Minor bantam Blackhawks extend unbeaten streak

Caledon's goalie makes a quick slide to the corner with lots of help to block the attackers, extending the Hawks' unbeaten streak.

The minor bantam Blackhawks went head to head with their local rivals in an exciting rematch of the season opener. Both teams finished at the top of the league last year and carried on the battle. The Blackhawks were looking to take an advantage over Inglewood after the season opener had ended in a tie.

This past weekend's rematch was a fast-paced game with strong goal tending at both ends.

Inglewood started fast with the opening shift resulting in a crowd deflating goal a mere 12 seconds in when Matt Lehto shoveled the puck past the goalie after Lightning passes from Dale Reinhart and Villes Milani. The opening goal put the Blackhawks back on their heels with most of the Lightning's goal scoring chances coming in the first period. Simon Serpe recovered quickly from the opening goal to stand strong for the first half of the game.

Late in the first period the key play started when the Blackhawks defense popped the pass into the neutral zone. Cory Graham worked through to mid ice, quick pass to Daniel Cafagna over the blue line and Zach Worth stepped up from the blue line with a low, hard shot that tucked into the back of the net. Strong defensive positioning and good back checking shut down the Lightning offense for the first period.

The middle frame saw quick line changes, and stronger hustle coming from all Blackhawks. Good back checking and timely blocks ensured that Blackhawk goalie Drew Eden saw few shots, but the few shots were Lightning fast and needed several acrobatic saves to shut Inglewood down.

Early in the third period Adam Badner cleared the zone with a crisp pass to defence partner Phillip DeFrancesco who hit Matteo Palombi in the open for a twine-bending shot for the game winner. Quick team work between Lucas D'Acri and Matthew Nespolo put Lucas Trevisan in the position to put the game out of reach. The defensive core stood tall to kill off a late game penalty to retain the 3- 1 win.

The Blackhawks have started the year strong with solid support from their coaches Brett Moore, Emilio D'Acri, Don Sheppard and Graziano Nespolo.