BASINGSTOKE UK – Playoff hockey returned to Basingstoke for the first time in three years, but unfortunately it lasted just two games as the Bison failed to make the final four of the English Premier League Championships.
The Herd went head-to-head with the Guildford Flames in the quarter-final clash, the first time since 2002 these teams had meet in the post season with the Surrey side coming out on top 3-0 in Basingstoke, but losing in their own barn 3-2.
With another bumper crowd packed into the Basingstoke Arena, many having made the trip down to support the Flames – the scene was set for another great night of hockey.
A close game was expected as five of the six meetings in the regular season had been decided by just a single goal.
However, the Flames had other ideas and skated away to a 6-0 victory.
They had the jump from the opening face-off with all their three offensive units looking dangerous.
The Bison looked to have weathered the early storm, only for Nathan Rempel to score at the back post unmarked.
That was how it stayed until the first buzzer, but the Bison had trailed many times by a single goal after the first 20 minutes and the home fans expected their team to storm back in the middle session.
The Herd switched their first two line match-ups hoping to increase their offensive output, it did have some effect, but Flames’ cage man Mark Lee kept them out.
The main problem for the home side was their inability to string a set of passes together, which led to countless turnovers.
Guildford took advantage of to this to score four unanswered goals which put them well and truly in control and the red hot Flames offence did their job.
It was the Rempel Milos Melicherik and Rick Plant line that did most of the damage each scoring a goal, while Stuart Potts and the all Brit line got the other.
At 5-0, memories of the playoff final with the Flames in 2001 came flooding back when the Bison lost 7-2.
In fact six players from that game nine year previous were still in action on Saturday.
Those being, Neil Liddiard and Tony Redmond in Basingstoke line-up, while Plant, Rob Lamey, Paul Dixon and Nicky Chinn iced for the Flames.
It was former Bison Liddiard who wrapped up the scoring with a great top corner shot finish as the Bison having re-shuffled their lines were unable to find a way past Lee in the visitors’ net as he made 32 saves.
The netminder certainly had a good game, but he would bee the first to admit that the blue line brigade in front of him also played there part.
The defensive pairing of north eastern born Dixon and Jez Lundin looked really solid, while Liddiard, David Savage and Ricky Skene never put a skate wrong.
“It was very disappointing tonight and to be honest I am stunned with what at happened I just can’t believe it. Guildford played a smart hockey game and won the battles against our forwards and defence.
“I felt we stated nervously, but at 1-0 down were still very much in the game, but then it went from bad to worse,” said Bison player-coach Steve Moria.
The second-leg in Guildford on Sunday night proved to be a formality for the home side as Martin Masa scored the only goal of the first period.
Ollie Bronnimann then finally broke their drought against their Surrey rivals in play-off hockey of 170 minutes.
The Flames edged in front again later in second session thanks to Rempel, before Bronnimann’s second completed the 2-2 scoreline with a strike in the final period.
That meant Guildford were overall winners 8-2 and now meet Swindon winners over number one seed Milton Keynes in the semi-finals, while Slough and Manchester contest the other.
For Basingstoke it was a sad end to their season, but probably the only negative from a great campaign which saw the Hampshire side finish joint fourth in the standings – their highest position for seven years.
Now Bison boss Moria has the job of building on this season, the club’s first in the EPL and I have no doubt the Herd will be challenging even harder for silverware come this autumn.
Contact the author Graham.Merry@Prohockeynews.com
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