TC Cars Solihull Barons – Blackburn Hawks

Recap

TC Cars Solihull Barons : 6
Blackburn Hawks : 4

Sunday saw the TC Cars Solihull Barons extend their unbeaten run with a very narrow win against a determined Blackburn Hawks.

The large crowd did not have long to wait after the puckdrop to see some goal action with Adie Brittle for the Barons slipping the puck under Harrison Walker from the edge of the crease for the opener after just over a minute. The Barons lead would prove short lived however as Jared Dickinson equalised for the visitors almost immediately, sending the puck beyond Dangie Brittle from close in.

The remainder of the period would offer both sides powerplay opportunities though these were matched by stout rebuttals from the D. As the period wore on the Hawks perhaps began to edge the play with strong defence, while breaking strongly and in numbers. Such a break would lead to their second. James Royds on 15 minutes releasing the puck clean into the net as the Blackburn forward raced over the blue line. The Barons had their own chances toward the period end but failed to find the finish.

The second period saw the Barons begin to exert more pressure and their equaliser would be a peach of an end to end effort from Marcus Maynard who having picked the puck up in his own end launched himself up the right hand side of the ice before cutting in to fire the puck home from the edge of the crease. By the end of the second twenty Tom Soar had ensured Solihull would head into the final period a goal to the good, a blast into the top right of the net proving too good for Harrison.

The Hawks came back energised after the break and found their equaliser 7 minutes into the final period, making the most of an offensive zone face-off win to slot home their third of the night, Ronnie Grimes doing the damage. The Barons looked however like they had won it four minutes later when, with the Hawks goalie drawn off to the left, Rich Slater rounded the back of the net and hooked the puck into the right hand side of the net for Solihull’s 4th.

With the game entering the final couple of minutes level, overtime beckoned. A late powerplay in favour of the Barons tilted the balance and it fell to Tom Soar to nudge Solihull back ahead. While the Hawks gave what they could to try to get the equaliser, the tired legs of the short Blackburn bench had given their best and it fell to Barons Man of the Match Adie Brittle to seal things with a final minute clincher, sliding the puck beyond a sprawled Harrison Walker.

The Barons now face a road game weekend coming up, travelling to Dumfries on Saturday to face the Solway Sharks before meeting up again on Sunday with the Hawks in Lancashire for their second meeting within a week. The Barons then return to Cup action on the 13th of October at the Widnes Wild before returning to home ice for more Cup competition on Sunday the 20th October against the Nottingham Lions. Face-off 5:30pm.

Barons Man of the Match Adam Brittle

Hawks Man id the Match Harrison Walker