Bison shut down Phoenix

Manchester Phoenix 0-3 Basingstoke Bison

Manchester Phoenix were forced to settle for another split weekend as Basingstoke Bison shut down Tony Hand’s side on Sunday night.

Phoenix, who beat Basingstoke 5-2 on Saturday in Hampshire, simply had no answer to Basingstoke’s strong defending and created very little clear cut chances in a dire encounter.

Currently without both import defencemen Ladislav Harabin and Jaroslav Spelda to injuries, Phoenix have brought in Brit blue-liner John Connolly as cover, but it was the lack of fire power that cost the reigning champions the points.

Hand said: “Two points for the weekend are better than nothing, but I know it was disappointing to come away empty handed from a home game.”

Bison took the lead during a power-play for the home side, ex-Phoenix player Joe Miller tapping in from close range after a shorthanded breakaway in the 11th minute.

Phoenix lost defenceman Ryan Johnson to a match penalty late in the second period which added to the defensive problems but the Bison did not capitalize again until the first minute of the final period.

Basingstoke player coach Steve Moria scored on the power-play before Viktor Kubenko netted the visitors’ second shorthanded tally of the night as he punished an ineffective Phoenix power-play in the 52nd minute.

Hand added: “The guys have given everything, but we are missing Jaroslav Spelda and Ladzi Harabin, and they are a major presence on the ice.

“Injuries are part of the deal. We’ll just have to ride it out and do our best until we are back at full strength.”