Basingstoke Bison 4-5 – Milton Keynes Lightning: Sean Norris scored twice, including the winner at 49:05, as Lightning took two NIHL National points from their first trip to Planet Ice Basingstoke this season. The visitors went ahead five times, but Bison answered the first four leads. Norris’s second goal finally separated the sides and gave MKL a fifth successive competitive win.

With Ethan James in goal for Basingstoke Bison and Jared Whale in goal for Milton Keynes Lightning, Danny Weight put Lightning ahead at 18:30, assisted by David Thomson and Norris. That was the only goal of the opening period, leaving MKL 1-0 up at the break. Lightning recorded 12 shots on goal to Basingstoke’s eight in those 20 minutes. MKL had travelled without Archie Hazeldine, Carter Hamill and Cam Hamill.

Bison’s first reply came at 26:30. Kyle Carruth equalised from Alex Sampford and Charles Farmer, but the score stayed level for only 1:42. Liam Stewart restored Lightning’s lead at 28:12, with Kell Beattie and Ed Knaggs assisting. Stewart had now scored in a third successive competitive game, and MKL were back in front at 1-2.

The closing minutes of the middle period brought the quickest changes of the game. Beattie received two minutes for delay of game at 35:00, and Mac Howlett scored on the resulting Basingstoke power play at 36:06. Charlie Risk and Brendan Sellan assisted the goal that made it 2-2. Norris responded just 52 seconds later, scoring at even strength from Thomson and Knaggs to put Lightning 2-3 ahead. It was his first goal in three competitive games, following two goalless games.

Bison answered again before MKL could take that lead into the interval. Sellan scored from Reece Cochrane’s assist at 37:51, 53 seconds after Norris had put Lightning in front. The teams reached the second break at 3-3, with neither side having held a lead of more than one goal. Basingstoke had scored twice in the period to draw level, while Stewart and Norris had each given MKL another lead.

Lightning moved ahead for the fourth time at 41:19. Bradey Johnson scored from CJ Walker and Stewart to make it 3-4, with Walker recording an assist on his MKL debut. Basingstoke found a fourth equaliser at 45:35 through Sampford, assisted by Farmer and AJ Macaulay. Farmer had helped set up Carruth’s earlier goal too, and Bison had made it 4-4 with more than 14 minutes remaining.

Norris supplied the fifth Lightning lead at 49:05, with Weight and Thomson assisting. His second goal made it 4-5 and left Bison 10:55 to find another reply. Thomson finished with three assists, having also helped set up Weight’s opener and Norris’s first goal; Weight added an assist to his opening goal. Basingstoke’s Cochrane received two minutes for hooking at 56:55, and the hosts called a timeout at 58:32, but the score did not change. Lightning finished with 33 shots on goal to Bison’s 22, and Norris’s two goals and an assist proved decisive in a game the hosts had levelled four times.

Source: Official NIHL National gamesheet.

Scoring summary

MK Lightning: Sean Norris 2+1, Danny Weight 1+1, Liam Stewart 1+1, Bradey Johnson 1+0, David Thomson 0+3, Ed Knaggs 0+2, Kell Beattie 0+1, CJ Walker 0+1.

Basingstoke Bison: Brendan Sellan 1+1, Alex Sampford 1+1, Mac Howlett 1+0, Kyle Carruth 1+0, Charles Farmer 0+2, Charlie Risk 0+1, Reece Cochrane 0+1, AJ Macaulay 0+1.

First Published by Milton Keynes Lightning mk-lightning.co.uk

Photo credits: Tony Sargent