It had been an emotional week for all involved since the Blackburn Hawks’ Moralee Cup Final defeat against the Billingham Stars. Whilst the fans were still recovering from what had been a truly sensational series, it was business as usual for the players. The Hawks still had their eyes set on catching Billingham at the top of the league, and to do so they would have to gain maximum points in this post-final weekend. First up was a home encounter against a Solihull Barons team which actually beat Blackburn in their last meeting in the Midlands. The Barons were coming into the game with some key players absent through injury, but it would still be a demanding game for the Hawks as they faced-off against one of the most in-form teams in the league.

The opening period was a physical and gritty affair, with neither team able to break the deadlock. Blackburn had the better of the play, outshooting Solihull 14-5, but the visitors’ goaltender, Graham Laverick, stood firm. He denied wave after wave of Blackburn attacks, frustrating the Hawks’ forward line and keeping the game scoreless at the first intermission.

For those lamenting the lack of goals in the first period, the second frame more than made up for it. Just 40 seconds into the restart, James Riddoch finally opened the scoring, rifling a pinpoint shot into the top right corner. However, Solihull wasted no time in responding. A powerplay opportunity two minutes later saw Matt Maurice find the net, bringing the Barons level. The visitors’ momentum was short-lived as a series of costly penalties swung the game in Blackburn’s favour. Within three minutes, Solihull found themselves reduced to just three skaters after infractions by Howells and Dan Mulcahy. The Hawks seized the moment ruthlessly. Andy McKinney and Daragh Spawforth struck within 40 seconds of each other, punishing the Barons’ ill-discipline and restoring Blackburn’s two-goal cushion.

The intensity momentarily subsided, but the final five minutes of the period reignited the goal rush. Solihull cut the deficit when Sean O’Neill netted his first goal of the season. However, Blackburn responded almost immediately with two quickfire strikes from Liam Charnock and Petr Valusiak, stretching their lead to 5-2. The period concluded with Solihull refusing to back down, as Alex Whyte capitalised on a brilliant setup from the ‘Super Swede’ Niklas Ottoson to keep his team within striking distance at 5-3 heading into the final period.

Blackburn returned to the ice knowing that Solihull had no intention of going down without a fight. Yet any hopes of a Barons comeback were quickly dashed by James Royds, who produced a moment of magic to extend the Hawks’ lead. The forward weaved his way past two defenders before lifting a perfectly placed shot over Laverick’s left shoulder, making it 6-3. With the floodgates now open, Jacob Lutwyche added his name to the scoresheet. The forward had spent much of the game in a playmaking role, but as the match hit the 50-minute mark, he pounced on a misplaced Solihull pass in front of the net. Given just enough time to adjust his positioning, he fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner for his 37th goal of the season. Solihull continued to press forward, relying on their formidable first line to generate chances. The persistence paid off when Ottoson managed to pull one back, reducing the deficit to 7-4. However, Blackburn quickly regained control, ensuring there would be no late drama. Just two minutes later, Andy McKinney found the back of the net, swiftly followed by Adam Barnes, who put the final nail in Solihull’s coffin.

The final buzzer confirmed a comprehensive 9-4 victory for the Blackburn Hawks, marking a triumphant return to league action. With crucial points secured, their pursuit of the top spot remained firmly on course. The team would have little time to celebrate however, as the following day the Blackburn boys were on the road again as they travelled down to face another Midlands menace.

The Hawks swooped down into the Lions Den in search of a win against a resurgent Nottingham side. After the game commenced, Blackburn quickly found rhythm on the away ice, with Lee Pollitt seeding the puck through to Jacob Lutwyche who followed it through past Isaac Ballinger to the back of the net. A darting Jacob Lutwyche returned into Balinger’s eye line as he came from the middle third to double the lead with a solo, short-handed goal, nine minutes later. The Lions retaliated to the two-goal deficit, bringing one back with twenty-one seconds of the first period remaining.

Just forty seconds into the second period, Lutwyche found himself in front of the net again.  With a shorthanded goal, the Magic Man secured his hattrick for the night! The Lions shortened the lead as Ethan Smith slotted the puck past Ollie Thomasson six minutes later. However, the Hawks were quick to counter as Matty Cross and Andy McKinney joined forces to assist Liam Charnock in scoring goal number four of the night, McKinney spotted Charnock and crossed the puck to him, where the forward pocketed it down the right of Ballinger. Period two ended with a shot full of fire as James Royds found the back of the net after receiving the puck from a play by Adam Barnes into Andy McKinney to seal another lead going into the final period.

Andy McKinney attempted to put his name on the scoresheet as he took a shot on Nottingham’s net but found Jacob Lutwyche on the rebound who finished the job and popped the puck over the skate of Isaac Ballinger. The Nottingham Lions found another two goals, but it wasn’t enough to triumph the vanquishing Blackburn Hawks as they finish their double header weekend, bringing home an away win to accompany their early home ice triumph.

 

The Blackburn Hawks will play against the Hull Jets @ Hull Ice Arena on Saturday 8th March, Face-Off: 5:30pm

The Blackburn Hawks will also play against the Sheffield Scimitars @ ICESheffield on Sunday 9th March, Face-Off: 5:10pm

 

Article Courtesy of Nathan Dove and Chantelle Grieg

FEATURED IMAGES PHOTO CREDIT: KIPAX