The first weekend of November will see the GalxC Cooling Services Basingstoke Bison in National League action, firstly at home to the Slough-based Bees IHC (formerly known as the Bracknell Bees), then secondly a road trip to Cambridgeshire to take on Peterborough Phantoms.
Saturday’s game is the Bees’ first visit to the Silverdome this season, face off is the normal 6.30pm.
Bees IHC currently occupy 7th position in the league table, 2 pts ahead of the Bison, having won their last 3 games including beating the much fancied Leeds Knights last Sunday in Slough.
Former Bison players Bayley Harewood, Josh Smith and Stuart Mogg, have recently been joined on the Bees roster by another ex-Bison player, Joe Baird.
One new face to their line up is the aptly named Skate Skalde, the 18 year old is a 6’ 1”, 70kg forward. Although born in Orlando, Florida, Skate is a Canadian national and is playing hockey outside of North America for the first time in his short career. He is the son of Jarrod Skalde, who had a long and distinguished hockey career between 1986 – 2008, which featured 115 NHL appearances. Jarrod is at present the Head Coach of the Cardiff Devils.
Sunday’s trip to take on Peterborough Phantoms is Bison’s first visit of the season to the Bretton Rink, face off for this game is 5.30pm.
Phantoms have endured a difficult start to the 2021/22 season, to date they only have five wins from 17 games, although many of the defeats have been extremely close affairs which on another day could have ended positively for them.
No doubt Head Coach Slava Koulikov and the team led by Will Weldon, will be hoping to build on their 3-0 win in Romford last Sunday, a game which saw Nathan Salem make his first appearance for the Phantoms following his signing from Sheffield Steeldogs. Salem previously made 42 appearances for Peterborough in the 2017/18 season.
Glenn Billing leads the Phantoms scoring charts with 26 pts (9+17), followed by Ales Padelek on 19 pts (13+6) and Duncan Speirs with 13 pts (8+5).
Following the double disappointment of last weekend, Coach Tait will be looking for a big improvement from the Bison in both games this weekend. Naturally fans of the Stampede will be noisily backing Ash and the boys from the stands, especially on Saturday night when arch rivals the Bees are in town.
