BASINGSTOKE, UK- The Basingstoke rink has proved to be a fruitless trip for Peterborough in the league over the years and that proved to be the case again on Saturday.
The Phantoms came out on the wrong end of a 4-3 shoot-out loss to extend their losing streak to 15 games in the league in Basingstoke which spans 17 years.
Flicking through the history books you realise that Peterborough have only won twice in the Hampshire rink in their whole history.
Ironically one being their very first visit way back in 1993 when the team was known as the Pirates and they swash bucked their way to a 9-7 win.
On that night Basingstoke’s cause was not helped when they had star Canadian import forward Mario Belanger dismissed on a gross misconduct by referee Glen Meier.
Then in 1999, Peterborough recorded a 2-1 win in the first leg of the final of the Christmas Cup on their way to lifting the trophy.
Back to the present and the current Peterborough side made a great fist of breaking their losing streak in what was their opening EPL game.
After two periods only one goal separated the sides. That being a great breakaway strike from Ciaran Long.
The goals then started coming thick and fast in the final session with the impressive former Bison James Hutchinson scoring a well taken equaliser.
Basingstoke hit back immediately from a super strike from Victor Kubenko after he picked off a stray back hand pass.
That made it a three game scoring streak for the Slovak and made the score 2-1. However, goals from Maris Ziedins and Jeff Glowa edged the Phantoms in front for the first time.
Ollie Bronnimann with his sixth goal in the first three games of the season made sure the game went into overtime, but not before the Bison killed off a late powerplay.
They also went into the extra session a man down, but that was soon nullified when Phantoms Joe Miller departed to the sin bin.
Despite a shot count of 8-1 in the sudden death five minutes, the home side were unable to beat Stephen Wall.
That meant the game was decided by a shoot-out and it was Basingstoke who went first with Bronnimann scoring with a low shot.
Tom Annetts saved from Darius Lelenas and the pressure grew even greater on the Phantoms shooters after Long converted with some brilliant stick handling.
It was left to Glowa to keep his side in the game, but Annetts came up with another save to make sure of victory.
The Basingstoke shot stopper having given up three goals period in the final having produced a shut-out for the previous 100 minutes.
“I was never thinking about another shut-out as once you do the puck ends up in the end. It was strange game tonight one we should have won before the shoot-out.
“It helps when we score first in the penalties as the pressure is really on their guys to tie it up and I was pleased to keep them out and get us the win,” said goalie Annetts.
Bison player-coach Steve Moria felt it was a poor team performance, but was happy with the two points.
“I think this was the worst we have played this season so far I don’t know why. It was frustrating game to watch and play in and both sides were making mistakes which led to goals.
“I just went with the three guys who had scored in the shoot-out as penalty shots is all about confidence and players are confident when they have already scored in a game,” said Moria.
On Sunday, the Bison’s two game winning streak came to an end as they suffered their second defeat in as many weeks against the Manchester Phoenix this time on the road.
Having trailed 2-0 at the first break after goals from Tony Hand and Curtis Huppe.
A double shorthanded strike from Hand in the second made the Herd’s plight even worst.
Steve Fone looking for back-to-back shut-outs on home ice was denied that by Basingstoke’s Ondrej Lauko with just 100 seconds remaining in the game as the game ended 3-1.
After starting their season with two split weekends, on paper the same thing should happen to the Herd with their next two games.
Bracknell Bees are the visitors on Saturday and Bison have had their number since returning to the EPL as long as they can shutdown Jaroslav Cesky and Michal Pinc.
On Sunday, there is the tough looking trip to early leaders Guildford, but then again Basingstoke did win on their first visit their last season and would love to repeat that.
Contact the author Graham.Merry@Prohockeynews.com
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