From the Times: Unproductive weekend for Hawks
Unproductive weekend for Hawks
Cambridge can’t steal a point from two teams
You have to go way back to recall a weekend when the Cambridge Winter Hawks didn’t receive at least one point.
It was actually Oct. 1 and 2 when they lost back-to-back games to Listowel and Brantford. This time, the fourth-place Winter Hawks were shutout of the points’ column by the Waterloo Siskins and Elmira Sugar Kings.
The Siskins shocked Cambridge with a 4-2 win on Saturday at the Galt Arena Gardens, before the Sugar Kings beat the Winter Hawks 4-1 on home ice on Sunday afternoon.
Saturday’s loss was only their third defeat at the hands teams below them in the standings, with the other two courtesy of Listowel.
The flipside is that the last time the Winter Hawks didn’t grab a point on a weekend, they went on an 8-2 tear in their next 10 games.
“Saturday’s game was the same as every other game after Christmas, where we seem to be on a downturn,” said head coach Peter Crosby.
“But (Sunday), we played with a more team approach and worked hard. We utilized our talent within the team structure and our systems.”
Crosby cited his team for too much individual play on Saturday, and in other games since Christmas, and it finally came back to bite them. At this point in the season though, the players know the systems and just have to implement them. It’s that structure that’s allowed them to beat Brantford and Elmira this season, according to Crosby.
“We have all the things set in place, we just have to pull the trigger and do it. I think everybody is fighting that white elephant in the room right now since things aren’t going well, but it’s how we respond that matters.”
Despite Sunday’s loss, it was a step in the right direction for the team. Though they’ve gone 2-4 since Christmas, the Winter Hawks only face teams above them in the standings two more times, with one game left against both Brantford and Stratford.
They also have one more game against their likely first round playoff opponent, Guelph, on Feb. 4.
“We have 10 games left to start playing and preparing for the playoffs,” said Crosby, adding that should they get by the first round, they’ll most likely face either Brantford, Stratford or Elmira.
“We have to be ready for three teams that are big, strong and have veteran experience. Against those teams, we have to be almost perfect in what we do.”
The Winter Hawks will get a chance to turn things around Saturday when they face Listowel at 7 p.m. at the Galt Arena Gardens.
Brock Campbell and Darcy Meyer scored against Waterloo, while Meyer scored against the Sugar Kings.
Courtesy of Bill Doucet at the Cambridge Times. See the original article here.
