SWINDON Wildcats ensured that new champions Basingstoke Bison were made to give their all to get their hands on the English Premier League regular season crown this evening.

Aaron Nell’s side travelled to Hampshire intent on spoiling Basingstoke’s coronation and Jonas Hoog’s hat-trick put the Bison through the wringer but the hosts, inspired by Tomas Karpov, eventually did enough to see off Swindon and win the league.

Carlo Finucci almost capitalised on a scramble in front of the Bison net as the visitors looked to silence an expectant home crowd whilst Stevie Lyle was forced to keep out Karpov’s powerful drive at the other end.

The hosts gradually began to exert themselves on proceedings and they went close when Ciaran Long played a one-two, jinked past Corey McEwen, and then let fly, only for Lyle to make a vital stop.

Tossing the script to one side, Swindon frayed the nerves of the Basingstoke fans by taking the lead on the counter-attack, Hoog forcing home to hand the home side a shock.

But it took barley more than a moment for the Bison to hit back and after Karpov failed on the wraparound, he knocked the puck back for the arriving Long to slam home and make it 1-1.

However, when the first power play of the evening arrived – the hosts’ Alan Lack was penalised for tripping – Cats took full advantage, Hoog notching his and his team’s second to hand the visitors the advantage heading into the first period break.

When the action got back under way, Lyle saved from Matt Towalski as the inevitable Bison onslaught came and an overload in front of the Swindon net led to a second Basingstoke equaliser, Alan Lack and Karpov playing a one-two before the former chopped the puck into the net at the second attempt from inches in front of the post.

The Bison went looking for a third goal and Rene Jarolin almost provided it in double-time as he wriggled free before attempting to knock home through the legs of Swindon stopper Lyle but he stood firm to keep the Slovakian at bay.

Joe Greener came close to forcing home front close range but the Wildcats defence somehow cleared the danger whilst Nell stung the body of Baston from point-blank range at the other end of the ice.

The Bison needed no extra assistance in their pursuit of the league crown but they then received it in the form of a loose pass from Swindon at the back, with Karpov gleefully accepting the gift and firing home to make it 3-2, giving the hosts the lead for the first time on the night.

Stevie Whitfield came close to pegging back the Bison as he had a shot from a great position saved whilst Hoog went in search of his hat-trick and fired narrowly wide after a weaving skate into the Basingstoke zone.

Another opportunity fell the way of the visitors when Nell collected a misplaced pass and knocked forward for Finucci but his first-time attempt flew just wide and the Canadian was also denied by a super stop from Baston moments later.

But the Bison barricade couldn’t hold firm forever and a period of Swindon domination late in the period ended with Swedish ace Hoog cutting inside and firing in to claim his hat-trick goal and add another twist to the tale.

The onus was on the home side to prove their champion credentials as the third period got up and running and they came close to striking again when Karpov fired goalwards from the left flank and Lyle was forced to react to the rebound to deny Lack from close-range.

But they did make it 4-3 when Basingstoke stormed forward and after winning the puck back in the Swindon zone, the dangerous Karpov cut back for Long to jink to one side and fire past Lyle, despite the Wildcats goal coming off its line.

The Bison then seemingly took a huge step towards achieving their dreams when they doubled their advantage on the power play, Karpov seemingly catching everyone in red out as he lashed a sublime effort into the top corner from range, leaving Lyle and the Swindon defence motionless.

During a frantic finale, Lyle produced a sublime double save to twice deny Lack and then, after Cats pulled goalie Lyle, Adam Harding notched to set up a grandstand finish.

But despite continuing to throw caution to the wind, the swashbuckling visitors couldn’t snatch an equaliser and gloves, pads and sticks were tossed into the air as Basingstoke began to enjoy their moment in the sun.