scoring chance, by sadly he missed.
Tigers suffered another injury blow, when their main man & Captain Jason Silverthorn left the game and unfortunately failed to return again.
The Bison thought they had scored again at 28.59, but the goal was washed out, as the net was off its moorings.
A couple of minutes later and the Tigers Jake Price would get called for Boarding (31.15), bringing a chorus of boos, from the home fans.. Once again, the visitors would take full advantage of the extra skater, when Edgars Landsbergs (Milton, King) netted a powerplay goal (31.48), giving them a comfy two goal advantage.
Telford would get a powerplay chance of their own, when the Bison’s young defenceman Thomas Banner, would get a penalty, with an Interference call (34.00).
It would take a couple of missed chances, but Tigers would finally beat Lawday and found the net, as Scott McKenzie (Mitchell-King, Luka) double his teams & his own score, as he netted his second goal of the evening (35.29), reducing the scoreline to 3-2.
A couple of minutes later and Bison would pick up another penalty call, as George Norcliffe was given 2 mins for Tripping (37.32). The Tigers PP unit set about trying to the scores, but Bison would get a great chance to extend their dad, when Zack Milton had another one-on-one opportunity, but sadly he failed to score again.
Bison managed to kill off the penalty and returned to full strength, as we had already entered the final minute of the period. The remaining seconds ran down and at the 2nd period buzzer, both teams returned to their respective dressing rooms, with the Bison still holding a slender one goal lead.
Into the final period now and with the scores on the scoreboard being so close, the 2pts were really up for grabs, with both teams desperate for the victory, to try and end their recent game losing streaks.
The first 5 minutes went by and were pretty uneventful, but a couple of minutes later, the visitors would extend their lead and take a stranglehold on the game, as Aidan Doughty (Lubwele/Mitchell) netted, giving the travelling Bison fans something good to cheer. The goal being timed at 47.19.
Bison would pick up another penalty soon after, as a poor line change led to a Bench Minor penalty, for having Too Many Men on the ice (48.36).
Into the final 10 minutes of the game now and just as their minor penalty time had expired, the Bison broke up the ice and scored immediately, with Liam Morris finishing a good move, as Brendan Baird & skipper George Norcliffe assisted the goal (50.44).
The Tigers top scorer Vladmir Luka, who had been quite quiet all game, picked up a minor Roughing call (54.28), but he would also pick up a 10 min Unsportsmanlike Conduct on the same play, bringing his evening to a close, as he was escorted off the ice, for an early shower.
The Bison couldn’t find the net on the powerplay and Telford returned to 5 skaters back on the ice.
The Tigers kept pressing forward and with just over two minutes to go in the game, they found the net again, when Finley Howells (Mitchell-King) netted & then immediately, they called their ‘Time Out’ (57.54).
Telford, now just 2 goals behind, would obviously try and pull their nettie at the earliest opportunity, after the following face-off. A few seconds after the puck dropped, Brad Day was pulled for the extra attacker and Tigers would go all out for another goal.
Into the final minute of the period and Tigers put all the pressure on the visitors net. They had a couple of face offs in the Bison zone, but thankfully the clock ran down and at the final buzzer, the final scoreline was 5-3, in favour of the Bison.
They had earned a much needed victory, with a gritty road display, much to the approval of the noisy travelling fans, that had made the journey up.
Jordan Lawday would be awarded the MoM award, with a good performance between the pipes, facing 39 shots & Jake Price would pick up the beers for the home side.
Match Stats:
Tigers Stats : McKenzie 2+0, Howells 1+0, Mitchell-King 0+2, Goodison 0+1, Luka 0+1, Silverthorn 0+1.
Nets : Day (32/5)
Bison Stats : Milton 1+2, Landsbergs 1+1, Lubwele 1+1, Doughty 1+0, Morris 1+0, Norcliffe 0+2, Baird 0+1, King 0+1, Mitchell 0+1.
Nets : Lawday (39/3)
PiMs : Tigers 18 Bison 10
SoG : Tigers 39 Bison 32
MoM Tigers : Jake Price
MoM Bison : Jordan Lawday
Bison return to action this coming Saturday (14th), as Telford will look for swift revenge, when the Tigers visit the Bison Arena (Face Off – 6.30pm) ..
Good Seats still are still available to purchase by clicking the following link: https://iceaccount.co.uk/basingstoke-bison?Reference=Bison-Website
