Bees finish bottom but looking to next season

BRACKNELL, UK – The Bracknell Bees ended the season propping up the English Premier League despite a late rally against the Peterborough Phantoms at The Hive. The Phantoms ran away with an 8-4 victory thanks to hat-tricks from Jeff Glowa and Maris Ziedins, with Tom Carlon coming away with five assists. However the Bees gave their loyal fans something to go away cheering about as two goals in the final minute of play restored some much-needed pride for Bracknell. Jaroslav Cesky and Peter Jasik scored thirteen seconds apart to end the season on a high, but it was too little too late. The loss meant the Bees finished one point below the Sheffield Steeldogs, rock bottom of the table. Bees coach Gareth Cox said, “There is no getting away from the fact that the team and myself are as disappointed as you that we have failed to make the playoffs for the second year running. “The league may have got a little bit stronger, but with the squad we had we shouldn’t have been in this position.”

The Bees showed promise at the turn of the year when they were able to defeat the Telford Tigers, the Slough Jets, the Basingstoke Bison and the Guildford Flames in four successive home victories. However, the Bees’ playoff hopes were all but over when Cox’s side traveled to Sheffield for a double-header with the Steeldogs in February. The Steeldogs won both games, and the eight-point swing was too much as the Bees’ injuries piled up including captain Terry Miles and Scott Spearing. Despite the disappointment at The Hive, Gareth Cox wants the opportunity to take the Bees forward next season. “We have relied on only three or four players to get us the results and it hasn’t always happened for them, while other members of the team haven’t stepped up,” added Cox. “I think we needed a couple more experienced British players, especially another experienced British D-man and maybe a couple more defensive forwards.”
Contact the author david.bol@prohockeynews.com