Not a bad start to the season for the Athabasca Midget B Winter Hawks.
The club has a win and a tie after a pair of home games on the weekend, but things didn’t come easy initially.
The Hawks opened the season last Friday night against Swan Hills and needed a third period comeback to salvage a 7-7 draw.
After going up 2-1 after the first period, the Hawks allowed three powerplay goals in the middle frame and got one of their own to head into the final 20 minutes down 6-3.
“We managed to claw back to make it 6-5 midway through the third, only to have them score a minute later to make it 7-5,” said Hawks coach Ron Bay.
“But the kids didn’t give up, kept pressuring the puck on the forecheck and putting shots on the goal. That was our basic message to the team: we were still getting our chances, so keep it up.”
That pressure saw the Hawks get a pair to tie it and that’s the way it ended.
Chandler Andres and Josh Payuk each netted a pair of goals while Jordan Uchytil, Adam Smith and Kristen Malone also added a goal each.
“Swan Hills has two really good players that could have played AA, but chose to stay home to play and it was hard to match up with them, especially when they were both out on the powerplay,” added Bay.
On Saturday, the Hawks faced a tired and overmatched Fox Creek squad and came away with a 10-1 win.
Bay knows the score of this one won’t be indicative of what kind of team they will face later in the season.
“They’re a team with some players that haven’t been on the ice for a couple years and they were tired. It’s going to be a different game next time we meet, I’m sure,” he stated.
AA Bulls fall again
It’s not easy to find your first win when you come up against the top team in the league.
That was the task facing the North Central AA Bulls Saturday when they took on the South Side Athletic Club in Lac La Biche, but ended up falling by a score of 8-2.
Head coach Jody Tangedal said the club played its best of the season to date for 48 minutes, down just 3-2 at that point.
However, not being able to take advantage of scoring opportunities early in the game cost them as they imploded in the final 12 minutes, giving up five goals in short order.
They play Saturday in Sherwood Park then home to Camrose on Sunday at the Athabasca Multiplex. Puck drop is set for 2:30 p.m.
