Goalscorer Shaun Kippin in action. Photo by IceHockeyMedia
Whitley Warriors suffered a 6-4 road defeat to Blackburn Hawks on Sunday evening.
Making the trip with fifteen skaters due to the absences of experienced left winger Rob Farmer, Canadian Phil Edgar, forwards Callum Queenan, Anthony Wetherell and Niall Ryder, Czech import Matěj Valíček and youngster Connor Lewis, Whitley Warriors started with netminder Mark Turnbull between the pipes whilst Joshua Crane served as backup. By comparison, Blackburn Hawks had just one player more at their disposal, their line-up including experienced forward Aaron Davies, Alternate Captain Jared Dickinson and shot stopper Ashley Smith.
Though Blackburn won the opening faceoff, Whitley seized possession immediately afterwards to put Smith to the test but, in making the save, the Hawk was forced from the ice through injury just twenty five seconds into the game. Calling on backup netminder Michael Rogers as a result, Blackburn responded to this setback by opening the scoring on 2:05 as defenceman Samuel Warnock struck the puck past Turnbull to give his side a 1-0 lead, M.J. Clancy assisting. As Whitley strove to level the scoring, forward James Parsons countered, going one-on-one with Turnbull who prevented the Hawks from doubling their tally. Applying more pressure to Rogers’ net, the Warriors saw a shot from Captain Dean Holland deflected by defenceman Matthew Wainwright whilst forward Callum Watson tried to get a shot away to no avail. It was not long after that Watson was sinbinned for a slashing offence on 9:35 to place the home team on a power play but Whitley worked hard defensively to quash Blackburn’s efforts and the Warriors reaped their rewards soon after returning to full strength as forward Adam Finlinson unleashed a shot past Rogers to make it 1-1 on 12:08, forward Shaun Kippin assisting alongside Watson. A second power play for the Hawks followed when defenceman Dylan Hehir was sidelined for tripping eleven seconds later and Blackburn were quick to capitalise through Czech Petr Valusiak who fired from the edge of Whitley’s defensive zone to give his side a 2-1 lead just eighteen seconds after Whitley had netted, his goal assisted by Player-Coach Lee Pollitt on 12:26, to see the Hawks head in with their one-goal cushion restored.
As the second period got underway, Parsons attempted to beat Turnbull but saw his shot saved. At the other end of the ice, Latvian Rolands Gritāns drove the puck around Rogers’ net to attempt a wraparound which was halted by the netminder. Kippin then tried to set up Finlinson who missed his chance of a second equaliser and, whilst a slashing penalty for ‘D’ man Warnock followed to give the Warriors a power play on 27:03, it was only after Blackburn had returned to full strength that Whitley were able to make it 2-2, Kippin slotting home just past the midpoint of the contest after receiving the puck from Finlinson. The Hawks responded rapidly for a second time to go ahead twenty four seconds later, Davies striking the puck beneath Turnbull on 31:04 to equal the Hawks’ all-time points scoring record, Czech Michal Novak assisting. Following this goal, Turnbull was put under further pressure and it was not long after that the Warriors conceded a fourth goal, Dickinson surpassing Whitley’s defence to make it 4-2 after build-up play from Captain Reece Cairney-Witter on 36:19. The momentum very much with Blackburn, Davies saw his shot saved by Turnbull but, beginning to dominate, Dickinson struck again moments later to give his side a three-goal lead twenty five seconds ahead of the second break.
Replacing netminder Turnbull with Crane at the start of the third period, Whitley were aware that they needed to claw their way back into the game and Finlinson set his sights on goal only to fire his shot into the netting after the Warriors won the faceoff. The Hawks then came close to celebrating a sixth goal when Parsons slipped through Whitley’s defence, his shot going wide before he regained possession to strike the bar. Countering, Holland slapped a shot high but Whitley did not give up on a third goal, Kippin beating Rogers on 44:31 to ignite the Warriors’ attack, Watson teaming up with defenceman Matty McDonald to assist. Sensing that Whitley were creeping back into the game, Dickinson hammered the puck at Crane’s chest and the home team hit the post on a power play shortly afterwards when defenceman Steven Chalmers was made to sit out for roughing on 46:47. Just twenty four seconds after the Hawks’ unsuccessful power play concluded, Whitley were handed the advantage as Cairney-Witter incurred an interference penalty on 49:11. After working the puck in the Hawks’ defensive zone, Chalmers’ shot was deflected into the net on 50:37 by Alternate Captain Jordan Barnes to take the Warriors within one goal of Blackburn, making it 5-4. Increasing their attack, Whitley applied further pressure to Rogers’ net as Gritāns forced a glove save from the netminder. An interference penalty for Hehir on 52:40 placed the Warriors on their second penalty kill of the period but as the clock wound down on the Hawks’ power play, Whitley were prevented from equalising by Rogers. A crosscheck from Valusiak against McDonald on 55:26 awarded the Warriors a power play but a shot from the faceoff was cleared by defenceman Wainwright to leave the score line at 5-4. With seventy seven seconds remaining, Whitley called a timeout and opted to pull netminder Crane. On returning to the ice, Kippin watched as his close range effort was saved by Rogers and Holland subsequently regained possession from Davies who looked to break away. Blackburn swiftly decided on a timeout of their own and it paid off, Dickinson sweeping the puck down the ice courtesy of Rogers to achieve an empty net goal which sealed his hat-trick, giving the Hawks a 6-4 win.
Stats
Shots on goal
Hawks: 37
Warriors: 37
Points
Hawks:
Jared Dickinson (3+0), Aaron Davies (1+0), Petr Valusiak (1+0), Samuel Warnock (1+0), Michal Novak (0+2), M.J. Clancy (0+1), Michael Rogers (0+1), Reece Cairney-Witter (0+1), Lee Pollitt (0+1)
Warriors:
Shaun Kippin (2+1), Adam Finlinson (1+1), Jordan Barnes (1+0), Callum Watson (0+2), Matty McDonald (0+1), Steven Chalmers (0+1)
Penalty minutes
Hawks: 6
Warriors: 8
Man of the Match
Hawks: Jared Dickinson
Warriors: Dylan Hehir