Hawks lose to Rockets, prepare for playoffs

Written by publisher

Thursday, 18 February 2010 16:32

By Paul Grigaitis
The Maple Creek Senior Hawks lost to the Consul Rockets during a home game at the Community Arena on Saturday night.

Consul opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal with 20 seconds left on the penalty clock for a cross-checking penalty midway through the first period, and scored their second of the night three minutes before the period ended. The Rockets raised their arms in celebration after they lit up the goal light behind the Hawks net again in the final moments of the second period, but officials disallowed the goal because a player was in the goal crease.
The Hawks’ only goal of the night came in the third period. Just 30 seconds after serving a two-minute tripping penalty, James Braithwaite scored to bring the game within one goal. However, the Hawks could not score again in the remaining three minutes of the game which ended with a score of 2-1.
“We blew it in the first, but we played the last two periods good,” Hawks forward Blaine Schwab said immediately following the game.
While the Hawks weren’t able to pull off a win for their fans on Saturday night, they did manage to pull off a victory for the community by raising $1,300 for the town’s walking trail thanks to the team’s annual beer and wing night.
Beer and chicken wings were served to paying fans in the upper level on the east side of the arena during and after Saturday night’s game. The team holds the annual fundraiser for a different cause each season, explained Schwab, who said he and his wife came up with the idea to support the town’s walking trail this year.
“Once it’s done, the walking trail is going to be an excellent thing for the community,” Schwab said.
According to the White Mud Hockey League’s website, the Hawks lost two other games over the Family Day long weekend – a 7-0 loss to the Cabri Bulldogs on Friday and an 8-7 loss to the Eastend Jets during a make-up game on Monday. The Hawks finished the regular season in sixth place, ahead of only the Frontier Flyers, with a record of five wins, 14 losses and one tie.
“We just needed commitment. We had commitment from like 10 guys,” Schwab said in reflection of the season as a whole.
However, Schwab admitted it’s tough to get commitment from players for a senior hockey team considering other responsibilities players have.
“Everyone’s got stuff to do.”
The Hawks have a playoff game tentatively set for Friday night at the Community Arena.

Hawks forward Trevor Sackman makes a backhand shot with a Consul Rocket hot on his heels during a home game Feb. 13. Photo by Paul Grigaitis

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