Hawks Comeback Falls Short, Face Elimination on Tuesday
The Hawks were in Hartney on Sunday for Game 2 of the best of five first round series with the Westman Wildcats. Madison Froese got the start in net.
The opening period was all Westman as the outshot the Hawks 17-4 and outscored us 3-1. Casey O'Brien scored the lone Hawks goal with a great tip in on the power play from Delaney Darby and Mackenna Steeves.
The Hawks gave up an early goal in the second, just as a Wildcat power play expired, to fall behind 4-1. The Hawks found another gear and dominated the rest of the second. They outshot the hosts 17-9 in the middle frame and clawed back two goals. Ariel Rondeau got her first as a Hawk when she tipped home a good point shot from Makayla Warnick. Mia Brass also got an assist on the play. Darby pulled the Hawks to within one when she wired home a strong point shot. O'Brien and Claire Boyd helped set up the play.
The third period saw the Hawks pull even with 14 minutes to play. Sophia Cox found a rebound that was set up by Boyd and Darby. The rest of the game was super entertaining, with both teams generating some great chances to take the lead. It was the Wildcats top line that scored the game winner late. From a mad goal mouth scrabble that saw a Hawks' defender accidentally knock Froese out of position, the Wildcats top scorer got the puck into the net to give the hosts the lead and they would hold on to grab a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
The Hawks named Rondeau as player of the game for producing a solid effort and scoring her first U18 AAA goal.
The Hawks are right back in Hartney on Tuesday and will try to stave off elimination. Puck drop is at 8pm.
Go HAWKS!!!
Roller Coaster Playoff Opener Ends In Heartbreak
The Hawks hosted game one of the best of five first round match up with the Westman Wildcats, despite having the lower seed, as the scheduled opening game was postponed due to weather. The Wildcats were the third seed and the Hawks finished the regular season in sixth place. Madison Froese got the start in net.
The Hawks came out strong and were skating well and keeping up with the higher ranked Wildcats. The visitors got the opening goal of the game when the regular season leading scorer managed to sneak behind the Hawks' defence. The Hawks were unable to get the puck out of their zone and when the Wildcats' defender threw the puck on net, Ivy Perkin was all alone in front to tip home the game's first goal. The first period ended 1-0 with the Wildcats outshooting the Hawks 9-5.
The second period was all Wildcats. They added four goals in the first ten minutes of the period to take a 5-0 lead. Perkin had five points through 30 minutes of play. The Hawks pulled Froese, but it would be hard to put any blame on her. The team needed a spark and Hannah Bannister was called upon to finish the game. It would have been easy for the Hawks to fold up their tent and look to game two, but lots can happen in a five game series and they were determined to finish the game strong.
To say the third period was exciting, would be an understatment. Just under a minute into the period, Makayla Warnick stopped a Wildcat clearing attempt and fired a shot on net. Her effort got past the Westman goalie to put the Hawks on the board. Claire Boyd and Casey O'Brien were credited with assists on the goal. Four minutes later with the Hawks on a power play and a delayed penalty coming to the Wildcats, Leah Klassen added a second goal. Payton Manness moved the puck along the blue line to Mackenna Steeves. Steeves made a great pass to Klassen all alone in front and she tucked it home to make it 5-2 on the power play. The penalized player was released and the delayed penalty was enforced. While the Hawks didn't capitalize on the ensuing power play, they added a third shortly after. Chase Braun moved the puck back to Ella Victor at the point and her shot was neatly deflected in the slot by Mia Brass. The redirection fooled the goalie and all of sudden it was 5-3 with plenty of time to play. Two minutes later, the Hawks were at it again. After a Wildcats icing, the Hawks won a scrambled faceoff and Boyd got the puck back to Rylee Harms, whose shot was stopped, but Sophia Cox buried the rebound to pull the hosts to within one.
Then a strange sequence during a Hawks power play really made this fan scratch his head in wonder. With 30 seconds left in a Hawks powerplay, the neutral zone official's hand went up for a trip against Westman. As the play continued, a Westman player hammered Steeves along the half wall and the in zone ref's hand went up. When the whistle sounded, it appeared there would be two minors assessed on the play. However, the refs got together and only one penalty was assessed. It is unclear why the in zone ref's obvious indication to assess a body checking penalty wasn't enforced, and I would say this was a turning point in the game. The Hawks did capitalize on the one penalty that was assessed. Pearce won a draw back to Victor who moved it to her D partner Harms. Harms' shot found the back of the net to tie the game at five, with just over six minutes to play.
Seeing as how the hosts had four power plays in row and the fact the refs failed to enforce an obvious call that was made against the Wildcats, you just knew we were getting the next penalty. Sure enough, with five minutes left, the Hawks were assessed a head contact penalty when our forechecker tried to skate through a defender after a dump in. The Wildcats capitlaized on the power play and grabbed the 6-5 lead. The Hawks pushed hard to the final whistle, but couldn't even the score.
The Hawks will travel to Hartney for game two on Sunday at 2pm. Game three is also in Hartney, on Tuesday at 8pm. Game four, if necessary, will be in Morden on Thursday at 8pm.
GO HAWKS
Hawks End Regular Season On Winning Note
The Hawks travelled to Warren on Friday for a matchup with the Interlake Lightning. The Hawks were looking to build momentum heading into the playoffs. Madison Froese got the start in net.
The Hawks were full of jump and energy right from the opening faceoff. They got first period goals from Casey O'Brien (from Ella Victor), Sophia Cox (from O'Brien and Claire Boyd) and Boyd (from Sinead Convery and Leah Klassen) to earn a 3-1 lead after 20.
The second period saw the teams exchange goals and the Hawks' tally was a sweet power play effort by O'Brien, with help from Mackenna Steeves and Delaney Darby. It was 4-2 after 40 and the Hawks were playing solid.
The third period saw the Hawks pull away. A carbon copy power play marker by OB from Mack and Darbs made it 5-2. Interlake drew to within two before OB added a fourth from Boyd and then Klassen salted it with a PP goal from Bree Pearce and Rylee Harms.
The victory secured sixth place in the league standings for the Hawks and a first round playoff matchup with the Westman Wildcats.
The best of five series gets going Wednesday, February 18th at 7:45pm in Hartney. Game 2 is Friday, February 20th at 8pm in Morden. Game 3 is back in Hartney on Sunday, February 22nd at 2pm. Game 4, if necessary, will be Thursday, February 26th at 8pm in Morden and Game 5 would be Saturday, February 28th in Hartney at 5pm if needed.
GO HAWKS
Hawks Drop Regular Season Home Finale To Selects
The Hawks hosted the Eastman Selects on Monday. It was a make up game for a matchup that was postponed earlier this season due to poor roads and weather. Madison Froese got the start in goal.
The Hawks came out with good jump and were competitive in the first period. They were outshot 12-7, but only trailed by one at the intermission.
The second period was a different story. The Selects dominated play, outshooting the Hawks 24-3 and added another goal on a screen shot from the point. Froese was outstanding in net, even using an upside down player stick to make a save at one point, when her paddle was out of reach.
The third period was more of the same as Eastman enjoyed the better chances. The Hawks did manage to break up the shutout bid with just over six minutes to play. Mackenna Steeves moved the puck up the wall in her zone to Claire Boyd. Boyd chipped it out of the zone and Casey O'Brien zoomed past the defender to charge up ice with the puck. OB skated all the way into the Selects' zone and fired a wrister home to make it 4-1. Eastman added a fifth late in the game on another screen shot, to make it a 5-1 final. Steeves was player of the game for battling hard all game, blocking pucks and protecting her goalie. Froese finished the evening with 48 saves.
The Hawks wrap up the regular season in Warren on Friday night when they face the Interlake Lightning at 8pm. The Hawks seem to have secured the 6th place spot in the standings and will face the Westman Wildcats in the first round of the playoffs.
Go Hawks!
Hawks Drops Close One In Hartney
The Hawks were in Hartney on Saturday night to take on the Westman Wildcats. Before the game got underway, the Hawks' parents enjoyed an awesome steak dinner put on by the Hartney grad class as a fundraiser. Madison Froese made the start in goal for the visitors.
The Hawks shuffled the lines for this game and some old units were reunited. Despite getting outshot 22-12, the Hawks only trailed 1-0 after 40 minutes.
The third period saw the Wildcats double their lead with a nifty shorthanded goal by the league's leading scorer. The Hawks pushed back and tied the game. Casey O'Brien got the first from Mackenna Steeves and Sophia Cox and then Cox got one of her own with a great deflection off a Makayla Warnick point shot.
Unfortunately, the momentum gained from the tying goal was quickly extinguished, with two Hawks penalties 15 seconds apart, to give the hosts an extended 5 on 3 advantage. They took full advantage and grabbed the lead with nine minutes to play. The Hawks played great down the stretch, but couldn't even the score. Froese was a well deserving choice as player of the game, making 27 saves including a handful of incredible efforts.
The Hawks will now have two makeup games this week when the welcome the Eastman Selects to Morden on Monday night at 7:15pm before travelling to Warren on Friday night to finish the regular season with an 8pm game against the Interlake Lightning.
Go Hawks!
Hawks Fall In Physical Battle With Chiefs
The Hawks travelled to Shoal Lake on Friday night to battle the Yellowhead Chiefs. Hannah Bannister got the start in goal coming off her victory over the Chiefs last weekend.
The Chiefs set a physical tone early, with a big open ice hit that was penalized. The Hawks capitalized on the man advantage. Mackenna Steeves fired a puck on net that was stopped. Claire Boyd had a crack at the rebound before Delaney Darby snuck in from the point and buried her opportunity.
The Chiefs continued to play physical and started to dominate the puck control and zone time. The Hawks held them at bay until the last seconds of the middle period when Bannister was finally solved. It took 31 shots to tie the score after two.
The third period was entertaining with both teams skating well. The Chiefs took the lead with a screened shot from the point and added an empty netter for a 3-1 victory.
The Hawks will spend the night in the area before travelling to Hartney tomorrow night to face the Westman Wildcats.
Go Hawks
Hawks Drop Close Decision To Wildcats
The Hawks hosted the Westman Wildcats Sunday evening in Morden on the Coop Arena. The graduating players were honoured before the game. Chase Braun, Leah Klassen, Delaney Darby and Mackenna Steeves are all moving on after this season. The Hawks thanked them for their amazing careers with the program and wished them all the best in their future endeavours. Madison Froese got the start in net for this one and boy was she busy!
The Hawks took the lead on a great penalty shot by Casey O'Brien. After she was fouled on a breakaway, she got a second chance and made no mistake with a great backhand deke. The Wildcats drew even and took the lead with two goals later in the first.
The second period saw the Hawks grab the lead back. Braun won an offensive zone draw to Rylee Harms who moved the puck across to her defence partner Makayla Warnick. Warnick's wrist shot was well placed to the top corner of the goal. Ten minutes later, the Hawks got their third. Darby held the puck in at the blue line and Bree Pearce moved it below the goal line to Sophia Cox. Cox picked out Claire Boyd in the high slot and she fired home a hard snap shot just below the bar.
The Hawks were happy to hold the lead through forty, but knew they'd have to finish strong, as the Westman were outshooting them 32-15 after two. Lots of the shot difference was due to the fact that the Hawks were having to kill so many penalties and faced two separate 5 on 3 situations in the middle frame.
The Hawks continued to find the sin bin in the third, being assessed three more penalties and faced another 5 on 3 situation. It almost felt like we were playing in Niverville or Shoal Lake, the way the calls were piling up. Home ice advantage is a wonderful thing. The Wildcats capitalized on one of the power plays and added another to secure the two points. They were the deserving team, outshooting the Hawks 45-17, but this one stung, as the girls played hard and were awesome on the penalty kill.
Boyd was named player of the game for a strong effort, supporting her defence and for scoring a great goal. The Hawks will run this weekend back, but on the road when they face the Yellowhead Chiefs on Friday and the Westman Wildcats on Saturday.
Go Hawks!
Hawks Grab Two Huge Points
The Hawks welcomed the Yellowhead Chiefs to Morden on Saturday evening. Hannah Bannister got the start in net for the hosts.
The first two periods saw both teams generate some good chances, but there was only one goal. The Chiefs capitalized on a power play chance to grab a 1-0 lead after forty minutes.
The Hawks came out to start the third with great energy and effort. They outshot the Chiefs 14-8 in the third and managed to tie the score late in the game. Chase Braun made a great play at her blueline to create a turnover and generate a breakaway. Her initial effort was stopped, but she stayed with the puck and evened the score.
The Hawks were happy to grab a point, but were looking for the extra point in overtime. Rylee Harms made a great play to win a battle in her zone and moved the puck to her partner Delaney Darby. Darby flipped it out of the zone and Payton Manness helped it onto the path of Casey O'Brien. OB gained the zone and ripped a shot to the top of the net to win the game. Braun and O'Brien were co players of the game.
The Hawks are back at it Sunday evening when they host the Westman Wildcats. We will be celebrating our graduating players; Chase Braun, Leah Klassen, Delaney Darby and Mackenna Steeves. Puck drop is at 4:30pm on the Coop Arena in Morden.
GO Hawks!
Hawks Have A Good Weekend In Balmoral (FWSSC) Tourney
The Hawks were in Winnipeg this weekend at the Hockey For All Centre to participate in the Female World Sport School Challenge, hosted by the Balmoral Hall Prep hockey program.
The Hawks opened up play on Thusday by defeating the Interlake Lightning by a score of 6-3 This game would be best described as a physical battle. The Hawks got goals from Casey O'Brien (2), Payton Manness, Sophia Cox, Bree Pearce and Mia Brass. Hannah Bannister got the win making 27 saves. They dropped their second game of the day against the Winnipeg Ice by a score of 5-0. Madison Froese made 36 saves in the loss and really played well.
On day two of the event, the Hawks played one of their best games of the season. They outplayed and outshot the Rink Hockey Acadamy in the first period and were happy to be tied at two after twenty minutes. The Hawks grabbed the lead in the second on an absolute beauty of a goal by Leah Klassen. She fired a zinger snap shot through the defender's legs and bar down to get the fans on their feet. The RHA slowly took over the game from that point on and ended up winning 6-4 with an empty netter. The other Hawks goals were by Clare Boyd (2) and O'Brien. Bannister made 27 saves in the loss.
Day three saw the Hawks face off against several formal teammates, when the Pilot Mound Acadamy provided the opposition. Emotions were running high in this one. Pilot Mound has two players ejected in the opening period. The first was for a hit from behind and the second was the goalie for using her blocker to punch one of our players. The Hawks were the better team all game long. Pilot Mound did have a game earlier in the day, but the Hawks were just firing on all cylinders. We had goals from Cox, Boyd and O'Brien, who contibuted four markers. The Hawks finished third in their pool and earned a consolation game with the Avros for 5th place.
The Hawks grabbed the early lead in the consolation matchup when Klasses stole and puck and burried her chance. The Avros slowly chipped away and ended up winning the game 3-1. The Hawks will take away some good lessons from the weekend. They skated with some of the best teams in MB and held their own. They will look to build on the positives as they start the home stretch of the regular season.
Go Hawks
