It was a battle for 60 minutes Saturday night, but the Huntsville Junior C Hawks persevered and came away with their first victory of the season, 12-10 over the Gloucester Griffins.
The Hawks took the lead early with Kole Smith making it 1-0 just 2:57 into the game and Caleb Creasor kept Huntsville in front 2-1 just over four minutes later. But from that point until late in the game the Hawks were in a real battle with the Griffins and only a determined effort from Creasor, who scored five goals, and a good defensive effort from Dalton Boothby, made it possible.
Huntsville trailed 4-2 after the first period and 7-6 after 40 minutes.
Nick Vangelder of the Hawks, who scored once in the second period, was given a game misconduct as the period ended after engaging in a fight in what had become a chippy game.
Jack Drinkwater and Devon Blunt picked up the slack, scoring two goals each. Cole Hanrahan added a single. Three goals in just over six minutes in the third period by Creasor and Blunt turned the game in Huntsville’s favour.
Evan Pelletier played in goal for the Hawks, only his second game with the club. His debut came Thursday night against the Clarington Shamrox where he played well but the team was outplayed and outscored 15-5. Coach Don Monahan said Pelletier is their number one goaltender for now. “We put him in because we wanted to win,” he said. “He stood up for us. He stood on his head as he did in the game with Clarington.”
We had to work hard for the win. The boys came together and stayed out of the penalty box and they got rewarded for it.
Coach Don Monahan
Dalton Boothby was awarded the team’s Ironman award for his defensive play against Gloucester’s top scorer, Hayden Cummings. “Dalton maintained him throughout the whole game,” said Monahan, “and he didn’t score in that third period.”
Offensively the story of the night was Caleb Creasor’s five goals. “Caleb is always competitive,” said Monahan. “He always gives 100 per cent when he is out there. He had a couple of goals where he just dangled the goalie and the goalie’s jock strap was down by his ankles. He’s double covered a lot of the time and that means someone else is open and that’s good too.”
Creasor came out of the dressing room happy with his performance. “I made the most of my chances,” he said, “and we pulled together in the third period. I was just driving the net trying for the open space and faking the goalie and burying the ball.”
Prior to the game coach Monahan held a team meeting which he said may have influenced the win. While it was a private discussion with his players he said it focused on the role of everyone on the floor and the need for the experienced players to encourage and back up the newer ones.
Huntsville now has a 1-5 record and their next home game is Saturday May 27 against Cornwall.
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