HAWKS PUT SCIMITARS AND KNIGHTS TO THE SWORD

The Blackburn Hawks were straight back in to another double header this weekend as they faced off against the Sheffield Scimitars and Leeds Knights 2. The previous weekend had seen both triumph and tribulation with a whopping 25-goals being scored across two games. This weekend however, Blackburn represented the whole of Lancashire as they faced off against two teams from our old enemy, the White Rose County.

The Hawks came out strong against a deflated Sheffield team, opening the game with a rapid double from Josh Crawley within the first nine minutes. Adam Barnes followed up by notching his 10th goal of the season, putting Blackburn firmly in control. The second period saw more of the same in terms of goals, however they originated from unexpected sources. Defenceman Sam Warnock assisted Luke Watson, who tallied his first goal of the season in what has been a breakout campaign for the towering forward. Warnock then scored his own season-opener, making it five goals for the Hawks. Usual service resumed for the remainder of the second, with Spawforth, Barnes, and Royds contributing to an 8-0 lead by the end of the period. The latter came on a powerplay after Sheffield’s Myles Keogh earned a hefty 25-minute penalty for fighting, leaving his team shorthanded.

Mirroring the end of the second period, the final 20 minutes commenced with another Hawks powerplay goal as Josh Crawley completed his hat-trick. Blackburn made it 11 unanswered with Spawforth’s 2nd of the game coming just after Jurinenoks fired in a pinpoint shot from the blue line. With just over 5 minutes left in the game, Sheffield finally responded. Their opening goal in this Blackburn-led goalfest ironically enough came from former Hawk Marcus Thacker. Sheffield added a second goal with just a minute left, scored by Josh Fall, but not before Blackburn’s James Riddoch netted their twelfth goal of the night, sealing a commanding 12-2 victory.

Returning to the Red Rose County with momentum from their decisive win over Sheffield, the Hawks faced another Yorkshire opponent in the Leeds Knights 2. There was an ominous atmosphere in The Nest, not brought by the Knights, but by the Hawks fans, who as part of our Halloween Spooktacular were dressed in their most shockingly scary costumes. There would be no shocking scenes on the ice however, as Blackburn took control of the game against the team who languished in the lower part of the table. Whilst dominant over the Knights, the Hawks struggled to land the first blow. Eventually, the Leeds defence broke just as the first period was closing out with Captain Fantastic Aaron Davies bagging his 3rd of the season.

A similarly techy second period continued with intense play, though only one goal was scored as James Riddoch doubled Blackburn’s advantage. Leeds showed signs of fatigue, but Hawks goaltender Ollie Thomasson still faced a handful of dangerous attempts from Leeds youngsters Fritz Heinzle and Declan Kime. Leeds’ standout performer was undoubtedly one-season Hawk Harrison Walker in goal, who put on a solid display, facing more shots in the first period alone than Thomasson did throughout the entire game.

The Great Wall of Walker eventually fell in the third period, after an onslaught of offensive prowess from a hungry Hawks side who wanted to end the game on a high. The first goal came from defenceman Ethan Mayoh, whose punt on net wriggled its way behind Walker. Mayoh was set-up for this strike by Aaron Davies, who would end the game in the same way he started, by nailing a shot into the top corner. The Captain truly led by example, finishing the game with 3 points. With the sounding of the final buzzer, Thomasson had successfully kept his first shutout of the season. Speaking after the game, goalscorer Ethan Mayoh noted how ‘when you know you’ve got a strong goalie behind you like Ollie and Kedz, it completly takes your nerves off for the defence. It gives us that extra edge to be abit more offensive and step forward’.

The young defenceman also looked excited at the prospect of this Sunday’s game against the Hull Jets, saying ‘we’ve got a lot of momentum from the last three games. We’ve had some very strong wins, but Hull are a different team to last year. They’ve improved and we can’t take them lightly. All that being said, I believe in our team, and I believe in our talent, and I think we’ve got the edge’. At time of writing, the Hull Jets are looking impressive. They sit just ahead of the Hawks in both league and cup tables, making their meeting on Sunday a must watch. Can Blackburn complete the streak against Yorkshire’s finest? There’s only one place you can find out…