The Swindon Wildcats opened their pre-season schedule with a double-header against the Basingstoke Bison, taking a dominant win on Friday night before falling narrowly short back at the Link Centre.
Friday night in Basingstoke saw the Wildcats produce an impressive offensive display, skating to an 8–2 victory in front of 1,050 fans at the Link Centre. Goals came from Ben O’Connor, Tyler Plews, Aaron Nell (2), Chris Jones, Tomasz Malasiński, Tyler Watkins and Ryan Wells, with contributions spread right across the roster.
On Saturday night, the Bison responded with a late comeback to edge a tight contest 5–4. The Wildcats found the net through Joshua Shaw, Dylan Lipsey, Glenn Billing and Edgars Bebris, but three third-period goals from the visitors turned the game around.
Across the weekend, Head Coach Aaron Nell’s side showed plenty of scoring depth and valuable minutes for younger players as preparations for the new NIHL season continue.
