Basingstoke Bison 4 Swindon Cougars 5

Saturday 19 November 2011

Cougars needed to get back to winning ways following the previous game’s reverse, and were looking to complete another double against opponents well beaten at home, and although missing one of their key players through suspension the home side did have 12 players for this fixture. With McGiffin still missing through illness and Pullen away on GB duty, Cougars lined up with Silvester & Bonello (NMs); P Young, R Young, Kielczewski, Pettitt and Thrower (D) and Thompson, J Dolphin, Ford, Z Dolphin, Taylor, Nell, Redmond, Bancroft, Smith, Da Cova and Abu-Ebid (F). Match officials I. Hayden and M. Middleton.

Period 1

Scoring
Bison > 1 - 0 > Rhodes/Murrells @ 9:39 (EHG)
Cougars > 1 - 1 > J Dolphin @ 12:36 (EHG)

Penalties
Cougars > Taylor > 2 min, Roughing @ 1:36
Bison > Stockford > 2 min, High-sticking @ 1:53
Bison > Sutton > 2 min, Tripping @ 2:26
Bison > Stockford > 2 min, Tripping @ 7:14
Cougars > Kielczewski > 2 min, Hooking @ 15:06
Bison > Murrells > 2 min, Interference @ 16:24
Bison > Wynn > 2 min, High-sticking @ 18:35

Shots on Goal
Cougars > 15 on Standing
Bison > 10 on Bonello

Not unusually for games in the charge of these officials there were a number of early penalties, and whilst both teams seemed quite evenly matched there was little in the way of incisive forward play. Bison had a couple of good chances around 6:30 easily dealt with by Bonello, but the opening goal came following a bad bounce as the puck was cleared from the Cougars blue line giving Bison a quick breakaway which Cougars defence could not recover from. After forcing a number of saves from Standing, Cougars drew level as J Dolphin reacted quickest to the rebound from his first attempt and lit the lamp for a 1 – 1 period.

Period 2

Scoring
Cougars > 1 - 2 > Smith/J Dolphin @ 28:57 (EHG)
Bison > 2 - 2 > Wynn/Rhodes @ 35:24 (EHG)

Penalties
Bison > Bench (Served by ??) > 2 min, Too-many Players @ 31:44
Bison > Wynn > 2 min, Delay of Game @ 32:37
Bison > Rhodes > 2 min, High-sticking @ 38:49

Shots on Goal
Cougars > 13 on Standing
Bison > 4 on Bonello

Not a lot happened in the early stages of the second as the teams largely cancelled out each other’s attacks, Cougars had the first real opportunity at around 27 mins but were not able to put it away, shortly afterwards they were lucky to escape an icing infraction penalty, probably getting away with it because the officials didn’t really make it clear that an icing was on and Ford temporarily left the game having unfortunately got his ankle in the way of a Taylor bullet. Cougars restored their lead after a fine face-off win fell kindly to Smith, then around 7 mins later Bison again drew level after Wynn outpaced the Cougars defence following a lucky puck bounce off the boards near the blue line; although there was an element of controversy as it didn’t look as though there had been much stick involved in turning the puck into the net, for another 1 – 1 period.

Period 3

Scoring
Cougars > 2 - 3 > J Dolphin/Smith @ 42:43 (SHG)
Bison > 3 - 3 > Rhodes @ 44:22 (PPG)
Bison > 4 - 3 > Murrells @ 45:40 (PPG)
Cougars > 4 - 4 > Smith @ 55:46 (EHG)
Cougars > 4 - 5 > Ford @ 58:15 (EHG & GWG)

Penalties
Bison > Rhodes > 2 min, Boarding @ 41:17
Cougars > P Young > 2 min, Tripping @ 41:54
Cougars > Pettitt > 2 min, Boarding @ 42:33
Cougars > Smith > 2 min, Hooking @ 43:33
Bison > Murrells > 2 min, Roughing @ 48:02
Cougars > Bench (Served by Thrower) > Abuse of Official @ 53:04

Shots on Goal
Cougars > 22 on Standing (personal and team total 50)
Bison > 14 on Bonello (personal and team total 28)

Into the final period with all to play for, and it certainly served up the most incidents, Ford returned from treatment on his ankle, but it was early penalty problems, that nearly undid Cougars as with them already missing P Young, first Pettitt and then Smith took additional penalties that could have been avoided and Bison scored the first of two quick Powerplay goals, initially cancelling out a Cougars short handed marker and then going ahead for the first time in the game after Murrells reacted to a big rebound off Bonello. Bison having taken a time-out after the first Powerplay marker seemed to be getting the upper hand, and with the Cougars D line was shortened to three the visitors did likewise at 47 mins. Shortly afterwards Cougars had another lucky escape as neither official spotted Pettitt cover the puck in the crease (which would have given a penalty shot to Bison). But as the final 10 mins started Cougars seemed to up a gear as J Dolphin pinged one off the pipe before clawing their way back into the game with an equaliser around 56 mins before regaining the lead for the final time just as the last two mins began, again as a result of being fastest to react to a rebound as Ford profited from fine approach work by Taylor. The remaining time ran down and Cougars can probably count themselves a bit fortunate to have taken the points, as they head towards four games with Guildford and Peterborough both currently sitting near the top of the table. Player of the match awards went to Bison’s Standing and Cougars’ Abu-Ebid.

Notes
EHG = Even-Handed Goal
PPG = PowerPlay Goal
DPG = Delayed Penalty Goal
SHG = Short-Handed Goal
GWG = Game Winning Goal
ENG = Empty Net Goal



Report provided by Swindon Cougars IHC