An understrength Basingstoke Bison were made to suffer against the Swindon Wildcats on Saturday going down 7-5.
But the depleted Herd hit back on Sunday against league rivals Milton Keynes Lighting with a hard-earned 3-2 win.
The two-point weekend leave the Bison sixth in the English Premier League, a point adrift of the MK Lightning, but with an eight-point cushion over the chasing Bracknell Bees.
On Saturday the Herd took to the ice without Viktor Kubenko, Liam Chong, Tony Redmond, Daniel Harris and Sam Oakford, who were all sidelined with injuries.
The Saturday before, the Bison had trumped the Wildcats at home 5-4.
Travelling fans were treated to three goals in the opening period, with coach Steve Moria netting the Bison’s first goal seven minutes in.
Three minutes later Wildcats striker Aaron Nell replied to level the score, before Ollie Bronnimann put the Bison in front going into the first break.
Less than a minute after the second buzzer Shane Moore netted to level at 2-2. A minute later the Bison went behind when Nell banked his second of the night.
Jonas Hoog doubled the advantage five minutes later assisted by Wildcats man-of-the-match Nell.
The Bison dug deep and clawed back to level the scores going into the final period. Kurt Reynolds made it 4-3, before Moria bagged his second of the evening.
The Bison ran out of puff going into the final 20, and the Wildcats netted three quick goals. Hoog scored his second followed swiftly by Nell’s hat trick.
Michal Pinc added the seventh after 52 minutes.
Daniel Volrab was able to pull back a consolation goal before the final buzzer.
On Sunday the Herd travelled to Milton Keynes Lightning who sit a place above them in the EPL.
The Bison were still without three of their five key defensemen, including Oakford, Redmond and Harris, as well as strikers Kubenko and Chong.
In a bid to firm up the attacking front coach Moria called up 16-year-old Buffalo star Cameron Wynn, who last week netted a hat trick against Oxford City Stars.
And within the first minute Wynn fired just wide of the post after teaming up with Joe Miller with a two-on-one against the ‘keeper.
Seconds later the Lightning opened the scoring through Leigh Jamieson.
Wynn continued to impressed going close but was denied by netminder Alex Mettam.
Reynolds pulled the Bison level when picking up a Petran pass in the right circle and firing a wrist shot over Mettam's glove hand after nine minutes.
The second break deadlock was broken by the Herd as Wiggins finished off a Petran rebound. Reynolds banked his second of the night minutes later.
Michael Wales made it 3-2 going into the final period.
The scoreline remained and the Bison took home an well-deserved two points.
On Wednesday evening, after the Observer went to press, the Bison took on the Guildford Flames, before facing the Bees on Saturday, and then the Peterborough Phantoms on Sunday.
