SATURDAY starts a massive week for the Basingstoke Bison, as they look to get themselves back on top of the South One standings, as well as making the final of the Autumn Cup.

First up on Saturday (6.30pm) is a mouth watering home clash with current league leaders the Peterborough Phantoms.

Then on Sunday (5.15pm), the Herd are on the road for another league encounter, this time to Gillingham to face the Invicta Dynamos.

After two days rest, on Wednesday (7.30pm) the Bison have the longer trip to Hull, to face the Pirates in the second leg of Autumn Cup.

However, before focussing on making a final, they will be looking to spook the Phantoms.

When they were last in town in the last game of 2017, they won 2-1, but then the Bison won in Peterborough in the first game of 2018.

The Herd are currently four points behind the Phantoms with two games in hand, so a regulation win on Saturday, followed by victory on Sunday,would move them back to the summit, as the Bison would have the better head-to-head record.

Captain and leading goal scorer Aaron Connolly, as well as top defensive goal getter Dan Scott should be back.

Looking ahead to a crunch game Bison head coach Doug Sheppard said: “They are good team with plenty of depth, but we are playing well at the moment. We know the importance of the Peterborough game for the head to head and have to use our home advantage backed by our great fans."

On Sunday in Invicta adding extra spice to the game is former Herd men Ashley Jackson and Jaroslav Cesky will face their former Bison team mates for the first time.

With the league so tight any loss at this stage of the season could cost the Bison dear and Sheppard said: “ We are up against a couple of players who started the year with us, so it will be a tough game.”

Once the league games are out of the way, the Herd will then focus on their Autumn Cup clash at Hull, taking a slender 4-3 lead to Yorkshire.

Sheppard said: “We know they are dangerous team and have one stacked line in Bobby Chamberlain, Matt Davies and Jason Hewitt. They will see a lot of minutes and we will have to be switched on every time they are on the ice."