Individual News
8th of February 2008
Big games on home ice are coming thick and fast at the moment for the Basingstoke Bison.
Hot on the heels of their British Knockout Cup semi-final game, this Saturday it is a crunch time in the bmibaby Elite League for the eighth placed Herd as they face a visit from seventh spot Manchester Phoenix.
When these teams last met in Basingstoke they served up a real of a cracker of the game with Bison Brad Cruikshank scoring twice in the final minute to help the Bison to a 5-4.
A repeat of that scoreline would do nicely for Basingstoke who will wait on the fitness of Canadian forward Steve Thornton and Czech Republic and former Phoenix David Vychodil to see if they make the line-up this weekend.
They will also have Great Britain trio Greg Chambers, Greg Owen and Greg Wood back from France, where they helped the national side to a 5-3 victory over Lithuania.Chambers and Wood making their senior debuts in that game.
Owen was captain in the next match as GB lost to Norway 5-3 while Chambers added an assist to his 1+1 from the first game. The final match of the tournament saw a 4-0 loss to France, with Wood picking up the man-of-the-match award.
Manchester also had one player in the squad Adam Walker and like the Basingstoke have their own injury worries on netminder Scott Fankhouser. Last weekend Steve Fone who did a magnificent job in the 6-3 Phoenix win over the Belfast Giants.
Bison head coach Ryan Aldridge said: "This is a huge game for us as we want to catch Manchester in the standings. I am expecting a very offensive game and for sure we will have to keep Tony Hand quiet."
Tickets for what should be another great night at the Basingstoke Arena are still available on (01256) 355266.
On Sunday night, the Bison travel north to Ice Sheffield to take on the Sheffield Steelers, looking to do a lot better than the 9-1 thrashing last time with a depleted Herd.
Aldridge said: " I have only played in Ice Sheffield once before, before it certainly feels a lot tighter than the Arena rink, so I think we can go there and get something from the game. That will be our intention and we did come so close last week in Coventry, so should fear no one."
Hot on the heels of their British Knockout Cup semi-final game, this Saturday it is a crunch time in the bmibaby Elite League for the eighth placed Herd as they face a visit from seventh spot Manchester Phoenix.
When these teams last met in Basingstoke they served up a real of a cracker of the game with Bison Brad Cruikshank scoring twice in the final minute to help the Bison to a 5-4.
A repeat of that scoreline would do nicely for Basingstoke who will wait on the fitness of Canadian forward Steve Thornton and Czech Republic and former Phoenix David Vychodil to see if they make the line-up this weekend.
They will also have Great Britain trio Greg Chambers, Greg Owen and Greg Wood back from France, where they helped the national side to a 5-3 victory over Lithuania.Chambers and Wood making their senior debuts in that game.
Owen was captain in the next match as GB lost to Norway 5-3 while Chambers added an assist to his 1+1 from the first game. The final match of the tournament saw a 4-0 loss to France, with Wood picking up the man-of-the-match award.
Manchester also had one player in the squad Adam Walker and like the Basingstoke have their own injury worries on netminder Scott Fankhouser. Last weekend Steve Fone who did a magnificent job in the 6-3 Phoenix win over the Belfast Giants.
Bison head coach Ryan Aldridge said: "This is a huge game for us as we want to catch Manchester in the standings. I am expecting a very offensive game and for sure we will have to keep Tony Hand quiet."
Tickets for what should be another great night at the Basingstoke Arena are still available on (01256) 355266.
On Sunday night, the Bison travel north to Ice Sheffield to take on the Sheffield Steelers, looking to do a lot better than the 9-1 thrashing last time with a depleted Herd.
Aldridge said: " I have only played in Ice Sheffield once before, before it certainly feels a lot tighter than the Arena rink, so I think we can go there and get something from the game. That will be our intention and we did come so close last week in Coventry, so should fear no one."