BASINGSTOKE, UK- The Basingstoke Bison moved up to third spot in both the EPL league and cup standing after a collecting three points from their last two games, thanks a 6-3 home success against Bracknell and an overtime loss on the road at Guildford.
The Herd will now be keen to hold onto that spot as they face the Telford Tigers and the Peterborough Phantoms this coming weekend.
Basingstoke play host to Telford on Saturday for the first time since 1999, when an import starved Tigers went down 9-3 in a play-off encounter.
Two players from that game, current Tigers player/coach Tom Watkins and Bison assistant/coach Tony Redmond will do battle again.
Considering the Shropshire side were formed in 1985 and their Hampshire hosts three years later amazingly the sides have only actually faced each other 17 times in league action.
Last month, the Bison skated away to a 6-0 victory on the road in Telford with Tom Annetts recorded a 27 shot shut-out – the second of his career in Basingstoke.
In Basingstoke, the Tigers have just one victory to their name so far from eight outings, but have lost on their last five visits.
They will arrive on Saturday without Slovak import Tomas Janak, whose match penalty for a checking from behind earns him suspended.
That happen in the Telford first win of the season and completed a three point weekend, which saw them roar off the foot of the table.
They will be keen to build on that win, while the Bison will be looking to extend their home winning steak to three games.
âI felt we caught then on an off night last time when we played Telford. They maybe minus an import, but the team are very hard working and will battle for every puck from the first face-off, â said Bison player-coach Steve Moria.
The following night, the Herd travel to Peterborough where they won once out of three visits last season.
Last month, a penalty shoot-out was all that split the sides, but after the game Moria admitted he felt his side had not played well.
The Phantoms have yet to lose in regulation time this season and will be a stiff test for the Bison as both teams fancy their chances of making the final four in the EPL Cup.
âPeterborough won all the trophies two years ago and have a very similar team this. We did not play as well as we can when we beat them, but we know this is going to be a tough gameâ, said Moria.
Last Sunday, the Bison were edged out by the Guildford Flames thanks to a great individual strike from Lukas Smital in overtime and he skated right around the Bison end zone.
The victory maintained the Flames 100 per cent start to the campaign with their star man being Slovak import Miroslav Hala.
He made 46 saves on the night as the Herd out shot the home side and took the lead as their own Slovak Victor Kubenko grabbed his fourth goal of the campaign.
Goals from Ben Campbell set-up by David Longstaff and then Longstaff moved the home side in a 2-1 lead.
Defenseman Kurt Reynolds with his first league goal of the season tied the game as he skated in from point to dispatch a great wrist shot.
That earned Basingstoke a point, but it was Guildford who took both and it sets things up nicely for the return game in a fortnightâs time.
The previous night, the Bison extended their winning streak over the Bees to seven EPL games with a 6-3 victory.
This despite falling behind to an excellent individual strike from the ever improving Ashley Calvert.
Basingstoke hit back and led 2-1 at the second buzzer as Ondrej Lauko and Steve Moria scored.
The second session saw the Bees shock the home crowd as they equalised thanks to a top shelf finish from Peter Jasik, before Moria scored shorthanded.
Bison âs Mindy Kieras, Chris Wiggins and Tony Redmond opened their accounts for the season in the final period against a lone reply from Nicky Watt.
Contact the author Graham.Merry@Prohockeynews.com
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