A 4 goal outburst in the 2nd period condemned the ADD Recycling Basingstoke Bison to their first loss of 2012, as the Manchester Phoenix left Basingstoke with a 5-0 victory on Saturday night. Bison had the better of the 1st session, as they fired 15 shots on Phoenix netminder Steve Fone, with Ollie Bronnimann, Viktor Kubenko, Steve Moria, Nicky Chinn, Joe Miller and Chris Wiggins all denied by excellent saves from Fone. Despite the Bison’s efforts, it was Phoenix who found the net for the only goal in the period, as former Bison Ciaran Long’s shot from the right circle found a way past netminder Stephen Wall at 5:14, assisted by Ryan Johnson and Ben Wood.

James Neil made it 2-0 to Phoenix at 23:54, assisted by Slava Koulikov and Martin Cingel, and James Archer added a 3rd on the powerplay at 26:26 assisted by Steven Wallace and James Neil. Tom Duggan scored a delayed penalty goal at 30:07, assisted by James Archer, and the Bison called a time-out at this point in an attempt to regroup. However it was Phoenix who would score again just after the restart, as Phoenix man-of-the-match Ciaran Long added his 2nd of the game at 31:38 assisted by Josh Ward and Ladislav Harabin.

Bison would have chances to break Steve Fone’s shutout in the 3rd period, but a combination of poor finishing and excellent netminding kept them off the score sheet.

Joe Miller was awarded man-of-the-match for the Bison. The Herd will look to rebound from the loss as they travel to Telford on Sunday 15th to face the Tigers.

Bison scoring: Wall: 5/25

Phoenix scoring: Long 2+0; Archer, Neil 1+1, Duggan 1+0, Johnson, Wood, Koulikov, Wallace, Cingel, Ward, Harabin 0+1 – Fone: 0/39