Hawks slide continues, per Bombers

Well, the once-promising Hawks' summer session has reached a tipping point. The squad dropped their fourth game in their last five to the suddenly dangerous Bombers and with the playoffs approaching,the team is looking for answers. Even after reverting to their black retro sweaters for the showdown, little is going right for the Hawks as they stumble toward the post season like Elvis toward a Memphis donut shop.

The Hawks had the better of the play as the game got rolling but both netminders took care of business in their ends. Late in the first, league leading scorer Kevin Griffith was assessed a (more than questionable) minor for interference. "I was skating toward the puck and their guy fell down. Why the hell is that a penalty?" asked the always cleanly shaven Kevin. On the ensuing power play, the Bombers managed an odd-man rush and finished cleanly to take a 1-0 lead. "That was a cheapy" sighed a despondent Jamie Santho after the game. "I thought my Leprechaun mask would intimidate them into shooting it wide, but I guess it didn't work." The Hawks would try to pick up their young goaltender as the game progressed, but things would soon get worse.

Midway through the second, Arrowhawks part-time defenseman Tommy Parker III started a sweet breakout up the middle. Tommy's pass hit the open man, who then passed it off to a winger who banged in the second goal of the game off the post and the goalie's back. Problem is that Tommy was playing for the Bombers on this particular Friday. So, instead of being tied, the Hawks were down 2-0. "What a load of BS" said a visibly offended John Kenyon. "Just because Tommy only had a red sweater doesn't mean he should play for the Bombers instead of us. He could have borrowed Mark's "too-small for Gooch" jersey and really made a difference out there for us tonight." As it was, Gooch was particularly aerodynamic in the black sweater he borrowed from the captain.

The Hawks fell behind 3-0 on a sweet individual effort by some dude from the Bombers. Breakout, to a 2 on 1, to a breakaway with a D-man draped all over him, dude finished with just his left hand as our defender tried to violate him. Didn't work and the Hawks couldn't catch up. Even with a 6 on 4 in the last 1:35, the Hawks couldn't pot one to tie it, and the Bombers topped off the night with an empty-netter as time expired. "There's a good chance we get them in the first round of the playoffs," said Assistant captain Tom Morgan who was on vacation at a New Mexico cactus farm. "They better be ready, because Kenyon is ready to bring the pain."

Summer Hawk Bryan Wharton, who loves to see his name on the blog, was seen having beers and wings with the Bombers at the Easton Champps after the game. "I like these dudes, even if they beat us. Plus it's Fried Food Friday and I'm going to order some Kobe Beef sliders. You want one?" This intrepid game reporter passed on that slider, and headed home to figure out what the Hawks need to do to get back on track.