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Saturday 6th December: Basingstoke Bison (9th) v Excel Hull Stingrays (10th) @ Basingstoke Arena, 6.30pmSunday 7th December: Excel Hull Stingrays v Basingstoke Bison @ Hull Arena, 5.30pm, Challenge Cup
Form
Stingrays- L L L W L
Basingstoke- W W L W L
Last 3 Meetings
v Basingstoke
05/03/08 4-3 W H
18/10/08 1-4 L A
19/10/08 4-2 W H
Players to watch
Stingrays- Konstantin Kalimkov- Recorded 2+2 in the 5-4 victory over the Belfast Giants last Sunday and has 17 points in just 15 games, including eight goals, with the Stingrays after replacing Jake Riddle in mid October.
Bison- Greg Chambers- Leads the league in assists (31) and sits second in the league in points (46), he has come away pointless from just 4 of his 28 games so far this season.
Absentees
Stingrays- Troy Neumeier (torn ligament), Stuart Kerr (knee ligament strain)
Bison-
Other stuff
- The Stingrays have beaten the Bison in twice (4-3, 4-2) in their last two visits to the Hull Arena.
- The Stingrays were knocked out of the Challenge Cup after a 1-0 loss in Cardiff on Wednesday night. Needing a victory to keep their hopes of qualification alive, Stingrays coach Rick Strachan pulled netminder Curtis Cruickshank after a goalless 59 minutes before Cardiff defenceman Mike Hartwick fired into the empty net.
- Slava Koulikov returned to full action last weekend and scored in Saturday's 7-1 loss to Manchester. On Sunday, in the 5-4 win over Belfast, he recorded two assists taking his season tally to five points in eight games.
-Defenceman Stuart Kerr has been officially ruled out of games this weekend with a knee injury. The 24 year old defenceman attempted to ice in last Saturdays game against Manchester, however limped out during the first period. This comes after Troy Neumeier was ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn ligament, leaving the Stingrays with just Pavel Gomenyuk, Aaron Wilson and Paul Moran as recognised defencemen. It is expected that Steve Slonina, who has put in some very creditable performances as of late, will continue as defenceman.
-Basingstoke were expected to announce two new signings this weekend to replace the departed Curtiss Patrick and Matt Miller however it is thought that the new VISA processes delayed the announcement and arrive of the two players.
- The Stingrays are also looking to sign at least one replacement for Troy Neumeier, with speculation he may not be the only one the management is going to replace. Whilst this is the case, Sue Pack has stated in the Hull Daily Mail that is very unlikely they will arrive before Christmas.
- One player rumoured to be on his way to Hull is former Coventry and Manchester utility player KC Timmons. Timmons had been icing in Holland before a fallout with his coach left him without a team, it is thought that Basingstoke and other teams in Holland have also been in talks with the Canadian.
Prediction
Bison 2-4 Stingrays
Stingrays 3-4 Bison
