Basingstoke Bison Head Coach Jeff Flanagan has given his thoughts on a rollercoaster weekend of action, highlighting both the encouraging steps forward and the areas the team will continue to build on as they head into a demanding stretch of fixtures.
The weekend opened with a dramatic penalty shootout victory on the road in Bristol, a result Flanagan described as a strong response after recent scoring challenges.
“We were able to score a bunch of goals where the week before we had difficulty scoring, so that was a real positive,” he said. The Bison boss praised his side’s strong second period and the quality shown in the shootout, noting that the win reflected the team’s determination and ability to respond under pressure.
Sunday brought a tougher test at home against a strong Leeds team, where the Bison were edged out despite creating plenty of chances. Flanagan admitted the group were slow out of the gate but grew into the game as it went on. Their biggest obstacle came in the form of Leeds’ standout netminder, with Flanagan stating: “Unfortunately, we just weren’t able to get past Gospel tonight. He made some excellent saves.”
A consistent bright spot this season has been the Bison’s penalty kill, which once again impressed over the weekend. Flanagan highlighted the commitment behind the unit’s success, explaining: “There’s two things that make a good PK: effort, moving your feet, and the ability to dictate what the opposition power play does.”
He emphasised that special teams can swing games and will continue to be a major focus heading into the next run of fixtures.
You can watch Jeff's full interview HERE
