Bantam Hawks end regular season campaign on a winning note

Roth Diamond Tools bantam AE Hawks finished their regular season with a couple of well played games.

The first was on the road against the first-place Brampton Battalion. In this game, the boys were a little slow off the mark and surrendered two goals early in the first before they settled in.

Right off the draw in the second, Daniel Butts worked the puck ahead to Alex Boughen with the feed to Chris Scrivo for the first Hawks' goal. Bramtpon responded four minutes in, but the Hawks kept pressing and owned the advantage in play. With less than a minute to go, Scrivo fed David Rothfuchs for a blast from the point that hit pay dirt.

The third period was contested vigorously with no scoring until the Hawks pulled their goalie and gave up a empty net marker. The Hawks were on the wrong end of the 4-2 final score.

The following night was the regular-season finale at Caledon East against the Arthur Vipers, who had to battle some difficult weather on their way to the game.

It did not get any easier, as the game started with a slick passing play from Ryan Rausch to Brandon Richard to Connor Longlade Oswald 20 seconds in. Arthur gamely tied the affair at 7:21 and played defensively. With a minute to go, Rausch again was the play maker to Rothfuchs who set up Fernando Zambito for the second Hawks' goal. Thirty seconds later, Oswald found Richard, who in turn fed Rothfuchs for a lamp lighter.

The second period was a Hawks' landslide, with Rausch scoring from Scrivo and Clark Stewart. Then it was Richard, assisted by Oswald and Rausch. Rausch then notched his fifth point of the night with an unassisted goal at 5:44. Finishing off the second was Cameron Miller and Joseph DiMarco helping Richard.

Early in the third, it was Fernando Zambito again from Oswald with his fourth point. Then Ryan Briggs found Captain Miller in full flight, and his cross-crease pass was buried by Boughen. The Bolton "Rocket" Richard capped his hat trick at 9:23 with the smooth helper from Butts. Nathan Cole was solid in net behind the 10-1 win.

The Hawks finish the regular season with a respectable 20-4-4 record posted for their Coach Ron Rothfuchs.

The Hawks had been on the road at Elora Jan. 10.

They enjoyed the advantage in play with the shots 10-2 in their favour. Sharp net minding both ways kept the affair deadlocked at zero. Early in the second, the play-making of Butts resulted in an Boughen goal to get the birds going. Four minutes later, it was another defencemen, Rothfuchs, with the set up as Zambito struck pay dirt. Finally at 3:12, the fine passing of Oswald and Rausch freed Richard for the third Hawks' marker. Elora gamely pressed back in the third, but Taylor Elkins was on his game recording another shutout in the 3-0 team effort.

The following night, the gang was back at Teen Ranch to complete a makeup game against the Arthur Vipers.

Returning from a leagueenforced layoff Miller came to play. He surged down the right wing behind the net, feeding Boughen for a bangbang goal at 8:16. Three minutes later, Rothfuchs found Miller deep again with the smooth pass to Ryan Briggs in the slot for the second lamp lighter. At 3:24, Richard put on a dazzling display of puck handling as he dangled through the Vipers and scored a highlight reel goal unassisted.

The Hawks seemed to get goal happy, ignoring the defensive game and gave up three successive goals to the persistent Vipers; one late in the first and two early in the second. Thirty seconds after Arthur tied the game, Miller again controlled the puck deep in the offensive zone and cycled to Briggs who fed Boughen in the slot for the go-ahead goal.

With 2:21 remaining in the second, Miller again did the spade work for his fifth assist to Boughen for his first hat trick of the season. Early in the third, Boughen sparkled with a helper to Richard as he pounded one home. At 7:03, Richard passed to Joseph DiMarco who found Rausch for a slick tally. Finishing the Hawks parade was Richard for the hat trick at 3:47. The Vipers scored a late goal making the final 9-4 for the Hawks.