This weekend the TSI World Bracknell Bees face local rivals Basingstoke Bison on Saturday night in Hampshire before a Sunday clash on home ice with the Hull Pirates.
The last visit to Hampshire saw the Bison stung early on with the Bees assuming a commanding lead in the first period which despite a fight back from the hosts they couldn’t overcome. Since then the third placed club has got back Richard Bordowski from injury.
They sit middle of the league’s form graph with three wins and two losses from their last five outings with their last result being a penalty shot loss at Telford.
Michal Klejna leads the Bison scoring with 22+26 from 30 games with Ashley Tait behind on 14+34 from 32 games and Adam Harding in third recording 9+26 from 32 games.
Goaltending is taken care of by Alex Mettam who is supported by Dan Weller-Evans. The latter was on a run of starts last time the teams came together in Basingstoke but Mettam reclaimed the net after the opening period.
On Sunday it’s the Hull Pirates who travel South to face the Bees as the Hive. They come in buoyed by an 8-1 win over Leeds Chiefs which saw them climb to fifth in the table and provided them with a 3-2 record over their last five games.
Player Coach Jason Hewitt is having an outstanding season personally as he leads scoring in the league with 30+44 from 30 games. The next closest to him is Lee Bonner with 28+26 from 32 games and Bobby Chamberlain follows with 29+23 from 27 games.
The Pirates have recently acquired the services of Matthew Bisonnette who sits 1+2 from his two games with the club so far. The 27 year old is no stranger to the UK with spells at Manchester, Belfast and Dundee in the Elite League before his recent signing in Hull.
Ashley Smith takes the majority of the starts in the net for the Pirates and backstopped them to Coventry finals success last season.
Looking ahead to the weekend Doug Sheppard commented; “It will be good to get Zack and Caly back in the lineup this weekend. I thought we were solid defensively last weekend despite only have four D. Joe Baird and Moggy will both be game time decisions.”
Bees play in Basingstoke on Saturday night in a 6.30pm face off before Sunday’s home clash at the Hive at 5.30pm. Travelling supporters are reminded that the M4 is closed this weekend between Junction 6 (Slough/Windsor) and Junction 8/9 Maidenhead.
