Bison to get season started with a derby (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Bison to get season started with a derby

8:00am Sunday 29th July 2012 in Ice Hockey By Graham Merry

THE BASINGSTOKE Bison will start their English Premier League campaign with a home derby game against their oldest rivals the Bracknell Bees on Saturday September 15.

The following night the Herd’s opening road trip is away at the Manchester Phoenix.

As in previous years, the opening games home and away with each of the other nine tams in the EPL will also count towards the group stage of the EPL Cup.

Before the EPL campaign opens the Bison have back-to-back games with the Guildford Flames, with the home game on Saturday September 8 (face-off 6pm).

Looking ahead to the season, Bison player/coach Doug Sheppard said: “Playing Guildford in pre-season will give as gauge as to where we are, as they were the best team last time and have very much the same line-up.

“I am pretty happy with the fixtures and it will be nice to start with one of our local rivals. “They started quickly last year and beat Slough Jets in both pre-season games and in the league, so I am fully aware of what they can do.”

It will mean a quick return to Basingstoke for last year’s Bison stars Sam Oakford, Ollie Bronnimann and Marcel Petran.

Sheppard is also under no illusion that his side have a stiff test for their first road game and added: “It is a tough place to go an play and they have a good team this year.”