Friday 23rd April 2010

   The B52's welcomed the Basingstoke Cougars to Bracknell
for the first time in a while. When the teams last met in December
the score was 5-1 to the Cougars although, perhaps it should have been
more clear cut, but the B52' were hoping to reverse that result and end their
recent run of defeats.

   Into the first then, and the Cougars showed their attacking intent early on, with the B52's
working hard to try and stay with them. The first goal came at 2:21, Virtanen floating a shot in
from out near the blue line, but with heavy traffic in front of the net Munson was unsighted and the
puck found the corner. Bracknell attempted to hit back which resulted in a period of end to end play,
perhaps the Cougars having a little more control and creating slightly better chances, but it was the B52's
that would score next, Roger Sheppard getting the equalizer at 12:15. Mark Gibson took a penalty at 16:26
which would put the B52's on the back foot, but they managed to kill it relatively easily despite missing several
attempts to clear the puck. However with just four seconds left in the period the Cougars took the lead back. A shot
from the right dot by Cowan was saved by Munson, who also denied Woodgate on the rebound. But the puck squirted
across the crease and Rawlings was there to put the puck past Munsons desperate attempt to save.

   Re-energized the teams came out for the second and the Cougars tried to push home their advantage, Munson making a
number of sparkling saves and the B52's working very hard to stay in the game and testing the Cougars goalie at the other end.
In a tight period the only was to be scored by Basingstoke, Virtanen scoring short side at 28:56, leaving the score at 3-1 Cougars but all still to play for.

   At 41:11 in a close game came the turning point, a shot Anstey looked to be covered by Munson, but deflected off Gibsons
stick and flew into the other corner giving the Cougars a 4-1 lead. Bracknell wilted and the Cougars scored again less than
a minute later and whilst Downs netted at 45:30 to make it 5-2, by the time Parrington got the B52's third at 52:45,
they were already down 8-3. So the final score was 10-3 as the B52's suffered their 10th straight
loss. B52's mom - 91 Paul Munson