After a disappointing return to Deeside ended in defeat, the Blackburn Hawks were ready to bounce back in what promised to be a challenging double-header weekend. The first match saw them returning to home ice to take on a red-hot Whitley Bay Warriors side.
Missing Devids Jurinenoks due to suspension, the Hawks faced an uphill battle, but the electric atmosphere at the Hawks Nest buoyed fans’ hopes for a strong start. However, it was the Warriors who struck first: less than two minutes into the game, Phil Edgar netted the opener on a powerplay, capitalising on a hooking penalty from Bobby Streetly. The Hawks’ penalty kill struggled to hold off the Geordies’ offensive pressure, and ten minutes later, Lewis Crisp doubled the Warriors’ lead with his first goal of the season. The Hawks went into the first break down by two, struggling to find their rhythm against Whitley’s well-executed game plan.
In the second period, Blackburn showed signs of adjustment, adapting to Whitley’s set-up. Captain Aaron Davies fired home a well-worked goal that brought the crowd to their feet and injected fresh energy into the Hawks. This also marked the first point for Andrew McKinney in his debut game for Blackburn, hinting at his potential impact on the team. But Whitley struck back almost immediately, with Dean Holland converting from a Callum Queenan assist to extend their lead. Rejuvenated by the setback, Whitley looked revitalised, pushing their lead to 4-1 by the end of the second period after a fourth goal from Ethan Reid.
Despite trailing by three goals, the Hawks and their fans refused to throw in the towel. As they hit the ice for the third period, the roar of the crowd was louder than ever. Blackburn responded, dominating possession and testing Whitley’s defence. James Royds scored to close the gap, and moments later, Whitley handed Blackburn a golden opportunity with an interference penalty. Jacob Lutwyche, hungry for a breakthrough, netted his ninth goal of the season and brought Blackburn within one. Though the Hawks threw everything they had at Whitley in the final minutes, the Warriors managed to hold on, leaving the Nest with a 4-3 win. Reflecting on the loss, Coach Osman noted the game ‘was a tough one to swallow, Whitley came in with a really good game plan, that would frustrate us and it did. It took us the first couple of periods to figure it out but in the third period we got it and we dominated them, I don’t even think they got in our zone’.
The next day brought a chance for redemption as the Hawks travelled south to face bottom-of-the-league Widnes Wild. Reenergised by Jurinenoks’ return from suspension and with Oliver Thomasson starting in net, Blackburn took the ice determined to secure a win. From the first puck drop, it was clear the Hawks were a class above. Adam Barnes opened the scoring within a minute and a half, with Jacob Lutwyche quickly following up to make it 2-0. Ten minutes later, Lutwyche and Andrew McKinney extended the lead with back-to-back strikes, and Barnes capped off a dominant period with his second goal, bringing the score to 5-0 at the first break.
Not to be outdone by Adam Barnes’ scoring heroics, Jacob Lutwyche returned to the ice at the start of the second period and hammered a third home to complete his hat-trick in just over 20 minutes of ice time. This signalled the start of what would be a tough period for Widnes. After former Hawk Ben McLellan was penalised for Tripping, Spawforth converted on the powerplay. This was closely followed by a Jurinenoks strike to mark his comeback. The Latvian’s 3rd of the season made it 8-0 to the Hawks. Nearer the end of this period, the Widnes Wild mustered up several attempts which challenged the somewhat bored looking Thomasson on the Hawks net. Two of these efforts made their way through, with Bailey Thomson and Tomas Vyrocek scoring in quick succession, giving some hope for the final period to the noticeably glum Widnes faithful.
Any hope for a Widnes comeback was decisively crushed in the third period as Blackburn unleashed a relentless offensive display. McKinney scored his second goal just two minutes in, followed by a powerplay goal from Josh Crawley. Adam Barnes caught back up with Jacob Lutwyche by completing his hat-trick, only for Lutwyche to pull one ahead of him again 44 seconds later. James Royds added to the scoreline, joining Lutwyche as a scorer in both weekend games. A final 5-minute frenzy saw goals for Pollitt and Crawley, with the last goal of the night going to Andrew McKinney, completing the third hattrick of the game and capping off a memorable debut weekend for the Forward. The third period saw 8 unanswered goals for the Hawks, making the final score 16-2: The biggest scoreline of the season so far.
With a 25-goal weekend in the books, Blackburn now sits fifth in the league standings. In cup play, they remain unbeaten after wins over the Knights 2, Barons, and Wild. This weekend, the Hawks face off in a ‘War of the Roses’ double-header against the Sheffield Scimitars and the Leeds Knights 2. The latter of these games will see ghouls and goblins alike descend down on Blackburn Arena as the Hawks host a Halloween Spooktacular. Fans are already wondering—will the Hawks’ next performance be a Trick or a Treat?
The Blackburn Hawks will play against the Sheffield Scimitars @ ICESheffield on Saturday 26th October, Face-Off: 4:40pm
The Blackburn Hawks will also play against the Leeds Knights 2 @ Blackburn Arena on Sunday 27th October, Face-Off: 6:00pm
Article Courtesy of Nathan Dove
FEATURED IMAGES PHOTO CREDIT: MILLIE WIGNALL AND STEVE POLLITT