2024/2025 Season Review: March

  



 2024/2025 Season

March

The Bees were unable to keep up with the teams fighting for a playoff place and found themselves in a fight with the Bristol Pitbulls to avoid the wooden spoon. March was the Bees best month in the season with three wins, three losses and two overtime losses. With two fixtures against the Pitbulls, the Bees were in control (to a degree) of that bottom league place and they did what they needed to do. 

1.3.25: Pitbulls 1 - 5 Bees 

The Bristol team had definitely had their fair share of problems leading up to this game as they battled on with a depleted team. For them things seemed on the up as all those on the injured list returned to the line up against the Bees but it wasn't to be enough for them. The Bees dominated the game coming away with a 5-1 win. Every Bees player gave their all but the star of the night was Adam Rosbottom who banked a hattrick. The Pitbulls were the first to score but once the Bees got started there was no stopping them, the goals coming from Adam Rosbottom (3), Marcel Balaz and Dominik Gabaj.

2.3.25: Bees 0 - 4 Wildcats

In short, the Bees had left everything on the ice the previous evening in Bristol and the Wildcats made the most of that. Bees were unable to beat Renny Marr and the Wildcats did enough to walk away with the points. The game against the Pitbulls the previous day was the one the Bees wanted, any points from this fixture would have been a bonus. 

7.3.25: Wildcats 3 - 0 Bees 

The game in Swindon saw both teams play their back up netminders and it was a low scoring game. The Wildcats took the lead in the first period at 2.31 on the clock and there were no more goals from either team for the rest of the first period and the whole of the second period,  despite both teams having two powerplay opportunities each before the 40 minute mark. In the third period the Bees gave the Wildcats two further powerplays and they scored on both and with no reply from the Bees the Wildcats came away with a 3-0 win and a shutout for Tyler Perre. 

9.3.25: Bees 5 - 3 Pitbulls 

The fight to avoid the wooden spoon was still on as the previous evening the Bristol team had convincingly beaten the Raiders 9-5 which meant they had jumped over the Bees in the league table. Bees needed a win to not only move themselves up to 10th place in the league but to bank a series win over the Pitbulls ensuring that the Bees would finish above the Pitbulls if the teams were tied at the conclusion of the season. The Pitbulls who had suffered with injury problems over the last few weeks were unable to ice their import goalie, Tommy Nappier, so former two-way Bee Harry Thomas was in the net. The Pitbulls were first to score as Mitch Walinski scored at 9.17. It didn't take too long for the Bees to equalise and go ahead as Liam Morris scored at 12.30 and then Stuart Mogg gave the Bees the lead with a sublime shorthanded goal at 18.13 allowing the Bees to take a 2-1 lead into the first period break. A powerplay goal for the Pitbulls scored by Smetham at 23.13 brought the score level but the Bees were going to go into the second period break with a 3-2 lead as Marcel Balaz scored on the powerplay at 36.43. The Pitbulls were to tie the game again at 43.37 as Bari McKenzie was on target however just under 10 minutes later the Bees were to score their second shorthanded goal of the night as Dominik Gabaj was on target. The Pitbulls called a timeout at 57.40 and with a face off in the Bees defensive zone they took the opportunity to pull Harry Thomas for an extra outskater but just 7 seconds later the Bees had the puck in the empty net as Ollie Hemmings-Maher scored his first goal for the Bees. Final score on the evening was 5-3 in favour of the Bees and Dom and the team achieved their goal of leapfrogging the Pitbulls in the league table.

15.3.25: Romford 5 - 4 Bees (after overtime)

The Bees scored first with Dominik Gabaj grabbing a shorthanded goal at 8.21, the Raiders scored the equaliser at 17.34 and the teams were tied 1-1 at the end of the first. The Raiders took the lead thanks to two goals from Tjay Anderson before Dominik Gabaj scored his second of the night to bring the Bees within one and this is how the second period finished. Just 27 seconds into the third period Will Stead brought the scores level and then Hallam Wilson gave Bees a go ahead goal at 53.43. Jake Sylvester scored a PPG at 57.21 and neither teams were able to score again in regulation. The Raiders needed just 35 seconds of overtime to earn the second point as Tjay Anderson secured his hattrick despite Dean Skinns who was in goal for the Bees recording a better save percentage than Owen Rider in the Raiders goal. 

16.3.25: Bees 5 - 3 Raiders

This was a special day in Slough as the Bees went "retro" to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the club winning the Superleague title in the 1999/2000 season. Like the previous evening the lead was to change hands several times as the Bees battled hard to get the win. Hallam Wilson was to continue his good form by scoring Bees first goal of the night and despite the Raiders drawing level Marcel Balaz gave the Bees the lead again to take into the third period. The third period started well for the Raiders as they scored twice to give them the lead, the second of these goals was scored at 46.26. But just 14 seconds later Dominik Gabaj scored to bring the teams level and a second goal of the night for both Marcel and Dom gave the Bees a 5-3 win banking a three point weekend for the team.

22.3.25: Bees 4 - 5 Steeldogs (after overtime)

An entertaining game which saw the lead change several times. Dominik Gabaj scored the first goal of the evening at 6.42 but the Steeldogs levelled the scoreline with a PPG scored by Walker Sommer at 13.37. The first period ended 1-1. The Steeldogs took the lead at 23.01 but it wasn't long before Will Stead drew the teams level again at 25.16. Josh Martin then gave the Bees the lead again with a superb goal set up by Olly Knaggs at 33.43 giving the Bees a one goal lead going into the third. The Steeldogs scored two goals in the third to take the lead back again before Marcus Mitchell scored a sniper of a shot at 52.09. The scores tied at 4-4 after regulation meant overtime and the Steeldogs were going to go away with the extra point with a goal at 62.44. 

23.3.25: Phantoms 12 - 7 Bees

The season closer for the Bees was an absolute goal fest with neither team needing a result. The Bees goals came from Dominik Gabaj (2), Adam Erskine, Ty Cathcart, Liam Morris, Will Stead and Josh Smith. Adam and Ty's goals were their first goals for the Bees. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Weekend Teaser: Bees are out of the playoffs but still mean business

Image
  Bees are out of the playoffs but still mean business Bees played brilliantly for 5 periods last weekend Bees were on the road on Saturday visiting the Steeldogs in Sheffield. Bees were the better team for the first two periods, period 1 ended 2-1 in Bees favour with Bees goals coming from Dom and JJ. Steeldogs clawed their way back into the game but were still struggling with the Bees game plan, the second period finishing with the teams tying 3-3 and Bees goal scored by Dom was honestly one of the best shots you will see. Shortly into the third period Juha was on target to put the Bees 4-3 ahead but then Steeldogs began an onslaught scoring 6 unanswered goals leaving the final score at 9-4 which did not reflect the flow of the game or the Bees performance. Sunday night Bees welcomed the MK Lightning to Slough, a dominant team and deserving of their second place in the league. Matt Smital was in the net against his former team and Bees, without any of their two way deal players a...
Read more

Weekend Teaser: Last home game before Christmas

Image
 Last home game before Christmas  Leeds too much for unlucky Bees   With just one game last weekend against the unstoppable Leeds Knights, Bees found themselves on the wrong side of a 5-2 scoreline. With the Bees missing Will and Harvey Stead through suspension and Dominik Gabaj through illness, the welcome additions of temporary signings Joe Baird and Marcus Mitchell and the long awaited return of Josh Kelly together with Brython Preece overcoming his injury from the Bristol game were still not enough to overcome the Knights. It was an entertaining game with great goals from Josh Smith and Stuart Mogg, unfortunately for Bees Sam Gospel in the Leeds goal was outstanding on the night and there's not much you can do when he's making great quality saves. Player of the Weekend Results This week's vote was won by  Stuart Mogg  with 50% of the fans vote, Gianni Vitali came in second with 22%.  Next - The Bees head to Milton Keynes on Saturday before welcomin...
Read more

2024/2025 Season Review: November

Image
   2024/2025 Season November The Bees played the month short benched as injury problems started to dig away at the line up and unfortunately the two-way deal players were not always available to play. The team had nine games in the month and not surprisingly there were no points for the team when they were on the road. The fans, however, were treated to three thrilling home games which could not be decided in regulation. An overtime loss to the Raiders was a bitter pill to take, the other games went to a shootout surprisingly against the league title contenders. The Bees were to overcome the Swindon Wildcats but were not so fortunate against the Lightning. Following Brett Shepherd's departure, Dean Skinns came to the rescue. Dean was no stranger to the black and yellow having played as number one for the Bees on two separate occasions over his long career.    2.11.24: Lightning 6 - 1 Bees Lightning were sitting at the top of the league and it looked that maybe this w...
Read more