Defeats Leave Little Festive Cheer for the Seahawks
Hull Reckitt Seahawks v Leeds Knights – 22/12/2024
Two losses for the Hull Reckitt Seahawks at the weekend sees them going into the Christmas break in sixth place in the NIHL standings and with some ‘soul-searching to do’.
Head Coach, Matty Davies, cut a frustrated figure in his post-match interview on Sunday, after the Seahawks lost at home to Yorkshire rivals, Leeds Knights, 7-3, in front of a sellout crowd.
This came just 24 hours after a defeat north of the border to the Solway Sharks (3-2).
While Davies may not quite have been invoking the three spirits that haunted Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, his reflections on the losses to the Knights and the Sharks certainly took in the past, the present and the future.
“We did a lot of things wrong tonight, from the second period onwards,” said Davies.
“We had a good start to the game, much better than last night [against Solway] which was something I wanted to correct.”
Highlighting the devastating second period that saw Leeds race into a 5-1 lead, Davies described himself as ‘fuming’ and ‘at a loss for words’.
“Let them [Leeds] play and that’s what happens. It isn’t good enough. Games getting away from us has happened far too many times this season.
“We have a good group of lads, but it doesn’t matter who the opposition is. We shouldn’t be losing at home in front of our fans in that way.
“The players will get some time off now over Christmas and some of them, me included, need to take this time to do some soul-searching.
“Make no mistake, I have already made changes to get things back on track this season when it was needed, and I’ll do whatever is necessary for the benefit of this team.”
On Saturday, the Seahawks headed to the Dumfries Ice Bowl to face the Solway Sharks in the first of four festive fixtures that Davies had previously described as being ‘pivotal’ in determining where Hull will finish in the NIHL this season.
Things started badly for the Seahawks when, not even two minutes into the game, they found themselves behind after Scott Henderson scored for the hosts, assisted by Liam Stenton and Mason Alderson.
Another marker for the Sharks in the second period doubled their advantage, this time on the powerplay through Kell Beattie, assisted by John Dunbar and Caly Robertson, as Calum McGill sat a two-minute penalty for hooking.
The Sharks then made it three at the start of the third period through Nolan Gardiner, assisted by Dunbar and Olivier Arseneau.
The Seahawks did rally, bringing the game back to within a single goal thanks to efforts from Captain, Bobby Chamberlain; assisted by Owen Sobchak and Emil Svec; and Josh Hodgkinson; assisted by Sobchak and Chamberlain; but despite pulling the netminder for the extra skater they couldn’t find the equalising goal. Ultimately losing the match, 3-2.
After the long drive back from Scotland, the Seahawks needed to quickly regroup for the eagerly anticipated white rose derby against the Knights at a packed Hull Arena for the final game before Christmas.
Fans were treated to a blistering first 20 minutes as the two rivals put on a period of hockey that was the perfect advertisement for the quality of the NIHL.
It was the Seahawks that went nearest to opening the scoreline, as Jason Hewitt rang the crossbar with a rasping shot before Lee Bonner was denied a shorthanded effort on the breakaway by Sam Gospel, in the Leeds net, with a brilliant pad save.
Finally, after sustained pressure, the Seahawks found the opening goal through Svec who hammered his shot home after excellent link up play with Chamberlain and Sobchak, at 16:01.
However, Leeds would find the leveller just two minutes later, at 18:01, through former Hull Pirate, Matt Bissonnette, with the Canadian finishing at the back post, assisted by Mac Howlett and Matt Haywood, to end the period all square at 1-1.
Such a promising start had Hull fans feeling full of festive cheer, but that quickly disappeared as a second period blitz from the Knights put the game out of reach for the Seahawks.
Four unanswered goals from Howlett, Jordan Griffin, Matt Barron and Haywood put the Knights in an imperious position going into the second period intermission. Not even a fight between Chamberlain and Griffin could raise the spirits.
Into the final period, much like the night before, the Seahawks did briefly rally.
Canadian forward Johnny Corneil netted Hull’s second of the game, at 40:27, going forehand/backhand and beating Gospel at his near post, assisted by Bonner and Hewitt.
Four minutes later, it felt like the game was back on when Svec unleashed another missile of a shot, at 44:21, to beat Gospel high in the top corner, assisted by Chamberlain, to make the game 5-3.
The two quick goals saw the Leeds bench call a time out to regroup, a decision that proved a wise one as shortly afterwards Howlett scored his second of the night.
A Hull penalty against Sobchak, at 45:43, for delaying the game, then provided the Knights with the chance to wrap things up on the powerplay through Barron’s second of the match.
The Seahawks now round out 2024 with back-to-back fixtures against the Sheffield Steeldogs this weekend with the aim of getting back to winning ways and laying to rest the ghosts of Christmas past.
By Mark Bateman
