12:29pm Wednesday 18th March 2009
Blackburn Hawks ended their league season in style with a thrilling 4-4 draw away to Coventry Blaze.
Already guaranteed to be involved in next weekend’s relegation play-offs, the local ice-hockey aces were playing for nothing more than pride.
And they got off to the perfect start, when assistant coach Les Millie lifted the puck past a surprised Coventry keeper with only 22 seconds on the clock.
Despite their flying start, Hawks couldn’t hold onto their lead, and ended the first period trailing 3-1.
Hawks had several chances to reduce the arrears after the restart, including a shot which struck the crossbar, but it was the home side who extended their advantage midway through the period, with another goal on the rebound.
The game looked beyond Blackburn’s reach, but the players had other ideas. Millie and Richard Bentham set up David Meikle to tap in goal number two and a few minutes later, Anthony Kinder’s hopeful strike from beyond the red line bounced up over the netminder’s head and into the back into the net. In the final minute, Bentham again set up Meikle and the scores were all square.
Period three was every bit as exciting, but goalless. Hawks did have the puck in the back of the net early on, but the goal was ruled out for shooting after the whistle had gone.
“The result wasn’t important, but we went out there to win and put up a good performance for our many travelling fans and for ourselves,” said head coach Neil Abel after the game.
“Now all we need to do is win our relegation play-off and get more results like this next season. I know the lads can do it.”
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