Winterhawks end season with a win

Sports

To Comment on this article Click Here

The Winterhawks' biggest crowd of the season was treated to a thrilling game on Friday night as the 'Hawks edged the Durham Thundercats by a 6-4 margin to finish out the regular season.

Bryan Kazarian got the 'Hawks on the scoreboard first with his 12th of the season following a pre-game ceremony commemorating both the 10th anniversary of The Plex and T-Cat Rob Leblanc's 500th goal in his 5ooth game last weekend. 

Brent MacDermid potted his 16th of the season to put the 'Hawks up by a pair after the first period.

Durham answered back in the second and the 'Hawks then had a pair of goals disallowed after the net was knocked off its moorings.

In the third, Curtis Johnston, who seems to be catching fire at just the right time, scored the first of his three goals on a power play to make the score 3-1.

Johnston was the beneficiary of one of Brent MacDermid's magical dekes later in the third as the shifty winger undressed a defender and then slid a beautiful pass to Johnson who buried it behind the T-Cat goalie. Durham scored to narrow the margin and then Ryan Fry scored his 7th of the season on a power play  to make it 5-2.

The 'Hawks seemed to have the game in the bag but no one told the Thundercats who pulled their goalie with more than five minutes remaining. The risky move paid off as the T-Cats scored two quick goals to pull within one. 

Johnston dashed Durham's hopes as he finished out the hat trick thanks to a selfless feed from Shawn Walker as the pair found themselves on a 2 on 0 with the net empty.

The 'Hawks will now wait out the weekend to see who they will face in the first round of the playoffs next weekend.  

^{for world news, books, sports, movies ...}

Saturday, January 23, 2010