Cats make the play-offs! 

Swindon Wildcats lose but still make a play-off place

 

In a rollercoaster of a weekend the Swindon Wildcats Ice Hockey team have made the English Premier League play-offs.

 

The battle for the final play off place between the Wildcats and their fierce local rivals, the Bracknell Bees has been raging for the last month with everything coming down to this weekends action as both teams had home and away fixtures.

 

 

 

The Wildcats were in the driving seat leading their Berkshire foes by 2 points in the league standings after an outstanding run of form which saw them topple league high flyers, Slough and Guildford in back to back home games.

 

The Link Centre was packed to the rafters on Saturday evening as the Wildcats faced the highly rated Manchester Phoenix led by the Legendary Tony Hand.

 

 

The game however was all Swindon as the Wildcats shocked their northern opposition by trouncing them 10-2, in a victory that left the home fans ecstatic.

 

Back at the Hive in Bracknell, the Bees were also making short shrift of their opposition as they demolished basement club the Romford Raiders 13-3 leaving the battle for the final spot to commence again on the Sunday.

 

 

Swindon had the tough journey to Basingstoke to take on the Bison knowing a point would secure their fate, but despite keeping the Bison to 2-1 over 40 minutes, the Cats couldn't carry their Saturday form over and succumbed to a 7-1.

 

All eyes now turned to Manchester where a beleaguered Phoenix faced the Bees looking to put right their woes from the previous night.

 

In Basingstoke the Wildcats fans were chanting Phoenix knowing their north country rivals were their ticket to the play-offs while the Basingstoke fans chanted Bees.

 

 

In a delayed game a rampant Phoenix put pay to Bracknell's hopes in a 10-1 demolition putting the Wildcats through to the play offs and a Quarter Final spot against the League Champions Milton Keynes Lightning.

  

With games between the Wildcats and Lightning being close affairs each time they have met this season, Swindon fans will be out in force at the Link Centre on Saturday night, where it all starts even, and their team can look to capitalise on their late surge in form and earn a trip to Coventry for the Play off finals.

 

 

Face off on Saturday is 5.45pm and fans are urged to purchase tickets early in what is expected to be another bumper Link Centre crowd.