Solihull Barons – Blackburn Hawks

Recap

EDG Property Solihull Barons : 4
Blackburn Hawks : 3
(3-3 after 60 minutes with Barons winning after overtime goal)

UPDATE : GAME WAS SUBSEQUENTLY AWARDED 5-0 TO BLACKBURN DUE TO SOLIHULL UNWITTINGLY ICING THE SUSPENDED BILLY CROFTS

The EDG Property Solihull Barons got their 2023/24 Moralee campaign off to an excellent start with a win over the Blackburn Hawks in a closely contested game which could have gone either way and was finally decided via a short period of 3 on 3 overtime.

The Hawks were the first to score as Aaron Davies tapped under a prone Laverick for the opener 3 seconds shy of the 5 minute mark. The Barons would continue to push on through the remainder of the first period but strong Hawks hustling in their own end gave limited opportunity for set-up and the visitors would go into the interval with their one goal lead.

The second period continued much in the same style of the first, both sides having chances but little sustained pressure in either end to open up quality chances. It would take until the 34^th minute for there to be another score as the Barons drew level via a rapid race up the ice on a delayed penalty. Alex Whyte getting the goal with support from Brandon Anderton and Jacob Race. With less than two minutes of the middle period to go  the Barons would take the lead as Daniel Mulcahy poached the puck in the Blackburn end before going round the net and hooking the puck in round the left hand post for Solihull’s second.

The Barons lead would not last long into the final period – a first minute tripping penalty call put Hawks on the powerplay and Devids Jurinenoks converted this into the Hawks second goal immediately off of the restart face-off. Five minutes later and the Hawks lead was restored as Matthew Cross raced up the right wing before crossing to Adam Barnes down the middle who selected his shot to defeat Laverick. Niklas Ottosson would however level things up once more, a solo effort up centre ice, saw him fend of the Blackburn D before slotting the puck between the legs of Ben Keddie in the Blackburn net.

With no further scoring in the third period and the sides level on three apiece overtime was called for. The Hawks had the best of the first few plays of the three on three before Solihull’s Phil Mulcahy poked the puck under Keddie for the winner and the right to the full 2 points.

The Barons now have a two game weekend coming up. On Saturday they head to Sheffield to play the Scimitars, a side still waiting for their first points of the Moralee season after two games. On Sunday the Barons are back home and play host to Teeside’s Billingham Stars, face-off 5:30pm.

Barons Man of the Match, Graham Laverick

Hawks Man of the Match, Ben Keddie

Around the league

Saturday
Billingham Stars 7:2 Deeside Dragons
Nottingham Lions 0:2 Whitley Warriors

Sunday
Deeside Dragons 3:8 Billingham Stars
Whitley Warriors 3:0 Sheffield Scimitars
Widnes Wild 4:3 Nottingham Lions