The Midget ëAí Hawks kicked off their 2016 1660 Tier 3 season in great fashion Jan. 2, defeating the Drayton Valley Stars 6-5 with a last-second goal.
ìIt was an exciting game,î said Ron Bay head coach of the Hawks.
ìWe didnít think that when we played them (in Drayton Valley). We didnít play very well and we lost by six. This one we needed to play three periods and we played three periods.
ìWe had a few breakdowns, but it was exciting and they made the plays when they had to.î
The Hawks and Stars were battling it out early. But, after letting in two unassisted goals the Hawks found themselves down by one at the 10-minute mark of the first period.
The Hawks kept up the pressure and a shot from the slot from Sean Greene got through the Stars goaltender to tie it up.
However, the Hawks gave up a three-on-two chance with two minutes left and the Stars took the lead 3-2.
Within the first two minutes of the second period, the Hawks utilized their powerplay to tie up the game.
They were shorthanded after taking a tripping penalty in the last five minutes of the period, but that didnít slow down their offence as Greene scored a shorthanded goal after a slapshot from the blueline.
But, the lead was short lived and the Stars evened the score to close the second.
Tied at four, the Hawks and Stars exchanged opportunities throughout the third period, but neither were able to capitalize.
With five minutes left, the Stars netted the go-ahead goal and put the pressure on the Hawks.
Athabasca answered back quickly as forward Shaun Funk put one top shelf on the breakaway less then a minute after surrendering the lead.
ìJust before that goal I told him, ëWhen youíre out there against that guy, you go wide and you got him,íî said Bay. ìHe went wide against him and the defence never had a chance.î
Funk wouldnít stop there. He put away his second of the night after a rebound shot from Greene within the dying seconds of the game for the win.
ìItís a good game to come back to, because of the tempo. They skate very well and they never gave up,î he said. ìThere were times when guys should have been open, but they were backchecking. So, thereís no (easy goals). (The Stars) stomped on us last time, so it was good to play that way.î
The Hawks look to continue their success when they face Edson on Jan. 8 in Athabasca.
