Seahawks Start Campaign with Four Point Weekend
Hull Reckitt Seahawks v Bristol Pitbulls – 15/09/24
Twenty goals scored, two wins achieved, and four points secured. The Hull Reckitt Seahawks couldn’t have asked for a more perfect start to the 2024/25 Planet Ice National Ice Hockey League season.
In a double header against the Bristol Pitbulls, the Seahawks demonstrated such ruthless efficiency in front of goal that currently Owen Sobchak, Jason Hewitt and Emil Svec occupy the three top point scoring positions in the league and the Seahawks lead the standings after the opening weekend of the competition.
“Two wins to start the season. You’ve got to be happy with that,” said Seahawks head coach, Matty Davies.
“When we play the way we did this weekend, we can beat anyone. We saw a real progression on what we did during pre-season, with every player buying into the system.
“Our focus is entirely on what we can do and how we can play, as those are the things we can control, and our performances this weekend show how our preparation off-the-ice is paying off.”
The Seahawks’ season started with the long drive down to the Southwest but any fears of ‘bus legs’ were quickly allayed as the team raced into a 3-1 first period lead, thanks to goals from Sobchak and Svec (x2).
The Seahawks then extended this to five, through Sobchak and Kaden Hanas, to end the second period 5-2.
A dominant third period sealed the points for the Seahawks as they scored six more goals, with Svec scoring his hattrick, Hanas adding his second of the night, Hewitt grabbing himself a goal before a brace from Bobby Chamberlain and Svec wrapped everything up with his fourth and the Seahawks’ eleventh to round out a comfortable 11-4 win for the team and two points to take back to Hull Arena.
It was then the Pitbulls turn to make the long trip for last night’s encounter.
Some might have been concerned that Bristol would be seeking revenge. However, the Seahawks were in no mood to be either charitable or complacent and started the game with the same dominant style and clinical finishing as the game down at Planet Ice Bristol 24 hours earlier.
On 4:35, Hewitt played the puck to Tom Stubley who fired a shot from the blue line that was redirected into the Bristol goal by Hanas to put the Seahawks one-nil up. Eight minutes later (12:08), the Seahawks’ advantage stretched to two, with Sobchak tucking the puck away into the empty net, on the powerplay, assisted by Hewitt and Svec. Two then became three, on 15:34, when Declan Jones scored on the backhand, assisted by Owen Bruton, to end the period 3-0 to the Seahawks.
For the second period, the Pitbulls swapped goalies, with US import, Tommy Nappier, being replaced between the pipes by Tyler de la Bertouche but, despite the change, the puck would keep going in, with the Seahawks scoring five unanswered goals to end the period eight-nil ahead.
It started with Sobchak’s second of the night, on 28:06, on the backhand, assisted by Chamberlain. On 36:02, Lee Bonner wanted in on the goalscoring exploits and netted a stunning breakaway, top shelf, against Bertouche, assisted by Jones. More was to come just seconds later when Chamberlain fired the puck into the bottom corner on the powerplay, assisted by Sobchak, on 36:48. The Seahawks’ seventh was soon added by Jordan Fisher who put the puck into the top corner, assisted by Hanas and Stubley, on 38:02. Then, with just seven seconds of the second period remaining, Bonner added his second of the night, at 39:07, with a shorthanded effort, assisted by Hewitt.
In terms of goals, the final period was relatively dull by comparison with just one more marker being added by the Seahawks to go nine-nil up. Hanas tipped the puck in from in front of goal assisted by Hewitt at 48:55.
With the game nearing its conclusion, Bristol piled on the pressure to get a goal and avoid being shut out and, unfortunately for the fantastic Dimitri Zimozdra in the Seahawks goal, it came on 57:19 through Elliot Lewis.
The matched ended 9-1 to the Seahawks.
“Conceding the goal at the end leaves a bit of a sour taste,” said Davies.
“However, that was the only negative across two brilliant performances.
“It was great to see our young players stepping up and getting on the scoreboard.
“We were short tonight, so to see players like Fish (Jordan Fisher), in particular, step up and be rewarded with his goal is good to see.”
Looking ahead, the Seahawks play Telford Tigers at Hull Arena on Saturday (21 September – face-off at 5.30pm) before heading north to face Solway Sharks on Sunday (22 September – face-off at 5pm).
“It is going to be a tough weekend,” said Davies.
“We had a bit too much for Bristol, but Telford and Solway are different propositions.
“The Tigers are notoriously difficult opposition for us to beat, so defensively we are going to have to be on it. But we have shown that we are more than competitive, and our aim will be to get another four points next weekend.”
By Mark Bateman
