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Buzzer Report: Swindon Wildcats 4 Basingstoke Bison 3
TOTAL Sport's Ben Callaghan was rink side to witness Swindon Wildcats scoop a dramatic 4-3 victory over Basingstoke Bison
After securing a 4-3 road win in Milton Keynes, the Wildcats returned to home ice on Sunday to take on Basingstoke Bison. The Cats got their first four point weekend thanks to a dramatic Jonas Höög overtime winner.
After a nervy opening few minutes where Basingstoke tested Stevie Lyle early on, it was the Cats who had the best chance of the opening five minutes. After some skillful work from Jonas Höög, Stevie Whitfield found room to fire a massive shot from the point only for the puck to bounce off the crossbar. The Cats did manage to get the opening goal of the evening.
With Swindon on the powerplay some lovely vision from Jan Kostal found the man in form, Carlo Finucci, at the back door who had all the time in the world to fire past Tomas Hiadlovsky who was nowhere to be found.
Basingstoke still tested Lyle. Ciaran Long, Tomas Karpov, Aaron Connolly all went close for Basingstoke towards the end of the opening period where the Bison out shot the Cats 16-8.
Swindon started brightly in the second when they converted early on again. Adam Harding taken a few whacks at the puck to convert a Hiadlovsky rebound, to give the Cats a 2-0, the assist going player-coach Aaron Nell.
Basingstoke were fighting hard for every puck along the boards and were getting themselves into the game. At 26:08 they got their first of the evening. Joe Rand and Shaun Thompson combining after a Callum Buglass slip, and Rand found room through Lyle's pads to make it 2-1. Basingstoke continued to press for the game tying goal.
At 31:16 the second Bison goal arrived. Another goalmouth scramble around Stevie Lyle, this time Ciaran Long got the all important touch to level the game up. Swindon's D stood up strongly and the second period ended with the game tied at 2.
In such a tight game the final period was always going to be a scrappier game with both goalies being on top form. Swindon got the goal they desperately wanted at 53:30. Carlo Finucci found a blind pass to Jonas Höög to tap the puck into the back of the net.
Basingstoke rallied and pulled their goalie, with just 12 seconds left on the clock Tomas Karpov scrambled a loose puck into the roof of the net, with Neil Liddiard in the penalty box. Overtime beckoned but Jonas Höög won the puck on the blue-line, skated into through on goal and found room in the top of the net and lifted the puck over Tomas Hiadlovsky to send the home fans and players wild.
After two tough weeks, Swindon had their first four point weekend of the 2015-2016 season.
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