BASINGSTOKE, UK – The Basingstoke Bison have completed their netminding duo for the coming season with the signing of home town shot stopper Dean Skinns.
The 25-year-old will once again link up with Tom Annetts. The pair having been the cage men for Slough in their play-off winning season.
The only difference this time around is that Annetts is set to be the starter, with Skinns now filling the back-up role. Well for the start of the season at least, but with goalies nothing is set in stone.
Of course the latest Bison signing is no stranger to Basingstoke having grown up in the town and started his career with the Herd back in the autumn of 2001.
The fresh faced 16-year-old was given a baptism of fire on his debut as he stepped off the bench to replace an ill Stephen Foster after two periods of a crunch Findus Cup clash in Slough.
The Bison needed to win the game to book a final four place and were leading 2-0 at the time.
The teenager did not disappoint and completed the shut-out and with it earned his place in Bison folklore and made the likeable young man an instant fans’ favourite.
When the Bison moved up to the Elite League in 2003, he was the only player along with player-coach Steve Moria that stayed with the Herd.
In that first year of the new league Skinns, still only 19, became the youngest ever starting netminder to win a game in the new top flight of the British game.
In total he spent four years in Basingstoke, before moving down the road to Bracknell to take over the starting role in the English Premier League and recorded two shut-outs.
From there he was once again re-united with Moria when he signed for Slough and enjoyed a career high four shut outs in that campaign.
The following season now with Annetts as his back-up, the Jets soared to second spot in the EPL and Skinns completed the season on a real high as he back stopped them to victory in the play-off finals.
Another year at Hangar saw the Basingstoke native return a 90 per cent save percentage for the third year running.
He then moved to the Guildford Flames from where he joins the Bison and last season twice picked up the man-of-the-match award playing against the Herd.
He is sure to get a great reception on his return to the Bison this autumn.
“Signing Dean gives us a two great goalies and I am sure he will push Tom hard for that number one spot,” said Bison boss Moria.
Having not had his best year in Guildford Skinns is keen to recapture the form that made him one of the top shot stoppers in EPL.
“I know what the situation is but I am hoping to play as much as I can,” sad Skinns.
Contact the author Graham.Merry@Prohockeynews.com
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