No revenge for Phoenix as Bison win again at the Dome

Sunday, 4th December 2011

Manchester Phoenix 3 - Basingstoke Bison 4

Phoenix scorers: Slava Koulikov, Martin Cingel and Ladislav Harabin.

J Davidson sponsored Manchester Phoenix made a great start to the game, pressurising the bus-weary Bison and took the lead at 3.18 with a neat goal from Slava Koulikov, assisted by Juraj Faith and Jaroslav Spelda. Rampant Phoenix doubled their lead on 9.01 with a goal straight from Hockey Night in Canada. Juraj Faith found Slava Koulikov who one timed a pass to Martin Cingel who beat Colclough for 2-0. Bison settled into their game after that and top import Viktor Kubenko reduced the arrears on 12.26 assisted by Nicky Chinn and Tony Redmond. The period ended with both teams testing the goalies without any further goals. End of the period 2-1 to Phoenix.

Bison came out of the traps the fastest in the second period and equalised with 29.17 on the clock as the Phoenix defence broke down leaving Kubenko to score his second of the game. Disaster just 42 seconds later when confusion in front of the Phoenix goal left Joe Miller to pick the puck up on the left to score Bison’s third goal. The Dome erupted on 31.23 with a superb goal from Ladislav Harabin. He broke through the middle and despite being hacked and slashed all down the ice, got his stick on the puck to push it past Colclough for the equaliser. More end to end hockey as both teams sought the go ahead goal but the period ended 3-3.

The third period saw more of the same but Bison came more into the game and looked the likelier to score. Unfortunately for the Phoenix faithful, they did score what proved to be the winning goal on 46.10. Daniel Vorlab came out of the penalty box after serving a two minute hooking penalty and worked the puck to Viktor Kubenko who passed to the rushing Nicky Chinn to score. Phoenix then took the game to the Bison and even had a short period of six on four but could not find the equaliser and Bison ran out 4-3 winners in another exciting game between the teams.