BLACKBURN HAWKS 4-2 MANCHESTER MINOTAURS 26/01/14

The final meeting of the season between the local rivals was a League encounter, with the Manchester outfit looking to put a dent into the Hawks' push for a play-off spot. Unlike in the previous Cup game, the visitors were able to ice a stronger roster of almost 3 lines, with Blackburn being at virtually full-strength.

The match began at a fast pace, with Zeman testing Danny 'Dangy' Brittle in the home side's goal. This was quickly evened up by Adam Brittle racing to the other end, and forcing Paul Maudsley into the first of many saves, as he smashed a shot into his chest. Craig Rogers put his considerable strength to good use in only the second minute, when he deposited Hnilica headlong into the boards, and sat out a 2 minute penalty as a result. The Hawks closed down the Minotaurs powerplay quite comfortably, chasing down each pass, and giving the forwards little time to work an opening. Rogers timed his return to the ice perfectly, and he was able to join in the Hawks celebrations, as Brittle found a way past Maudsley. He single-handedly took on the Manchester defence down the left, before heading in front of goal, then turning, and somehow wrapping a back-hand shot across the keeper, into the far corner of the net. A needless call for having too many men on the ice gave Blackburn a powerplay, and having moved the puck well around the zone, they created space for Jon Adams to shoot. He rifled a shot goalwards, but a slight deflection from a defenceman was sufficient to re-direct it beyond the 'already committed' Maudsley. This was the perfect start for Blackburn, and they began to play with an air of real confidence, led by the inspirational duo of Brittle and Adams. A heated discussion between Rick Ravey and Russ Richardson threatened to escalate, but the referee intervened, and gave Ravey a 2 minute penalty to cool off. With the Hawks short-handed, the Minotaurs pressed, but came up against a defensive stone wall. In fact, it was the home team who came closest to finding the net, when Adams broke away. He raced towards goal, and waited for Maudsley to make his move, but with the netminder closing down the angles well, the Canadian's shot flew an inch wide of the post. Chances then came 'thick and fast' for the rampant Blackburn forwards, with both David Miekle and Jake Nurse going close. Then, with only 2 minutes remaining of the period, goal number 3 duly arrived. A mad scramble in the visitors zone saw both Adams and Brittle have attempts from in-close, and with the puck lying tantalisingly on the goal line, between the keeper's pads, Jared Owen had the easiest of tasks in thrusting forward his stick to score, before Maudsley could react.

The second period started badly for the home side, as Reece Cairney-Witter was forced to slash Greaves, when the forward was alone in front of the net, with only Dangy to beat. Seven seconds later, and he was joined in the box by Ollie Lomax, who's trip earned him a 2 minute penalty. Killing off the resulting 5-on-3 penalty for almost an entire two minutes was always going to be a tough task for the Hawks defenders, and the Minotaurs took full-advantage. Zeman fired a shot at Dangy, who saved, but the puck fell kindly to Sean Day by the side of the net, and he made no mistake, to get the visitors on the board. However, this set-back only heightened Blackburn's determination to secure the win, and they set-up camp in the opponent's defensive zone. Maudsley was performing 'near' miracles in the Manchester goal, making save after save, as he was peppered with shots. The pick of them was a breath-taking glove save, where he plucked a 'bullet' of a slap-shot out of the air, to deny Adams - and he was roundly applauded by the watching crowd. Goal number 4 was inevitable, however, and it came on 37 minutes when Ravey found Miekle on the right. He, in turn laid the puck on to Danny Mackriel who was moving at speed, and having taken a touch to control it, slid a cool finish beyond the netminder.

The final period began with two less players on the Hawks bench, with both Rick Hughes (knee) and Ollie Lomax (shoulder) nursing injuries. The re-structuring of lines may have contributed to the Minotaur's second goal, when Richardson played a long pass out of defence, onto the waiting stick of Zeman. The League's top goal-scorer bore down on Dangy, and placed an accurate shot through the keeper, to once again reduce the deficit to two. This gave the visitors renewed vigour, and on 46 minutes, with Aaron Davies sitting out a slashing penalty, they almost scored again. Dangy made a save, but with the puck going loose, it was up to the quick-thinking Chris Butler to whisk it away from the approaching forward. Adam Brittle and Day had a bit of a quarrel in centre-ice, which then involved several players from each team, but although no punches were thrown, Arnone and Dunn were given penalties for 'roughing'. The remainder of the match then took on a familiar theme of 'Maudsley v Blackburn', with Brittle, Davies, Rogers, Miekle, and Nurse all bringing out the best in him. Indeed, without the Manchester netminder in awesome form, the Hawks may well have racked up a cricket score, and he was unsurprisingly given their MVP. 

Blackburn's MVP went to Danny Brittle, who was as solid as ever between the pipes.

BLACKBURN HAWKS 3-1 SUTTON STING 19/01/14

With the race for a play-off spot gathering momentum, Sunday's clash between the Hawks and Sutton Sting had the potential to be a classic. Both teams had been on impressive streaks recently, and this ensured a large, if somewhat apprehensive crowd headed to the Arena. Missing Sam Dunford and Ivo Dimitrijevs from their roster, Blackburn were still able to ice three full lines, as were their opponents.

The first period started with the visitors determined to stamp their authority on the game, Sykes in particular adopting a physical style. The first chance of the evening fell to Jake Nurse, but the Hawks forward was unable to clear the puck from between his skates, when in front of Zimozdra in the Sting net. A flurry of minor penalties resulted in the home side having plenty of space on the ice, as they enjoyed a 4-on-3 powerplay, but the nearest they came was when Jon Adams found himself free on the edge of the crease, and he somehow fired wide of the open net. Sutton worked hard to close down the fluent passing of the Blackburn players, and managed to kill off the penalty quite comfortably, but were undone on 10 minutes by an incisive breakout. Nurse took the puck over the defensive blue line, and passed to the right wing, to the supporting Danny Mackriel. He advanced into the Sting zone, and fired a shot which Zimozdra could only deflect into the path of Nurse, and he took his chance, with a clinical finish beneath the keeper. However, the visitors replied in the best possible way, and equalised within a minute, when Jeffcock was allowed to approach the Blackburn net, unchallenged. He had the vision to pick out the waiting Ashton at the far post, and his pass gave him an easy opportunity, which he slotted beyond Danny Brittle in the Hawks goal. Adams almost worked himself an opening on 13 minutes, when his intricate stickwork 'bewildered' three defencemen and the keeper, but he took the puck too wide, and his shot was off target. Then, not to be outdone, Rick Ravey performed his own master class, by 'bulldozing' his way down the boards, evading the best efforts of the entire Sutton line, then battling with two defenders in the corner to regain possession for his team. This brought a rapturous round of applause from the watching crowd as he took his place back on the bench, who were thoroughly appreciative of his efforts. Nurse was in inspirational form, and his next notable contribution was to find the net for a second time, on 16 minutes. David Miekle sent Chris Arnone free on the right, and his pull back fell nicely for the approaching forward, who's accurate finish was too good for Zimozdra.

The second 20 began in quite a lacklustre fashion, with both netminders producing routine saves. Just after the half hour mark, a touch of brilliance by Brittle saw him beat two players on his own blue line, then find Aaron Davies on the right wing. Everyone knew what was coming as he drew back his stick, unleashing a ferocious slapshot into Zimozdra's chest, but the keeper did well to retain possession. A slashing call on the Blackburn goalkeeper, then a couple of co-incidental ones saw the Sting with a man-advantage, but this was quickly cancelled out when Movko received 2 minutes for high-sticks. Neither side could fashion any opportunities, and it looked as though the period would end without any goals being registered, but some inept defending allowed Miekle to seize the puck in the Sutton zone. He found Mackriel in space, and after taking a moment to control the pass, the veteran 'wristed' a shot into the far corner, to give the home side some breathing space, going into the final 20 minutes.

The third period saw the visitors come out with renewed intensity, and 'Dangy' Brittle was called upon several times to deny the Sting forwards, as they looked for a way back into the match. He was ably assisted by some resolute defending from his players, too - none more so than Ollie Lomax, who threw his frame onto the ice to block a blue line slapshot, and received a puck to the body for his trouble. A 'delay of game' penalty against Offord gave the Hawks a powerplay, but the best chance fell to the short-handed team, who robbed Scott Robson in his defensive zone. The forward was just about to gather the loose puck, when Craig Rogers hit him with a solid, but fair check, which had the crowd on their feet, cheering their approval. Adam Brittle was beginning to create lots of space on the ice, and went very close to opening his account for the evening, when he beat 4 men, but saw his shot sail agonisingly over the bar. Whilst Sutton refused to throw in the towel until the very last second, Blackburn were content to play a holding game, based on solid defence and quick counter-attacking, and saw out the remainder of the match in relative comfort.

MVP could have been given to any number of players, but deservedly went to Jake Nurse, who's 2 goals and industry throughout, were a real feature of a competent all-round team display.

BLACKBURN HAWKS 6-1 MANCHESTER MINOTAURS (CUP) 12/01/14

'Derby Days' at the Arena have always been eagerly anticipated by the Hawks fans, and looking back at the season's previous encounters, Sunday evening's clash promised to be just as intense. With the enticing prospect of being able to stake a claim for a place in the Cup Final, the home side were virtually at full strength, the only absentee being the suspended Chris Arnone. However, the visitors, due to a variety of reasons, were only able to ice 12 players, with several of their more 'influential' players missing. With Stuart Ashton deputising for Danny Brittle in the Blackburn goal, and Nicole Jackson starting for Manchester, the referee dropped the puck, to start the match.

The Hawks went straight onto the offensive, with the Minotaurs just happy to dump the puck down the ice, whenever they gained possession. An avoidable penalty for 'changing on the icing' resulted in the first powerplay of the game for Blackburn, but they couldn't find an opening. The nearest they came was when Ollie Lomax created some space for himself at the far post, but the puck passed agonisingly beyond his outstretched stick. Fortunately, the home fans did not have long to wait before the first goal of the match, and it came after only 4 minutes. A face-off was won in the offensive zone, and played out to Rick Ravey at 'point'. He took aim, and fired towards the net, but with Jackson moving to block the shot, Ivo Dimitrijevs was able to re-direct it slightly, taking it past the unfortunate keeper. Ashton was called into action to deny the Manchester import, Zeman, and with the forward regaining possession behind the goal, Craig Rogers took the opportunity to introduce him into the boards. The officials deemed it to have been a little excessive, and sat the defenceman in the penalty box for 2 minutes. It was refreshing to see the Eagles youngster, James Riddoch, being given a number of shifts throughout the game, and he acquitted himself well. On 15 minutes, Jon Adams broke through the Minotaurs defence, but his classy backhand flick flew an inch over the bar, with Jackson well beaten.

The second period began with David Miekle being put clean-through by Danny Mackriel, but his shot whistled over the top of the net, and this was closely followed by Zeman repeating the feat at the other end. On 23 minutes, the Hawks doubled their lead, courtesy of Rick Hughes. Ravey gave possession to Aaron Davies, who broke through the centre, and having beaten the defenceman, had the awareness to pick out Hughes, who walked the puck into the net. Another goal, only 3 minutes later, virtually ended the game as a contest, this time Miekle making no mistake. Ashton made a good save, then played the puck out to Reece Cairney-Witter, who set Mackriel free on the left. He, in turn found the on-rushing forward, who controlled first-time and finished high into the roof of the net. A personal duel between Ivo and Jackson saw the Latvian shoot at goal 4 times in quick succession, but was denied each time by some agile goaltending. The halfway point of the match brought goal number 4 for the Hawks, a breath-taking solo effort from Adams, who rifled a shot from the blue line into the top corner, before Jackson had time to move. The game then entered a physical phase, with both teams finishing their checks, with two huge hits coming from Davies and Cairney-Witter, respectively. Ashton's shut-out was in danger when a 2-on-1 breakout looked destined to see the Minotaurs register their first goal, but he produced a fantastic save with an outstretched pad, to deny Pollitt. The final chance of the period fell the way of Matt Viney, who did well behind the Manchester net, but his 'wrap-around' attempt was foiled.

There was a moment of concern during the interval, when paramedics were called to treat the Minotaurs' Hutchinson. He left the Arena, to a sympathetic round of applause from both sets of fans.

The final 20 minutes saw the Hawks take their foot off the gas, somewhat, as the visitors understandably began to tire. Adam Brittle fired a shot which pinged off the post, and this was followed by Blackburn's 5th goal of the evening. Mackriel found himself 1-on-1 with Jackson, and although the keeper made a good save, the defenders were unable to clear their zone, and Miekle gratefully stroked the puck home with an accurate finish. With 10 minutes remaining, the home side's superiority was rewarded once again, when concerted pressure around the net saw Ivo gain possession on the right side, and he produced a tidy shot beyond the goaltender. As the match entered it's final 2 minutes, Hughes was harshly called for tripping, and the Minotaurs took full advantage. Only 55 seconds remained when a shot from John Murray deflected off the skate of Ravey, and slid into the corner of the goal, to break Ashton's shut-out. The 6-1 scoreline was an accurate reflection of the game, with the Hawks running out worthy winner, although every credit must be given to the Manchester outfit, who never let their heads drop.

MVP was awarded to James Riddoch, who made a seamless transition to the Hawks ranks, and produced a competent display.

BLACKBURN HAWKS 5-0 WHITLEY WARRIORS 04/01/14

The Hawks 'play-off' credentials faced a stern test on Saturday evening, as they took on the Whitley Warriors at the Arena. With the home side still smarting from an improbable defeat against the visitors over a month ago, revenge was in their minds, and they took to the ice with the sole intention of claiming the two League points. Both teams were able to ice three lines, with the only absentee from the Blackburn roster being the 'free-scoring' forward, Danny Mackriel.

As usual, the Hawks looked to press straight from the opening face-off, with Matt Viney the first player to test Ritchie Lawson in the Warriors net. After 4 minutes, Reece Cairney-Witter was forced to take a tripping call, as he halted Adam Reynolds, when the forward threatened to break through the Blackburn defence. The man-advantage allowed the visitors to gain a foothold in the match, although their only opportunity to score was a shot from M.Good, which Danny 'Dangy' Brittle, the Hawks net-minder, dealt with comfortably. The Whitley side, who have always had a physical aspect to their play, did not disappoint once again, with Jamie Tinsley the main instigator. However, the home side kept their composure, refusing to be drawn into anything unnecessary, despite his best attempts. A breath-taking solo dribble by John Adams saw him beat 3 players, before finding himself one-on-one with Lawson, but the Canadian's flick towards the roof of the net went narrowly over the crossbar. However, the crowd had barely retaken their seats, when they were up again, saluting the opening goal of the evening. Chris Arnone breached the Whitley defence, and laid the puck off to Jared Owen. He, in turn gave possession to Adam Brittle, and from a yard out, he dispatched his shot into the unguarded net. A minute later, and with Craig Rogers sitting out a holding penalty, the Warriors were desperately unlucky not to get back on level terms. After a mad scramble, and with the goal gaping, the visiting forward seemed certain to poke the puck over the goal-line, but Scott Robson somehow got his stick to it first, and scooped it away to safety. The defenceman then went on one of his trademark 'carries' down the ice, but was unceremoniously upended by two Whitley players, although the referee refused to call a penalty. With Tinsley receiving an interference call, the Hawks encamped themselves in the Whitley zone for the majority of the powerplay, yet had their captain to thank for keeping them ahead. The visitors broke away on the left, and as the puck was played across the face of goal, Arnone dived full-length to re-direct it away from the waiting stick of Good. As the clock approached the 20 minute mark, Dangy was called upon to produce two classy saves within seconds of each other - firstly a 'glove' save, then an instinctive 'kick' save, from a shot through traffic. 

The 2nd period began with the Hawks reduced to 4 men, as both Owen and Arnone sat out penalties, for hooking and mis-conduct, respectively. The defensive unit managed to fragment play, however, continually turning the visitors on their heels. A crunching 'check from behind' by Reece Cairney-Witter earned him a spell in the penalty box, and it was during the penalty that Blackburn doubled their lead. A burst of speed by Adam Brittle saw the forward race clear from centre-ice, and as he crossed the blue line, he moved to his left before hitting a rasping wrist-shot into the far corner. Concerted pressure from the home side saw chances being created at regular intervals, but the Whitley net was leading a 'charmed life', with Rick Hughes unfortunate not to convert one of several 'tip-in' opportunities. However, it was far from one-way traffic, as the Warriors looked dangerous on the break. On one such occasion, David Meikle lost possession of the puck in his own zone, and had Dangy to thank when he came to his rescue, to deny Wilson. The game then became rather scrappy, with chances at a premium, and the Hawks went to the break holding a 2-goal lead.

Within a minute of the restart, Blackburn extended their advantage, courtesy of some sublime passing. Chris Butler did well in his own zone, and found Meikle on his own blue line. He showed great awareness to provide a pin-point, defence-splitting pass, straight onto the stick of Sam Dunford, and the speedy forward raced towards goal, before slipping the puck under Lawson's pads. The crowd were creating a tremendous atmosphere, ably lead by Russ, who was 'beating out the rhythms' from the balcony. With 10 minutes remaining, any lingering hopes Whitley had of a comeback were extinguished by Jon Adams, who scored the fourth goal of the night. He was in support of Brittle, who broke down the left wing, and although the pass was slightly behind him, he was still able to fire a powerful slapshot just inside the post. Brittle, Owen, and Miekle all had chances to heap further misery on the visitors, but failed to find the back of the net. Tinsley provided the Hawks with another powerplay, when he smashed Robson onto the boards, and received a 'boarding' call. This gave the home side the opportunity to move the puck around the offensive zone with some slick passing, but although they dragged the defenders out of position, they couldn't fashion any goalscoring chances. With only 2 minutes remaining, the Whitley Coach, Simon Leach, withdrew his keeper, in a final attempt to break Dangy's 'shut-out', and he was further aided by a slashing call on Robson, giving the visitors a 6-on-4 advantage. However, a combination of resolute defending and stunning netminding kept the goal intact, and it was Adams who had the final say, when he took a pass from Brittle in centre-ice. The Canadian coolly controlled the puck, looked up, and with 3 Warriors closing-in on him, shot unerringly into the open net. This completed a great evening of hockey, and capped a fine display by the Hawks, who fully deserved their comprehensive victory.

Unsurprisingly, the MVP award went to Danny Brittle, for his awesome display between the pipes.