'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.
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