SWINDON, UK – The week kicked off with Wildcats assistant coach Gareth Endicott, in referring to last Sunday’s win at Sheffield, tolling the Swindon Advertiser “It was a big result and one we really wanted. It puts us in the driving seat now, and it is all ours to lose.”
Added to this statement a few days later Bison player-coach Steve Moria(CAN)(F) said the Wildcats will beat the Phoenix on Saturday, and the Bees will beat the Raiders meaning the Basingstoke game, the last of the regular season on Sunday against the Wildcats, will be hard and decisive for the final playoff place. Not too sure about this as the Bees face Manchester in their final game so if they lose and the Wildcats lose to the Bison, the two-point gap remains and the Wildcats go through.
So on to Saturday, and the final weekend of the regular season and crunch time for the final playoff spot. Wildcats faced the Phoenix at home and it should be remembered the Manchester team has never really been threatened by the Wildcats in their previous five games, so who would have predicted the massacre that occurred of ten goals to two? Not only was this the season’s worst defeat for the Manchester side, but it was also the Swindon team’s best result. But there’s more! A lot of team records fell too like Lee Richardson scoring the most assists in a game this season, and no less than four players scoring five points and in doing so equalling the record of most points scored by a player in a game. One of those, Aaron Nell, ran amok points-wise with not only his fourth hat-trick of the season but the best points scoring run over ten (19pts), nine (18pts), eight (16pts) and seven (15pts) consecutive games. Also, both he and Jason Cassells set a new best points run over six consecutive games with eleven points. The penalties department saw the fewest number and PiMs in a game and fewest PiMs on the Wildcats. And, all against what a lot of people thought was going to be the team to beat this season.
Meanwhile the Bees trounced the Raiders in what turned out to be their biggest score of the season and the Raiders’ worst at thirteen to three, so a real night of carnage at the lower end of the table that still didn’t decide the final playoff spot.
After the game the end of season awards were announced. Unsurprisingly Aaron Nell picked up the Dave Richardson Award for the Best British Player and also the Coach’s Player of the Year award. Jan Krajicek was voted Defenceman Of The Year by the fans, and Jason Cassells Forward Of The Year, also by the fans. But James Griffin, at just sixteen, scored a hat-trick of awards with Most Improved Player voted by fans, Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player Of The Year. Coach Aldridge commented: “Griff’s been outstanding for us from start to finish. He’s stepped into professional hockey and is the first one to listen. Both on and off the ice he’s been a professional.”
Sunday, and so to Basingstoke where for two periods the game could have gone either way. Although a goal down in two minutes, Raimonds Danilics equalised a minute into the second and the Wildcats were still only a goal down at the end of the period. But a minute into the third and a wheel fell off and the Bison romped to an easy victory. Chris Douglas was superb, as usual, and probably prevented an even greater rout, deservedly gaining a sixth man-of-the-match award in only his nineteen games, which in itself has to be some sort of record. Young Glen Jackson came on for a short spell near the end and was tested several times, so the experience will have done him no harm.
And the Bees? Well their foe for the evening was somewhat fittingly the Phoenix who demolished them by ten goals to one, so the Wildcats keep their two-point lead and head to the playoffs against the Lightning.
For more Wildcats stats and news take a look at my website – www.swindonwildcats.me.uk
Contact Bill.Collins@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.