A TRIPLE signing of talented British teenagers has been made by the Basingstoke Bison this week – and all three, Jacob Heron, Connor Standing and Cameron Wynn, are no strangers to the Herd.

Heron, a 19-year-old who learnt his hockey in Milton Keynes, joined the Bison last season as their spare 10th forward.

However, he proved far more capable than that tag as he ended the campaign as Basingstoke’s fourth highest British goal scorer, hitting the net nine times in a final points tally of 12.

This year he has set himself the target of scoring 15 times and that would be a very useful contribution considering the firepower the Bison already have.

Heron said: “I can’t wait for the new season to start and I really think we can win some silverware this time. I want to increase my goals and assists and playing with better players I will do that.”

Bison player/coach Sheppard is pleased Heron has decided to sign for another season.

Sheppard said: “Jacob has a great work ethic, which is what I what I want from all of my players. He will give you everything – if it be dishing out a hit or working in the corners.”

New back-up netminder Standing, at 17, is one of the most highly rated young goalies in the country. He dressed in one game for the Bison in the English Premier League last year and impressed, helping the Herd to success in the early season Four-on-Four Challenge Cup.

The Basingstoke-born shot stopper has played for every team from under-10 to under-18 and last year posted a save percentage of 89.7 from 18 games for the under-18 Bison.

The BCOT student is looking forward to making the step up full time and having the chance to learn from one of the best in the game in Basingstoke’s starting goalie Stevie Lyle.

The Brighton Hill-based netminder said: “When I started playing I always dreamed of one day playing for the senior side, but didn’t believe it would happen.”

“It is crazy. I was being coached by Stevie when I was 10 and 11 and now I am playing with him and this is a great chance for me to learn a lot from him.”

Bison boss Sheppard is pleased to have Standing on board and said: “He has great size and a lot of talent. He will only get better from training full time.

“He knows his role on the team, he is not there to start games, but if we are able to give him some minutes at the end we will try to do that to help his development.”

Completing the trio of signings is forward Wynn, who was born in Poole before the family moved to Basingstoke and he lives in Kempshott.

Wynn is another 17-year-old, who was the major plus to come out of the last season’s injury crisis, which saw him thrown very much in at the deep end – but he did not disappoint.

He played the last 16 games of the campaign, picking up two points. Before that he returned impressive stats for both the Buffalo picking up 20 points (9+11) from nine games and the under-18 Bison collecting 55 points (36+19), putting him second in the league.

Looking ahead to the new season, Queen Mary’s College student Wynn said: “I am really chuffed to have signed, having played at the club from the under-10s.

“Now I really want to score my first Bison goal as I came so close to doing that on my very first shift last season.

Sheppard believes he has another excellent signing and said: “He capitalised on his opportunity last season and is a very smart player way beyond his years. I am looking forward to working with him.”

Both Standing and Wynn will be taking part in Great Britain under-18 trials later in the summer and if successful they would earn a trip to Tallinn in Estonia from March 31 to April 6 next year where GB face Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Lithuania and Croatia.