By midway through the final period, it was a little hard to believe ORC Tree Services was winning at one point.
After taking a one-goal lead in the first, a period later ORC (1-3) found themselves looking at a 10-2 deficit before eventually losing 10-5 to the Boston Pizza Hawks (2-2) in Division A action of the Whitehorse rec hockey league Sunday evening.
Sinking ORC like an anvil was a nine-goal streak stretched over both periods of the game, started with two goals by Hawks forward Clayton Thomas, who went on to have a seven-point night with four goals in total.
“Everyone calmed down and started playing our hockey,” said Thomas. “We weren’t playing their hockey or our hockey, both teams were a little confused.”
“We came out pretty flat after the first period,” said ORC right winger Mike Beauchamp, who had two goals and an assist. “They’re a pretty good team too; they’ve got some good players and they come out flying.
“If you don’t come out skating, you end up down after a few quick ones.”
Also having a big night for the Hawks, the league’s defending champs, were forward Brian Fedoriak with four goals and an assist, Lance Brown with a goal and two assists and Barry Blisner with one of each.
“I’ve never played with him before,” said Thomas of Fedoriak. “He knows where the back of the net is.”
ORC was producing chances on their own, but the Hawks were helping out, getting five penalties in the second period and seven on the game. Four of the five second-period infractions were hooking.
“(It’s a problem) with everybody,” said Thomas. “The guys take it to the next level and they do it so obviously. I think the reffing was really good; they were making all the right calls. There’s just too much stick work - guys don’t like getting beat. There’s a lot of hooking - stick infractions, anyways. Most hooking and tripping bring people down, instead of skating.
“Whenever you see penalties it’s because people are lazy.”
The ORC team was just coming off their first win of the season, beating Kluane Drillers 7-6 on Thursday.
“We’re pretty new, it’s just our second year,” said Beauchamp. “So we’re just trying to piece something together.
“Hopefully we can get another win here one of these days.”
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com