Tinker Hawks I streak to a 5-2 victory

  • Published
  • By John Banks
  • Tinker Public Affairs
     In Oklahoma City Adult Hockey League action, Tinker Hawks 1 skated to a 5-2 victory over their Division 2 rival Screaming Pylons Dec. 16 at the Blazers Ice Centre.
     The Hawks were poised to return to their winning form after a week layoff due to the ice storm that plagued Oklahoma.
     "We want to see if the layoff will hurt our game," said Hawks head coach Jim Behn, who's hat trick helped his team get the win.
     Both teams had to shake off some rust to start the game. The passes were not crisp and skaters made mistakes that contributed to some lackluster play. Neither team was able to score during the first period.
     "Guys, we need to skate better and let's put some shots on goal," Behn said during the intermission. "We need to pepper this goalie with some shots and we will definitely score."
     In the second period, the Hawks asserted their dominance. Hawks center Adam Henley intercepted an errant pass, raced the length of the ice and put a shot past the opposition net minder. The Hawks took the 1-0 lead at 5:22 of the second period.
     A pair of unassisted goals by Behn in the next two minutes of play gave the Hawks a commanding 3-0 lead.
     "I may not be the greatest player out here, but I like to outsmart the guys I play against," said Behn.
     The Pylons scored two goals 20 seconds apart to end the second period. "Guys, we are letting this team back into the game," Behn said to his team. "You remember what happened last time. Let's make better passes, stand up on defense and get this victory."  
     The third period saw the Hawks regain their form. Behn's third goal of the game came on a shot in the right corner of the net. The score gave the Hawks a comfortable 4-2 lead.
     The Hawks finished the scoring when defense man Guy Wigenbach stole an errant pass, skated the length of the ice and beat the Pylons net minder with a shot through the five-hole.
     "This was a total team effort," Behn said. "We were a little rusty today. Beating this goaltender we faced today is a great achievement," said Behn.
     With the win, the Hawks climbed to 6-1 on the season. The loss dropped the Screaming Pylons to 4 -3.
     The most outstanding player of the game for Hawks was Behn who scored three goals and dished out one assist. Additionally, Bard Poarch was spectacular in goal for the Hawks, stopping 21 of 23 shots.
     The Tinker Hawks I next game is Jan. 6 at the Artic Edge Ice Arena in Edmond.