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Seahawks Take Three Points to Rein in the Top Three

Hull Reckitt Seahawks v Swindon Wildcats – 12/01/2025

When Hull Reckitt Seahawks Head Coach Matty Davies hinted that his team could still be involved in the NIHL title race, he raised more than a few eyebrows in the world of British ice hockey.

However, with the season heading into the final stretch, the Seahawks backed that belief up with action.

On Saturday, they took a valuable point on the road against table-topping Milton Keynes Lightning in a 4-3 OT defeat, as well as completing a late comeback against the Swindon Wildcats at Hull Arena on Sunday, with Emil Svec netting the winner in the final minute of the game.

If the Seahawks have any chance of forcing their way back into contention and making sure a three-horse race can become four, they need to compete against the Wildcats, the Leeds Knights, and Milton Keynes and hope that others can do them a favour, with the Berkshire Bees proving a useful ally of late. The NIHL basement dwellers have recently beaten both the Knights and the Lightning in successive weekends.

After back-to-back four-point weekends, morale among the Seahawks roster and fanbase has been high since the turn of the year, and there was a mood of confidence and determination heading into another pivotal 48 hours of the season.

Firstly, the team made the trip down to Buckinghamshire to face the Lightning.

While they had James Spurr back in the lineup and could call on Tommy Spraggon, as part of his two-way deal with Billingham, the Seahawks were without Dave Phillips, Jamie Chilcott, and Kohen Taylor, as well as Owen Bruton, who is away on Team GB duty.

Milton Keynes would take an early lead in the game, at 02:27, through Ben Solder, but veteran forward Jason Hewitt would tie things up for the Seahawks, at 15:05, finding the bottom corner of Jordan Hedley’s goal, assisted by Lee Bonner and Johnny Corneil, to end the first period 1-1.

In the second period, Svec would grab two goals to put the Seahawks 3-1 up. His first came on 21:34, assisted by Bobby Chamberlain and Owen Sobchak, with his second coming five or so minutes later, with the Czech forward converting a penalty shot on 27:40.

However, the Lightning would reduce the deficit before the second period intermission, netting their second of the night on 34 minutes through Corey McEwen.

As the game ticked toward the final 10 minutes of the third period, the Lightning equalised with a shot from the blue line finding its way through at 49:46.

With no more goals in regulation time, the match went into overtime, and it would be the hosts who would score the winner, 70 seconds in, and secure the second point thanks to Jordan Cownie.

On Sunday, the Wildcats made the trip north from Wiltshire. The Seahawks have struggled against Swindon and knew that this game would be another tough tie against Aaron Nell’s men.

The Wildcats would break the deadlock early in the first period, scoring at 04:54 through Jake Bricknell’s rather fortuitous goal that came via a deflection, firstly off the Plexiglas behind Dimitri Zimozdra’s net and then off the leg of the Seahawks netminder.

The game was tied up three minutes later when nice link-up play between Chamberlain and Sobchak teed the puck up for Josh Hodgkinson, who finished on 07:02.
However, Swindon would not be denied and would take the game into the first-period intermission with a 2-1 lead, as Bricknell netted his second of the night, assisted by Chris Jones and Sam Godfrey.

The second period saw the Wildcats stretch their advantage further when Ryan Wells made it 3-1 at 26:39, but Sobchak would reduce the deficit for Hull on 27:47, assisted by Declan Balmer and Svec.

Into the third period, the Seahawks’ resolve was on full display as they chased the game, and their dogged determination was rewarded on 56:02, as Canadian forward Corneil, who had passed a late fitness test that day to ice, netted the equaliser, assisted by Tom Stubley and Sobchak.

Most of the fans who had packed the arena could sense that this fixture was now Hull’s to win, and, with 32 seconds left on the clock, Svec dutifully obliged as he converted at the backdoor of Renny Marr’s net, assisted by Lee Haywood and Sobchak, to complete the comeback and secure two crucial points for the Seahawks.

“It was a massive effort from the team this weekend,” said Davies in his post-match interview.

“I am proud of the character our team has, especially when you consider that a few of the lads have knocks and are battling to ice.

“Not many have gone to Milton Keynes this season and got a result, so while we are a little disappointed that we didn’t manage to see the job through, we are happy with that performance.

“Tonight, we changed things up slightly in the second period to be more aggressive and keep the pressure on Swindon, and, at the end, there looked like there would only be one winner.”

By Mark Bateman