Metros Shoot Down Hawks!
Trafford Metros 5 Blackburn Hawks 0
This was billed to be the game of the season so far for both clubs, to say the rivalry between the clubs is comparable to local football derbies is an understatement, and with Blackburn reinforcing their ranks with former Metros players over the summer our boys had a few scores to settle and were determined no one was going to stop them in their quest to clip the Hawks wings, but what the Metros gave us was nothing short of a terrific display of determined and gutsy hockey.
So the game began with what could of been described as a perfect start for the Metros as just after the three minute mark the Metros put pressure on the Hawks defence behind the net with some hard working pressure the puck and Jared Dickinson managed to get the puck to Jamie Rogerson who slotted the puck home on the wrap around. The rest of the period saw both teams go at each other back and forth with some good hockey being played by both teams but it was the Metros that went into the break 1-0 up.
The second period started with both teams taking some early penalties but it was the Metros defence that held firm and allowed their forward to play their hockey, so in the 24th minute they Metros power play went to work in the Hawks zone and when Simon Mills found Jake Nurse on the wing inside the zone who in turn found John Murray in the slot with a nice backhand saucer pass, John Buried it and put the Metros up 2-0. Four Minutes later the Metros found themselves on the power play again, but this time it was a coast to coast solo effort from Joe Greaves who sniped the top corner from the top of the circle to put the Metros up 3-0. Then it wasn’t till the 36th minute when Jared Dickinson scored the first of his brace, the was a bit of a scramble in front of Brittle in the Blackburn net but the puck fell to Jared and he sent the Metros 4-0 up into the break with assists going to Jamie Rogerson and Max Drakeley.
Now into the third and could the Metros do what they had been aiming for all week not just beat the Hawks but silence a few of their players and fans who have been questioning their use of the Phoenix players at the start of the season and prove to them that this Metros team is Better, Stronger and a TEAM this year, and the answer of course was YES! The Metros went to work straight away and in the 44th minute Ben Brown found Jared Dickinson with a perfect D splitting pass, Jared then broke away and scored on the break away to make it 5-0. So at this point the Hawks were beaten but the fabled shut out was on the card and Tom McDonald in the Metros net had had an awesome game so far and we all knew he and the Metros defence were determined to keep the Hawks out, and they did! 5-0 and you could tell at the final buzzer how much this meant to the Metros as every single player emptied from the bench and descended on Tom McDonald, a true team, they played for each other and they got what they deserved and sent the Hawks back up the M6 in silence!
Stats
Scoring: Jared Dickinson 2+1, Jamie Rogerson 1+1, Joe Greaves 1+0, John Murray 1+0, Jake Nurse 0+1, Ben Brown 0+1, Max Drakeley 0+1, Simon Mills 0+1
PIM’s: Metros 26 Hawks 16
Shots: Metros on Hawks 37; Hawks on Metros 37
