SUNDAY 21ST JANUARY
NIHL SOUTH 1
STREATHAM REDHAWKS VS LONDON RAIDERS
PRE-GAME
The Redhawk's came in to this game fresh off a battling performance the night before in Telford, where they had lived to coach Cornishes quote of them being a team that never gave up. Sadly it had not been enough and they had been eliminated. The good news was the team would be icing a full bench, with the exception of long term injury victim Adam Wood. Alec Goldstone would be called up to fill the gap in the roster.
Meanwhile the Raiders came in to the game riding high after breaking a 3 game losing streak, by beating the Bracknell Bee's 6-3. The Raiders would be looking to finish off a 4 point weekend and further close the gap wit the ex EPL pack at the head of the table.
Both teams have a very similar style, both containing elements that mix both size and speed with skill. Creating a game of tactical chess, as both teams would seek to intercept the stretch passes, board passes and seek to force icing calls against one another. In this situation it would either turn in to a shooting gallery, or a defensive shut down master class, possibly combined with a goal tender stealing his team the game.
1st Period
The Raiders would begin the game instantly under pressure, as Redhawk's would win the opening face off. The WCW line would slice up the middle to get in an early attempt on net. This would see the beginning of a recurrent theme as the Redhawk's would exploit speed to move the puck out to the neutral zone boards then back in to the middle, to generate offence on the Raiders net.
The Raiders would soon find a way to answer back, as Lack, Lascenko and Munroe would combine to move the puck around behind the net. But the resultant shot was easily saved by Colclough. Despite this the Raider's were being forced to adopt a siege mentality as they were coming under sustained pressure up the center of the ice.
Despite a Power-play at 7 minutes, the Raiders tactic of overlapping pass and go moves failed to penetrate the Redhawk's PK. And so the period would end 0-0 . The Redhawk's would need to find a way to capitalize on having the majority of possession and shot attempts.
2nd Period
The 2nd Period would start much the same way as the 1st. The Raiders would be penned in to their own end looking to break out on the counter attack using their own speed.
It looked like the Redhawk's had struck first though, after a neutral zone turn over Ryan Webb would speed in behind the Raiders D 2 on 1 with Ryan Watt in support. He would pass cross ice to Watt who's shot was deflected back to him by Gray. Watt seemed to fire home the rebound sending the hoke crowd in to celebrations. However this was short lived as referee Evans would rule this a no goal.
But at 27 minutes the Redhawks would finally break the deadlock. Jamie Hayes would lay a hit on Munroe that spun the Raiders D man out by the boards. Collecting the puck he would feed it round to Michael Farn who's point shot would find Grays five hole to make it 1-0 to the Redhawks.
The Raiders would attempt to answer back, but the Redhawk's D had begin to choke off the shooting lanes, and most Raiders break ins were being forced wide and in to the corners. Any attempts that did get up the center were dealt with by Colclough. And the D would collapse in to clear the crease of any loose pucks.
Despite this, Ayliffe, Pitchley, Huska and Lascenko were proving a handful to deal with. Forcing a series of turn overs late in the second to create good chances on Colclough. Trying a combination of the house play off the back of center ice stretch passes. But no one could effectively pull the trigger.
By this point though, despite the scoreline. Both teams Defenses had found a way to cancel out each others offence. With both sides being forced wide coming over the blue line, and in to the corners. While also doing an excellent job of clearing the creases, with both Gray and Colclough standing on their heads.
The game would turn slightly ugly though at a questionable hit by J.J Pitchley on Michael Farn by the boards went un called by the referee. In the pause after due to Farn collapsing Ryan Watt would go for Pitchley and get in a few punches during the ensuing scrum. Watt would be called for roughing, while oddly referee Evans continued to baffle after the earlier disallowed goal, by calling what seemed to to be a boarding penalty as a high sticking call. Possibly this was a call to assert control after Watt had tried to dish out his own justice.
The second would end 1-0 Redhawk's. The game had become a chess game, where both sides were matching each other move for move. Combined with this was a goal tending duel as bot Gray and Colclough worked hard to repel everything being thrown at them. It began to feel like the deciding factor in this game would be a single momentary mistake made by either side
3rd Period
Much like the first the Redhawks would win the opening face off and Michael Farn would rush up ice and force an early face off after Gray saved his shot. Shortly after this Ryan Watt would go it alone going from one side of the ice to the other behind the net, doing a spinorama to release the shot. It looked briefly like it had gone in. But in fact Watt had made the wrong side of the net ripple.
The Raiders would return fire as Huska and Sylvester combined to rush in and test Colclough, but he would deflect this away and it would be cleared up ice.
The game of tatcical chess between coaches Cornish and Eastwood would continue after this, with both teams trying to pick up a garbage goal by throwing puck accross the crease area. But no one could either tap it home, or try a forced back hand in front of net.
Eventually the Raiders would find a way past Colclough's defenses. On the power play, after winning an offensive zone face off the puck would be worked round the cycle to a waiting Pitchley at the point by Andrew Munroe. His shot would fly in to the net and it was 1-1
The Hawks would almost instantly it seemed return fire, as that quest for a trash goal finally seemed to pay off. The fans in the arena seemed to think it had gone in but once again referee Evans decided that it was no goal and things stayed level.
The physicality of the game had been slowly ramping up, with both sides feeling that some liberties were being taken by the other. This would all flare up at 52:39 as Jordan Gregory elbowed Brandon Ayliffe, immediately being challenged by Matt Turner, this would turn in to a line brawl drawing in Jacob Ranson and J.J Pitchley.
The game was poised on a knife edge following this, one mistake would seal victory or defeat. And it was the Hawks that would make that mistake as at 56:39 a momentary lapse by the Hawks D would allow Juraj Huska to break in before laying it back to Ollie Baldock. Acting as the screen Baldock would pass back to Huska who would put it home to make it 2-1 Raiders.
The Redhawk's would do all they could to equalize, with 48 seconds to go coach Cornish would pull Colclough for the extra man. However the Redhawk's could not maintain control of the puck or offensive zone. The clock would tick down and the game would end 2-1 to the Raiders
POST GAME THOUGHTS
Besides an incredible game of defensive hockey from both sides, what was witnessed tonight was the great rink robbery. As Michael Gray stole the game for the Raiders. And despite J.J Pitchley and Juraj Huska getting their names on the score sheet, it was Grays wall like performance in net that prevented the Red Hawks from running up the scoreboard and won the Raiders the game. Olegs Lascenko, and Juraj Huska could make a claim for MOTM as well, both were offensive dynamo's when they had control of the puck. Huska in particular was deserving of getting the game winning goal as he had seemingly been on a one man mission to make something happen offensively all night.
The Redhawks played an outstanding defensive game here, and Matt Colclough was a wall in the net. They were able to choke off the shooting lanes, and clean up any trash around the net But will feel robbed by the end result, having out shot the opposition 46-31. It was only 2 mistakes that cost them. That is simply the way it goes in a hockey game where both teams are playing a game of tactical chess that are so evenly matched like this. It was good to see Michael Farn get a goal, as over the last few weeks he has struggled as opposition teams choked off the shooting lanes. Matt Colclough was a strong shout for man of the match as much like Gray he kept the Hawks in this game. Farn would have been another choice for me as he was constantly driving the play from the back all night. Even though they were denied the goal the WCW line(Watt Carr and Webb) were on form tonight and were left frustrated only by an inform Gray
For the Redhawks it's on to an away day trip to Bracknell. Having beaten the Bee's twice this season, and having seen the Bee's recently fall to the Raiders the Redhawks can fancy their chances because even in defeat against Telford the Hawks showed they can hang in there with the ex EPL sides. The WCW line will like the bigger ice at Bracknell as it will give Ryan Webb more space to exploit his speed. It will be the only game though next weekend for the Hawks and so they will need to deliver in order to keep pace with the 4th and 5th place Raiders and Bees.
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