BASINGSTOKE Bison player/coach Doug Sheppard wants his side to build on their three-point opening weekend of 2015 when they face a visit from Peterborough Phantoms and then a trip to Guildford Flames.

Confidence is a high in the Herd camp after a penalty-shots win over league leaders Telford Tigers last Saturday, which was followed by a shoot-out loss to reigning champions Manchester Phoenix.

A four-point weekend this time around would see the Bison move up from fifth to third in the English Premier League standings.

Sheppard said: “It was a good first weekend to the year and I hope we can now carry this on and collect some more points this weekend.”

First up is a visit from third-placed Peterborough on Saturday (face-off 6.30pm). They travel south fresh from winning in Telford last Sunday.

They also won on their last visit to Hampshire, but the Basingstoke Arena has not been a happy hunting ground for the Cambridge-shire outfit, as they have only won four times in 29 league visits.

That win was also the only reverse for the Herd at the hands of the Phantoms this season, after they won the first three encounters of the campaign.

The first was a penalty-filled affair which saw a bench clearance and over 200 minutes in penalties, so there is no love lost between the teams.

The Phantoms have released import defenceman Edgar Apelis and it remains to be seen if they will have a new signing in their line-up this weekend.

A return of Peterborough favourite and former Bison blue liner Marcel Petran is rumoured.

He would certainly add another offensive weapon for the Phantoms and is lethal from the blue line on the powerplay.

So Bison boss Sheppard will be especially keen for his side to stay out of the sin bin. Last weekend the Herd took just five two-minute penalties from their two games, and the same again in their next two games would do very nicely.

Sheppard said: “Staying out of the sin bin is something we have been focusing on as we can match any team playing five-on-five.”

Looking ahead to the Peterborough game he added: “We have played Peterborough a few times. They have been the surprise team of the season and have done really well.

“They have a lot of firepower, which we will have to stop, and a good goaltender who keeps them in games.”

The Herd will welcome back captain Nicky Chinn for the Peterborough game, after illness ruled him out last weekend, but injured pair Grant Rounding and Matt Selby will once again miss out.

On Sunday (face-off 6pm), the Herd will hope to break their league duck against Guildford Flames when they travel to the Spectrum.

Their Surrey rivals have a 3-0 record so far this season against the Herd.

The Flames have been in good form in recent weeks, but their six game winning streak was ended last Sunday, with a penalty-shoot loss against Sheffield Steeldogs at the Spectrum.

The visit of the Bison is the Flames’ only game of the weekend, which will help the injury hit side.

British stars Tom Duggan, Andy Hemmings and Danny Meyers all missed last weekend, which reduced them to 13 skaters.

Games against Guildford are always hotly contested and they will be keen to win to maintain second place in the EPL standings.

Sheppard said: “We had their number last year. They have had ours this year so far, so we have to find a way to make this change.”

There will be no cup glory for the Bison this year, as they have missed out on a place in the semi-finals of the English Challenge Cup.

Swindon won at Chelmsford to seal the South Group last Sunday, knocking the Herd out in the process.

The Wildcats will fancy their chances of making their first cup final in many years as they face Manchester Phoenix over two legs.

In the other semi-final, the current top two in the EPL go head-to-head as Telford, the North Group winners, take on Guildford.