Oct 29, 2017 | GeoffRead | 303 views
Weber Breaks Through, Read Posts Shutout as Hawks Win 10-0
The West London Major Peewee Hawks, Team C6 romped to a 10-0 victory over the Bandits C6 last night at Kinsmen Arena. The game featured several strong offensive performances, most notably from forward Matt DiCicco who recorded four goals and three assists on the night, a career first goal from defensive defenceman Noah Weber, which he paired with a nice assist, and a shutout from goaltender Zach Read.
Despite the final score, the game was quite close through the first 15 minutes. Coach Mike Worby had urged his team to work as hard as they had in their previous match and for a time it wasn't clear the players had heeded his words, as the Bandits were winning a lot of the one on one battles in the corners and along the boards.
It was in this part of the game that Read proved his mettle, stymieing several good Bandits chances from in close and giving his team breathing room until they found their form.
And that they did in the second period, as Callum Knapp and Matt Hodgins both bulged the twine in the early going. Both goals came off sustained pressure in the offensive zone and good puck movement, as the Hawks began to apply Coach Worby's lessons and outhustle the Bandits to loose pucks. The Hawks also started to crash the net looking for rebounds, which is how Hodgins cashed in his first goal of the season.
But even after the Hawks broke through to take a two goal lead, the game still felt close. Oddly, the turning point in the game came off a nearly full two minute two man disadvantage that the Hawks had to kill off as defenceman Brendan Walsh was sent off for tripping and then the Hawks got a strange too many men on the ice penalty. On the latter, the coaches were frantically calling for forward Nathan Senese to come off before the face-off but the referees rushed the puck drop and then penalized the Hawks as Senese came to the bench off the draw.
But it didn't matter, as the Hawks' remaining three defencemen - Weber, Jacob Grover, and Pyper Baker - played with grit and determination as did the forwards who helped kill off the penalty, Owen Worby, DiCicco, and Knapp. They cleared the zone expertly and even managed to hem the Bandits in their end for about 15 seconds at one point. And when the Bandits did generate a couple of chances, Read made the save.
After that it was off to the races as first Worby and then DiCicco scored shortly after the penalty kill and thereafter the Bandits' goaltender, who had not been at fault on the early goals, seemed to lose confidence as his team's energy level sagged in front of him. The coaching staff did their best to avoid a blowout as the Hawks moved Worby and Hodgins back on defence and instructed the forwards that only Weber and Walsh - who moved up to forward - were allowed to score. But hockey players want to put the puck in the net and it's hard to restrain a group of 12 year old boys.
The emotional highlight of the night was definitely Weber's marker, which came on the power play at 5:51 in the third period. On the play, Cole Chick dug the puck out of the corner and passed to DiCicco who threw a hard pass across the front of the goal. Weber, cool as a cucumber, put the puck in hard on the short side with a quick release. Fans and coaches alike were then treated to the sight of Weber's father, Jeremy Weber, jumping for joy against the glass.
Not surprisingly, with the lopsided final score, several Hawks had big nights on the scoresheet. Aside from DiCicco's 7 point night, Worby put up 5 points, Nathan Senese and Knapp both scored two, Chick had 4 assists, and Baker and Walsh each got their first assists of the campaign.
All in all, the coaching staff had to be pleased with the effort. Well done Hawks.
Go Hawks go!