Venue: Bracknell
  Date : 29th August 2008

More penalties followed for both teams as tensions grew. Shambrook and
Stanford skating hard, kept the Hyenas at bay struggling to get the extra time to set
up their play. Still no further score and the Hyenas continued to work hard and soon began
to find more confidence on the puck and start to stretch the B52s and continue to get shots off
on Birch .Silver again covering well in the B52s goal. Halfway through the 2nd period and with the
Hyenas showing they mean business continued to force the play and had a 1 on1 chance, only to be
tripped by Hopkins trying to backcheck and a penalty shot was awarded.

On the whistle the Hyenas took off from the centre spot for the 1 on 1 and again Silver saving the day for the B52s
with a save off the bar. A well challenged 2nd period for both teams ended goalless and the B52s still hanging onto the 1
goal lead. Paul Munson due to replace Birch in the Bracknell goal was now happy to leave him between the pipes and continue
the good work. With both teams beginning to feel the pace of the game the 3rd period started with the Hyenas working well and
still showing they had the legs to skate the whole game. Bracknell soon found themselves on the end of a penalty inside the 1st minute
of the 3rd period. Playing shorthanded left the B52s having to dig even deeper into reserves to contain the Hyenas as they forced the
Bracknell goal. Basingstoke were duly rewarded for their efforts with a well taken power play goal scored by Beale at 41:44. With
Bracknell now back to full strength they regrouped and again tried hard to work the puck. Barringer Nicholson and Litwin all holding their own
were denied some good scoring chances and Okeefe also putting in a solid performance continued to work the puck well, unable to find the final
touch to get on the scoresheet. Team captain Mark (gibo) Gibson always strong in defense was continuing to mop up in front of the Bracknell goal
but with Bracknell now spending more time in the penalty box the tide began to change. The B52s held out well against the Hyenas but with 10 minutes
of shorthanded play to sustain the Hyenas finally found the opening they were looking for when a loose puck in front of the Bracknell goal was snapped up by Landin for the Hyenas who were to snatch a 2 – 1 lead at 57:37. Bracknell playing the final 20 seconds of the game shorthanded pulled Silver from the Bracknell goal for one final attack on the Basingstoke goal. The B52s squeezing the final shot on the Hyenas could not find that 2nd goal to level the game. A really competitive closely fought game ended with Basingstoke Hyenas heading home with a 2 – 1 win.

MOM for Basingstoke Hyenas ………… # 87 A Murray
MOM for Bracknell B52s………………. # 26 N Okeefe
MOM beers sponsored by Mitch Stead

Coaches Thought…………..” you’ll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind”