Bees at full strength for semi-final showdown

THE BERKSHIRE Cycles Bracknell Bees are busy preparing for their first cup semi-final appearance in a decade as cup fever sweeps Berkshire this weekend.

The opponents on both Saturday and Sunday are the Peterborough Phantoms with the winner on aggregate over the weekend going on to contest the final against the winner of the Bison vs Wildcats semi-final.

The Phantoms got the better of the early exchanges in the season but have been to the Hive twice so far in 2019 and on both those occasions the Bees triumphed. In early January it took overtime to separate the teams while a couple of weeks back Bees ran out emphatic 8-2 winners.

Phantoms net is guarded by Jordan Marr and there’s no shortage of experience in front of him. NonEIHA trained players Ales Padelek and Petr Stepanek both have played for the Phantoms in their EPL days along with a number of Slava Koulikov’s Brit pack on the team.

The Bees will be at full strength for the weekend and it’s an AVSS School Zone game so we’re expecting a busy Hive for the game with over 60 local schools, clubs and groups now enlisting in the programme.

“The team is really looking forward to this weekend,” said head coach Doug Sheppard.

“There will be a great atmosphere at the Hive this Saturday and the game will be a little quicker and more intense than a regular season game.”

The Bees take on the Phantoms in the first cup semi-final at the Hive in a decade on Saturday at 6pm and travel to Peterborough for Sunday’s second leg with a 5.30pm face-off.