Basingstoke Bison ice hockey side had a mixed bag of results over the weekend, thrashing Slough Jets on the Saturday, then in turn being thrashed by Bracknell Bees the next day.
The Herd secured their ninth home win on the trot, shooting down their derby rivals 7-3 at home. But in a shocking turn around, Bison were stung 10-3 as the Bees ran riot in front of their home crowd.
The double-figure scoreline is the biggest defeat the Herd have suffered in the English Premier League.
The loss does not effect the Bison’s standing of third in the league, but it was harder to bear as the Bees continue to toil at the bottom of table.
In Saturday’s home game, it was the visitors who took an early lead, netting a goal within a minute of the start.
But Ondrej Lauko brought Bison level by putting away a deflected shot from Mindy Kieras.
After 15 minutes, the visitors took the lead again through former Bison Doug Sheppard.
But the Bison remained in the game, drawing level within two minutes as Kieras’ shot found the back of net.
Sheppard was sent off two minutes from the end of the first period after hitting Lauko in the face, drawing blood.
Slough scored their last goal of the game five minutes into the second period. But from then on Bison took control as Ollie Bronnimann levelled.
Lauko netted his second, scoring off a powerplay move. Six minutes into the third period, Kurt Reynolds fired home the Herd’s fifth.
The game was wrapped up with Bison netting two goals with 40 seconds. The first saw and unmarked Kubenko finish off a move from Ben Davies and Steve Moria.
The final goal saw Bronnimann finish off a play started by Bison man-of-the-match Nicky Chinn.
Any momentum carried from Saturday’s win was blown out of the water when Bison travelled to the Hive for Sunday’s match at Bracknell.
Bison opened the scoring through Kubenko, but by the end of the first period they were trailing two goals, with one from Peter Jasik and two from Jaroslav Cesky.
Midway through the second period, Bees forward Cesky nabbed his second goal. Lauko tried to keep the deficit in check straight after.
But the rampant Cesky netted his hat trick by the end of the second period, along with a second from Jasik and one from Michal Pinc. Bison went into the last 20 trailing 2-6.
Basingstoke’s final goal came in the third from new signing Ben Davies. Sadly for the 19-year-old Welshman his debut goal was overshadowed by the Bees’ further four goals.
Pinc scored two more for his hat trick and Cesky scored his fourth and Nicky Watt added his first.
Bison will hope for a turnaround in fortune when they again take on Slough Jets away on Saturday and then the Swindon Wildcats at home on the Sunday.
Photograph courtesy of Chris Callaghan
