AFTER getting a first-hand look at Basingstoke Bison celebrating the regular season title, coach Aaron Nell hopes that he and everyone associated with the Swindon Wildcats gained the fire in their bellies to go out and dream of following in the champions’ footsteps.

Basingstoke secured top spot in the English Premier League standings on Sunday night but only after a swashbuckling Swindon side pushed them all the way, pulling things back to 5-4 and piling on the pressure in search of a last-gasp equaliser.

Nell said: “I think they have lost three games all year at home, so they’ve just got that little bit extra and what we’ve got to do as a hockey club, and me as a coach, and players is look at Basingstoke.

“I’ve got to look at what Doug Sheppard does because he’s obviously the best coach in the league.

“He’s built this over four years, so it’s our club, our players and our staff looking at what Basingstoke have done and learning from it.

“It might not be next year and it might not be in the next three years but we have to try and emulate what they’re doing right now.”

Jonas Hoog’s hat-trick had the Bison sweating, with the Cats man netting three times to tie things up at 3-3 at the end of the second period, with Ciaran Long, Alan Lack and Tomas Karpov on target for the hosts.

But Long and Karpov came to the fore again to fire Basingstoke to the title and despite Adam Harding setting up a nerve-jangling finale, the hosts hung on for their moment in the sun.

Nell, whose team have just one more weekend of regular season action remaining before the EPL play-offs, added: “They were obviously intense – they wanted to win the league and win the league at home – and we gave as good as we got.

“It was a very good performance. We had nothing to really play for but we showed a lot of pride and showed that we’re a good team, and we’ve just got to play that way every night.

“In the play-offs, I think we’ll be good. I guess we’re going to be playing Guildford and we’re going to be ready, and that’s what it’s all about.

“Tonight shows that we’re not waiting for the play-offs – we’re still putting in good performances and we can’t wait to get the play-offs started and have a really good go.”