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Tinker Hawks Can Am stays undefeated after win

  • Published
  • By John E. Banks
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., --  The Tinker Hawks Canadian American hockey team stayed undefeated on the ice at the Blazers Ice Centre with a 6-0 win over the Devils on April 19. This victory marked the seventh win in the last eight games for Hawks. They head into the playoffs as the hottest team in the Oklahoma City Adult Hockey League Division II.

"We are looking to shore up all phases of our game and make a deep run into the playoffs," said James Behn, Hawks center.

Gritty play helped the Hawks score their first goal of the contest. Center James McCarron won a face-off and drew the puck to the point where defenseman Chris Horner lifted a wrist shot through a maze of players and into the net, giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead at 9:08.

The Hawks defensive pressure led to the second goal of the period. Center Jason Stefanski intercepted an errant pass, skated in front of the net and sent a quick shot into the left corner making the score 2-0 at 13:20 of period one.

"That was a great period. We pushed the puck played great defense and took advantage of our opportunities," said McCarron.

The second period was more of a defensive struggle as the Hawks were only able to muster one goal. The goal came as Behn led an end-to-end rush. He fired a shot from the left face-off circle and Stefanski pounced on the rebound to score his second goal of the game at 13:20.

The third period is when the Hawks opened up their game and took complete control of the contest. They scored three goals over a nine-minute stretch. Behn and Stefanski combined on one more goal giving the center his hat trick at 6:21. Left winger Miguel Lopez scored a goal after a defensive lapse by the Devils at 9:26. Finally, defenseman Lewis Lomanaco scored on a breakaway at 13:45 to complete the scoring and give the Hawks a convincing 6-0 win.

"As the regular season winds down, these wins help us become a more cohesive unit," said Behn. The three stars of the game were Stefanski, who tallied three goals; Behn, who had three assists; and goaltender Daniel Publicover, who turned away all 19 shots he faced.