The manager of Basingstoke’s second string ice hockey squad, the Buffalo, said he hopes for a strong second half of the season.
Andrew Worship said he believes the squad will challenge the English National League South Division 2 front-runners. The team has had a mixed campaign, bagging five wins from 11 games this season.
They currently sit fourth in the 13-strong league standings, trailing Chelmsford Warriors by five points, but with four games in hand.
Worship told the Basingstoke Observer he hopes to mount a strong promotion bid in the 13 remaining fixtures.
“The Buffalo will be charging for a position towards the top of the league as we enter effectively the second half of the 2012 season after the Christmas and new year break,” he said.
“The Buffalo have some interesting fixtures ahead in the next three months that can both effect our position in the league standings, but, which can also effect who takes the English National Ice Hockey League, Division 2 South title and promotion to division 1.
“The Basingstoke Buffalo has a strong core of key senior players and this assists with the development of those junior players that have joined the Buffalo for the current season.”
In last year’s season, the Buffalo’s solid core of junior players and veterans took the squad to third in the standings, one point off league winners Slough Jets and second place Solent and Gosport Devils.
The Buffalo are next in action against the second-string Swindon Wildcats on Sunday.
