The Hawkesbury Junior “A” Hawks have chosen a dangerous time to go on a cold streak.
The Hawks lost their final five games of the regular season before losing their first game of the 2018-2019 Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) playoffs to the Rockland Nationals by a score of 3-2.
After dropping games to the Pembroke Lumber Kings and Navan Grads, the Hawks would travel to Rockland to take on the Nationals for a preview of the teams’ first-round playoff series to come. Unfortunately for Hawkesbury, the team’s recent struggles would continue, with Rockland using a three-goal second period to take the game by a final score of 5-3.
Results would not improve much for the Hawks in their next two games. The team would drop their tilt against the Ottawa Junior Senators 6-2, before falling 4-3 in overtime to the Cornwall Colts in their final game of the regular season.
Carrying a five-game losing streak into the playoffs, Hawkesbury would hope for a better result in the opening game of their first-round series against the Nationals. Playing at home, the game would not go the Hawks’ way early, with Rockland scoring just 30 seconds into the contest to take a 1-0 lead. The Nationals would add a second goal before the end of the frame but Hawkesbury would bounce back in the second, scoring two goals to even the game 2-2 heading into the third. With both teams looking to pot the decisive tally in the final period, Rockland would be the team to come out on top, slotting a goal just before the four-minute mark to come away with the 3-2 win and the 1-0 series lead.
The next game in the series will take place on Tuesday, March 19 in Hawkesbury, followed by games on the 22nd, 23rd, and 25th.
