This past Sunday the Bracknell Bees returned home to The Hive for the second leg of an away and home weekend double header against the Hull Pirates. The Bees were still missing Rupert Quiney through injury and Josh Smith also missed the game due to injury. Scott Spearing however returned to the Bees line-up. The visiting Pirates were 
without Jason Hewitt (who was running the bench), Dominic Osman and Andrew Hirst. Referee Dan Boardman took charge of the match with Flynn Sitch-Cunningham and Liv Andersson running the lines. Starting net minders were Alex Mettam for the Bees and Vlastimil Lakosil for the Pirates.
The Bees started the game on the front foot pushing the visiting Pirates back into their defensive zone, with Luka Basic coming close early on. The Pirates forward Lee Bonner pounced on a loose puck and skated down the ice into the Bracknell zone forcing Alex Mettam to knock the puck away only to see Bonner collect his own rebound and fire in another shot forcing the Bracknell netminder to cover up and stop play. The opening goal of the game came from the resulting face off as Tommi Laine collected the puck, passed back to Lee Bonner who in turn slides the puck across to Andrej Themar who fired the puck into the back of the net for Hull’s first goal with just under three minute on the clock. Bracknell, from the face off, applied pressure of their own on the Pirates defence. A long up ice pass to Luka Basic was collected well be the shot went narrowly wide of the Hull net. Martin Pavlicek broke well into the Pirates zone and passed to Shaun Thompson who shoots but Vlastimil Lakosil, in the Hull net, covered the puck in the resulting scramble. Scott Spearing, returning from injury, picked up the first penalty of the game after five minutes with a slashing minor, putting Hull onto to the power play. Andrej Themar wasted no time in firing the puck goal ward forcing Alex Mettam into a pad save, a few more shots from Hull keep the Bees defence busy, but they stood firm to see off the penalty. Rio Grinell-Parke tried a long range shot but the puck rebounded away of Lakosils shoulder into the corner. A poor give away in the Bracknell zone saw the visiting Yorkshire side take full advantage and score their second goal of the night scored as Lee Bonner netted, assisted Tommi Laine & Andrej Themar with just under ten minutes gone. The Bees looked to strike back immediately with Carl Thompson trying a wrap-around effort but Lakosil in the Pirates net stick saved. The puck rebounded back into play but a 
Harvey Stead blue line slap shot whistled wide of the net. Further pressure from Rio Grinell-Parke forced Lakosil into a glove save. A coming together just to the side of Lakosils net saw the players bunch up and exchange pushes and shoves but no penalties were called. Just over five minutes left of the first period and the Hull bench collected a two minute penalty for too many men on the ice giving the Bees a powerplay opportunity. The Hull defensive unit soaked up the pressure and prevented any chances for the home side and effectively kill the penalty. No more chances for either side and the first period drew to a close with the visitors holding a two goal lead.
The Bees started the second period well with Luka Basic combining with Lukas Smital and then Carl Thompson whose shot whips just wide of the post. Then a lovely cross ice pass to Olegs Lascenko who forced Lakosil into another save. Lee Bonner, from the face off, skated straight down the ice through the Bees defence and poked the puck in for Hull’s third goal with just under three minutes of the second period gone, with assists to James Chilcott and Jonathan Kirk. Bracknell were on the front foot for the next few minutes with shots from Carl Thompson and Olegs Lascenko keeping Lakosil busy. Rio Grinell-Parke collected a two minute penalty for boarding just before the twenty seven minute marker putting Hull back onto the power play. For Hull Nathan Salem fired a shot in on target forcing a big pad save from Alex Mettam but the penalty kill unit do well to keep the shots to a minimum and kill the penalty. Play swung from either end of the ice but with no clear chances either way until half way through the game when Bees defenceman Harvey Stead collected a two minute roughing penalty. Again though the Bees dig in and do well in limiting the chances for Hull, Ryan Watt hitting the side netting and Nathan Salem taking a shot but this rebounding away to safety. Hull’s Lee Haywood took a two minute holding penalty with five minutes left of the period and the Bees headed onto a powerplay of their own. Only seven seconds later Scott Spearing picked up a two minute roughing call along with Martin Ondrej who collected a two minute slashing penalty putting the Bees onto a four on three power play. The Bees looked to take advantage as David Gaborcik fired a shot in from distance making Lakosil cover the puck. From the face off Bracknell apply the pressure with further action from Shaun Thompson and Alex Barker but the penalties are killed. Alex Barker finds Scott Spearing as the period draws to a close but the resulting shot flies over the Pirates cross bar.
The third and final period started with the sides exchanging gets underway with both teams playing either end of the ice. The Pirates Lee Bonner forced his way through the 
Bees defence but is forced wide before any shot can be taken. As the play swung from end to end Nathan Salem shots over the Bees bar, Olegs Lascenko finds James Galazzi with a good pass who in turn feed Martin Pavlicek a return pass to Olegs Lascenko whose shot hits the side of the Pirates net. Matt Foord fired a shot in which deflects off Lakosil and the rebound effort from David Gaborcik is deflected away by the Hull defence. With forty eight minutes on the clock Hull’s Lee Haywood visits the penalty box on a hooking penalty, giving the Bees another power play but again Hull’s defensive unit do well to prevent any clear chances. The final five minutes of the period sees an all action finale to the match, Firstly Martin Ondrej collected a two minute cross check penalty for the visitors and the Bees called a timeout and opted to remove netminder Alex Mettam for the extra skater. A few chances from Bracknell come to nothing despite constant pressure of the Pirates net. With play blown dead Alex Mettam returned to the Bee net as the face off was in the Bees zone. He promptly leaves the ice once more for the extra skater and this time, after some nice passing round the zone, the advantage pays off with David Gaborcik firing through the crowd and past Lakosil for the Bees first goal of the evening with just over four minutes left, assists going to Luka Basic and Shaun Thompson. From the face off Bracknell get control of the puck and again Mettam is removed for the extra attacker, the Bees throw everything and the kitchen sink at the net, but Lakosil & the Hull defence keep Bracknell at bay to hold on for the win.
Man of the match recognition goes the way of Lee Bonner for the visiting Pirates and to Carl Thompson for the home side Bees.
Match report by Yvonne & John Slater
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