BASINGSTOKE UK: The battle for third spot in the English Premier League will go right down to the wire and the final weekend of the regular season, with the Bison very much in the mix.
The Herd are currently level on points with the fourth placed side Guildford Flames, but lie fifth on series results and both are just a point behind the Manchester Phoenix.
The Bison kept up the heat on the Flames and Phoenix with a double header weekend success over the Peterborough Phantoms.
Winning the home game 5-1 and then the road match 6-4 to complete a 5-1 series win over the out going champions.
Saturday game saw Basingstoke minus power forward Chris Wiggins as he started a four game suspension following his dismissal the week before against Milton Keynes.
Canadian Joe Ciccarello did skate in the warm-up as he looks to get back into the line-up following an operation on his knee, but it still may be the play-offs, before the sharp shooter is given the all clear to play.
The Phantoms also had players missing from their line-up in top scoring Brit Joe Miller and fellow forward James Knight.
The Bison enjoyed a comfortable victory on home ice helped by Ondrej Lauko and Mindy Kieras firing them into a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes.
The second session saw Ollie Bronnimann grab a third, before Lauko scored his second of the night which saw him reach 100 league points for the season.
The final period saw Tom Long dismissed on a match penalty for spearing and Callum Fowler on two 10 minute misconducts as he took exception to a slashing call.
Lauko completed his hat-trick on a four-on-four play, before Warren Tait broke Tom Annetts shut-out with a tip on a James Morgan shot on the powerplay.
The victory broke a two game losing streak on home ice for the Bison which player-coach Steve Moria had been keen to do ahead of the play-offs.
“We needed to get back to winning at home as we set ourselves up for the play-offs. That was important tonight and we have done that with a good performance,” said Moria
The game also marked a landmark in the club’s history as Tony Redmond became the first player to clock up 400 league appearances for the club having first donned a Basingstoke jersey back in 1992.
The popular player is still not finished and when asked if he would be looking to make 500 games.
“I am not looking to stop playing just yet so we will see what happens. It was great for us to win tonight and that was the main thing.”
With the Bison currently playing 54 games in a regular league season, Redmond’s wish of 500 games looks very possible as long as he does not get injured.
On Sunday night in Peterborough, with Long added to the Bison players sitting out, a brace of goals from Shaun Thompson, Andy Hemmings and Lauko ensured a 6-4 victory, thanks mainly to a four zip middle session.
The Herd took their chances, while man-of-the-match Tom Annetts had an excellent game making 52 saves on the night.
Shaun Yardley beat him in the first period, while Maris Ziedins, Morgan and Brent Gough did in the final session.
“It s great to win for a second time in Peterborough this season and it is always a tough place to come and play,” said Moria.
Now the Bison are focussed on the final weekend, which starts with a trip to newly crowned champions Milton Keynes, as the Herd look for their first win in their building this season.
Then on Sunday, they face a visiting Swindon Wildcats team, who clawed their way into the final play-off spot last weekend.
They will be keen to keep their place but look likely to need at least one win from their last two games which are at home to Manchester and away to Basingstoke to make sure of eighth.
This is because ninth placed Bracknell face bottom side Romford on home ice on Saturday.
So the final game of the regular season in Basingstoke could well be far from a dead rubber for both sides.
The Bison of course hoping the Flames and Phoenix slip up to let them climb the table
Contact the author Graham.Merry@Prohockeynews.com
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