Bison now hope for top three spot

BASINGSTOKE, UK – The race for third spot in the English Premier League hotted up last weekend and the Bison kept themselves in the running with a 6-4 victory at the Bracknell Bees. The Herd currently fourth are now just a point behind the Guildford Flames and one above the Manchester Phoenix, who have played a game less. With six matches left the battle is now on for the final standings.
In the Bison’s victory in Bracknell, Slovak forward Ondrej Lauko having celebrated his 50^th league of the season the night before against Slough added four more markers on the evening including two short handed.
The Bison won the game the hard way coming from behind as they trailed at the first buzzer 2-1 after Callum Best and Ashley Calvert wiped out Andrew Hemmings’ strike.
The middle session saw Lauko tie the game only for Michal Pinc to give the Bees the lead again, then Shaun Thompson made it 3-3 at the second hooter. A straight hat-trick from Lauko put the Bison in control and even if Adam Bicknell reduced the lead it was not enough to deny Basingstoke their first clean sweep over Bracknell since the teams faced each other in the long gone Superleague.
“Ondrej had been struck on 49 goals for a few games and so I think getting his 50^th took the pressure off him and it was great to see his four against Bracknell. He is the sort of player that you know if you can get the puck to him he is going to go close to scoring.” said Steve Moria.
The previous night in Basingstoke, the Bison surrendered their impressive home record to the title chasing Slough Jets as they lost 4-2.
It was game 13 of the streak that proved unlucky for the Herd, but as in their last defeat at home to Guildford the famous hole in the net game, this match again had controversy surrounding what turned out to be the insurance goal in the Jets’ win.
Defenceman Adam Greener fired a shot in from the right which hit the base of the post and came straight back out the way it went in. No one celebrated, but the goal judge behind the net put his light to signal it had hit the net just inside the post. Now back in November the goal judge was not consulted as the referee in that game Joy Tottman decided it was no goal. This time around referee Blaine Evans was not in a good enough position to award the goal, so used the other officials to decide if the puck had entered the net.
Despite the heated protests from the home players the goal stood and ended the mounting momentum that the home side had and gave their local rivals the two points and the series lead by the odd game in five.
“That was no goal by the angle that it went and came out. We were right back in the game at that point at 3-2, but that ended our chances there and then,” said a very disappointed Bison netminder Tom Annetts.
The game had started so brightly for the home side as Tom Long tipped home a Chris Wiggins shot as the Bison third line struck on their first shift.
Slough responded helped by a double powerplay as Bison player-coach Steve Moria took a rare penalty to join Nicky Chinn. Slava Koulikov and Jets’ man-of-the-match Peter Poljacek converted both PPs in the space of 30 seconds to give the Jets a 2-1 advantage. That extended to three when Joe Greener scored with clever stick stick work close in after a rush down the right wing by Andy Munroe.
The final period saw Blaz Emersic hit the crossbar and then Bison’s Ollie Bronnimann did likewise, before the Herd pulled a goal back on the powerplay as Ondrej Lauko scored his 50^th league goal of the season. From there it looked like the Bison were in good shape to keep their winning streak going, but unfortunately Adam Greener’s strike killed that off.

So meaning the club record 19 league wins on the trot achieved in the years 1992 and 1993 will remain for a little longer. The Herd may have lost on the night, but a record crowd for a Bison EPL game of 1,471 packed into the Basingstoke Arena.
Another good crowd saw one of the best games of the season the Wednesday before as the Bison beat league leaders the Milton Keynes Lightning in a sudden death penalty shoot-out. On a night of high tension it was left to Annetts to save from Nick Poole after Bronnimann scored to secure the brilliant victory.  
  “That is our best win of the season for sure, and in my eyes going into the game we were the top two teams on recent form,” said Moria.
Earlier in the game, the Lightning had taken the lead at 3.40 on the powerplay thanks to Adam Carr’s blue line shot. The Bison equalised from Moria, only for MK to take the first period with a goal 0.3 seconds left before the first period buzzer, thanks to Lukas Zatopek’s blue line blast.
The second period , saw the Bison pile on the pressure with two excellent powerplays without getting a deserved goal. However, just after the second one had come to an end defenceman Sam Oakford scored his first goal of the season at 39 minutes dead to make it 2-2.
The final period saw MK re-shuffle their forward lines, but it was the Lauko, Chinn and Moria that looked the most dangerous on every shift, but were unable to get that winning goal.
That sent the game into overtime, which saw no further scoring and then the best of three shoot-out saw Moria and Carr exchange markers but no-one else netted, sending the game into sudden death with Bronnimann and Annetts that winning the game for the Herd.
This weekend, the Bison can have their say on the title race as the Herd travel to second spot Slough on Saturday, before entertaining Milton Keynes on Sunday.
The Herd will be keen to avenge their defeat on home ice when they travel to Hangar and with the series going game for game, it would be no surprise if Basingstoke were to win on the road in Slough.
On Sunday night, another close hard fought battle will be on the cards as the top dogs MK are in town and leading the series 3-1, the visitors could clinch that with victory on Sunday night.
Contact the author Graham.Merry@Prohockeynews.com