Recap

The Direct Taxis Solihull Barons had a convincing win over the Blackburn Hawks in a goal-fest of a game on Sunday evening with both Niklas Ottosson and James Smith earning themselves hat-tricks.

Niklas Ottosson showed that his old habit of scoring short handed goals was still in fine fettle within the first minute of the game. An early holding penalty by Rich Crowe had given the visitors the man advantage but Ottosson robbed the Hawks of the puck on the Barons blue line, before breaking up the ice and firing in the opener. The Barons lead would be short lived however with the Hawks converting the same powerplay less than a minute later, Jared Dickinson with the goal.

With 5 minutes of the period gone the Barons moved back into the lead as a puck knocked from Dan Mulcahy fell straight to Andy Hayward who fired home from square in front of net. Two minutes later and Mulcahy would get himself in the goals column, a clever shot over Michael Rogers blocker and into the top left corner of the Hawks net. The Barons continued to pile on the goals, James Smith with a beautiful solo effort – a break up the centre ice, flitting round the Hawks D before popping the puck in the net from behind the net, off and in via the goalie’s skate. The Hawks would stay in contention however with Petr Valusiak slotting past Graham Laverick for the visitors second.The Barons quickly returned to their three goal cushion, a James Smith shot coming off the inside of the Hawks post to an awaiting Tom Soar on the back post for Solihull’s number 5. Goal number 6 followed shortly afterwards as a training night style tic-tac-toe interplay between James Smith, Callum Bowley and Tom Soar to give the latter the goal.

The Barons extended their lead further in the second, a relatively long spell on a delayed penalty six minutes in was rewarded with another another goal for James Smith. While the scoring in the second was not as free as in the first period, Niklas Ottosson got the Barons 8^th, a tap in from set-up play by the Mulcahy brothers on the 38^th minute. The Hawks would however keep themselves just about in touch, a powerplay effort saw a pin balling puck going beyond Graham Laverick in the dying seconds of the middle period, Valusiak once more with the final touch.

The Barons ninth goal would come 4 minutes into the third, Niklas Ottosson with a close shot following an offensive zone face-off, while double digits would come a minute later as James Smith finished off a behind the net play by Tom Soar for the Barons 10^th. Blackburn would counter a minute later as a break by the Hawks was finished by Jacob Lutwyche, the puck trailing over the line for the visitors fourth. A fifth would follow mid-period – Lutwyche again with the finish. Solihull would add number 11 with six minutes left on the clock – Richard Slater capitalising on a late powerplay and Dan Mulcahy would add to the tally by game end to round off a convincing display by Solihull.

The Barons face the Hawks once more in the league next weekend but this time in Lancashire. The Barons next scheduled home game is against Widnes on SATURDAY 18^th December with the face-off still the usual 5:30pm.

BARONS MAN OF THE MATCH, TOM SOAR

 HAWKS MAN OF THE MATCH, JACOB LUTWYCHE