DUBLIN, OH - The Arrowhawks opened the winter session with a sound 3-1 victory over Rirruto, er, Byrnes Pub tonight. Both teams skated with decent jump, despite being off for several weeks. The first period was back and forth with both teams having decent chances. The Hawks first line consisted of the law firm line of Griffith, Griffith and Griffith. It was evident they were rusty, but the brothers skated and passed the puck well in the offensive zone.

Bryce Griffith entered the game with an upper body injury but played well enough fans didn't notice. Bryan Griffith thwarted early chances with a strong back-check in the defensive zone and good passes on the breakout. Centerman Kevin Griffith wasn't in mid-season form early, but as the game progressed he got stronger along the wall. 

The games first goal came from an unlikely source. Third line RW Rick 'Reg' Titus took an Oleg 'Epic Win' Chetverikov's faceoff in the offensive zone, passed the puck back to 'Minnesota' Nick Lanctot who shot the puck through traffic. Titus zigged, zagged and crashed the net, potting the rebound past the stellar Pub's netminder. 

"I remembered what Mark taught us in our first ever practice held last week," said Titus after the game. "He told us to remember to crash the net even if we were tired. That good things come to players, even if you normally suck at scoring. He's an uplifting captain, that Mark." Titus added.

The Pubber's didn't go away quietly. They notched the game at 1-1 in the second period, despite excellent goaltending from Jason Jensen. Michael Bohland, a league leader in points each session, figured in the goal, with a nifty pass to Nico Shuetz. 

It was the only goal Jensen would give up on the night. 

"Jay was super tonight, as usual," said LW Tom Morgan. "He's like the weather. Somewhat unpredictable but always better than Heart remaking a classic Led Zepplin song."

Jensen stoned Bohland on a breakaway and kept the Hawks in the game through the second period, notched at a goal a piece. 

The Law Firm line took over from there. 

Kevin Griffith notched what turned out to be the game winner after a dominating offensive-zone shift. The boys settled down and passed the puck with precision until Kevin could drill a rebound. 

Byan Griffith would add another goal in the third period, again after determined offensive pressure. 

The Hawks defense was rock-solid through the game. Mac Lawless, Nick Lantot, Mike Gauthier and G. Ted Bulwinkle only gave up one odd-man rush. At one point Jason Torsok proclaimed, "I haven't seen our defense look this good since they all showed up hammered after a Michael McDonald concert."

"For the record, Michael is quite inspiring. Even though Tom disagrees," added Arrowhawk captain Mark Monahan. Tonight's game was the seventh anniversary of Monahan joining the Hawks. 

"I can't think of a better way to reward Mark for laying it on the line every Friday in both zones," said Rick Titus. "He's the best two-way player in the league, hands down."

Terry Walker manned the left wing on the third line and was solid positionally, just missing on several scoring chances. 

Jensanity reigns in Hawks win

DUBLIN, OHIO - Tonight's contest between the Arrowhawks (2-1) and defending champion Rirruto (1-2) was as advertised. Both teams exhibited the type of balanced hockey you'd expect from two of the league's top clubs. There were plenty of scoring chances on both ends and enough defensive stops to make this contest anyone's game. In the end the game would be decided in the final minute of play, off the stick of Arrowhawk captain Mark Monahan. Both goalies stood on their heads, making save after save. 

"Rirruto is as advertised," said Tom Morgan after the game. "They play well in both zones and do as good a job taking away time and space as any team in the league. We had to work our tails off and even then it wasn't enough, until the final minute. We're happy to come out of here with a win tonight," said the Friday night warrior. 

The Arrowhawks iced two solid lines, including Andrew 'Firenuts' Applehans, who filled in for regular Arrowhawk Sean 'Blue' Wright who was unavailable to play because he was too busy running laps around the block training for his eventual run from east coast to west coast. 

"Andrew skated well tonight," said defenseman G. Ted Bulwinkle, not related to the moose. "He did his job in the faceoff circle and did a good job getting his stick in play in the neutral zone," he added. 

All 36 minutes of action were played even strength as there were no penalties called in the game. 

"That was a surprise," said head ref Danny after the game. "It was an even tilt and fun to call." 

Rirruto had the momentum during the first 18 minutes of play. Michael Bohland, a Hawk killer, was his usual self, craftily skating with puck and setting up his mates for scoring chances. Rirruto could have easily scored had it not been for the games first star, Jason 'Get that shit outta here' Jensen. Perhaps the best chance came from a late third period shot off a faceoff when Jensen was still adjusting his mask when play resumed. The shot narrowly missed crossing the line after a surprised Jensen shot his pad down to make a much needed stop. 

"I had my stick off the ice and slid my pad down just in time," said Jensen. It was another example of why Jensen has long been the league's top netminder. 

"I'm glad we don't have to play them more than we do," said Barry Snow, a late call-up to replace Mac Lawless. Lawless was away on business, selling camping equipment to boy scouts and educating them on the finer points of being tall and handsome. No word whether the attendees got their money worth. 

Nick Lanctot and Mike Gauthier were an effective top defensive pair. So to were Bulwinkle and Snow, who put their bodies in front of shots all night. 

Next up for the Hawks are the Panthers, er, Whalers. 

"There are no more easy games," added a tired Mark Monahan after the game. "I look forward to next Friday and getting Wharton and Morgan back in the groove. We weren't at our best tonight, but luckily Jay was." 

He was indeed. 

More photos of the game will be posted when our staff isn't so darn tired. 

Red, Bryce and Blue

Gahanna, OH - The Arrowhawks opened the fall 2012 session with a tough fought victory against the offensive powerhouse Maple Leafs tonight, winning 3-2 in regulation. The Leafs were coming off a strong summer session that ended with a loss in the championship game against a stellar Rirruto club. The Hawks had a summer they'd like to forget and forget they did. Many of the Hawks regulars returned to the ice including Bryce Griffith, Nick Lanctot, Mac Lawless and Jason Jensen in net.

Opening the scoring was the newest Arrowhawk, longtime league point leader Bryan 'Ginger Wizard' Wharton from the Big Pucks. Wharton scored a dandy shorthanded goal within two minutes of the opening period after Nick Lanctot was called for a penalty just :40 seconds into the game.

It appeared the Hawks would roll. They didn't.

"The Leafs are a good team," said slimmed down captain Mark Monahan. Monahan has been training hard for October's Columbus Marathon running an average 40-plus miles per week. "We know each other well and they play very good positional hockey. If we were going to win we'd have to finish tonight," he added.

The Leafs and Hawks traded shorthanded goals tonight. They were the only goals scored on special teams. Defenseman Nick Lanctot was uncharacteristically tossed from the game midway through the second period after taking two back to back hooking calls.

"One was a good call," said Lanctot after the game. "The other two were chalked up to replacement grade." he added with disappointment.

"After Nick was gone we had to readjust," said LW Tom Morgan. "We moved Oleg back to D and evolved from there."

The game was notched at two a piece early into the deciding third period. Normally the Leafs would be more formidable with Mark Waterstreet roaming the ice. Waterstreet didn't dress for the game and the Hawks missed his hot pink pants.

"We needed someone to step up," said top line center Kevin Griffith. "We were hoping for a new color."

Enter BLUE.

Summer holdover Sean Wright, an Olentangy High School phenom stepped up to the plate.

"Blue was dead-on all night and in the end he potted the game winner," said Monahan after the game. "It was a big goal and he deserved the finish after skating hard in both zones."

"I had the Wright kind of medicine tonight," said Blue via text message.

Jason Jensen returned to the pipes for the Hawks and was terrific, sporting a new helmet. "I got caught looking two times. I'll work it out so it doesn't happen much more," said the cat-like netminder.

MISSING IN ACTION
The Hawks fielded a solid roster on the night. Missing from action though were dangler Nate Mensel, Bryan 'I'm really not a lawyer' Griffith and Chris Carpenter. Terry Walker has been moved to forward and he was busy with the Democratic National Convention serving homemade science projects to those willing. "I'm a fan of America," said Walker. "I usually don't get involved in politics but we want a new telescope on Mars and this seems to be the best way to get it," he added.

Hawks open summer with 5-2 win

COLUMBUS, OH - The Arrowhawks opened the summer season with a new lineup but the result was the same, a 5-2 victory of the talented CS Bank. The Hawks were sporting a new goaltender, 2 new forwards and the return of D-man Nick Elswick. The new faces all made their presence felt but it was the core of the team that made the difference.

Sniper Kevin Griffith opened the scoring with 8:25 to go in the 1st on a tip in off of a Tom Morgan shot from the point to make it 1-0...more on Morgan's stint on D later. CS Bank roared back with 2 goals in .06 seconds on consecutive 2 on 1 breaks with William Cooper and Tood Aiello connecting to take a 2-1 lead with 3:00 to go in the 1st.

The Hawks had a few late arrivals and that forced LW Tom Morgan to play D for a chunk of the 1st. After the Griffith goal earlier in the period Morgan could be overheard on the bench saying "1 shift, 1 point! D isn't so hard!" well, he should have quit while he was ahead...now fast forward. "He came up to me and asked if he could have another run", All Star Defencemen Nick Lanctot said of Morgan as he spoke to the media after the game, "so I said, why not?" Well Morgan found himself on the business end of back to back odd man rushes with brutal results. Thank goodness Oleg Chetverikov wasn't paying attention to the debacle on the ice as he rifled a shot past goalie Brian Cooper on a feed from Griffith to tie the game at the end of the 1st.

The Hawks regrouped between periods and the rest of their lineup finally made it to the rink, including Bryan Wharton who was making his much anticipated debut with the Hawks. Wharton made his presence felt early as he burst through center ice with the puck and found Morgan trailing as he entered the zone. Bryan made a beautiful pass and Morgan went top shelf to make it 4-2 with 8:23 to go in the 2nd. Griffith capped off the scoring on a laser pass from Lanctot and that was all she wrote. Bret MacDonald also made his Hawks debut and didn't disappoint. The 19 year old from Utah should good puck skills and had several scoring chances. GM Rick Titus was reportedly giddy from his perch in the press box as he watched his new acquisition..."the kid can play!" he told the media after the game "let's see what he can do next week" he concluded. Jamie Santho was stellar in his Hawks debut and made several big save with his quick glove hand, "you're not going to beat him there" said regular netminder Jason Jensen who is playing wing this summer. "If it wasn't for Morgan's putrid D he would have blanked them!" he added.

The Hawks play defended league champs The (Freakin')Eskimos next week, we'll see if they can bring the same effort.

EDITOR NOTE: I added the Freakin' to the Mo's, since that's how we all know them. The Freakin' Mos.

Leafs won't wilt, down Hawks 4-2

DUBLIN, OH - The Maple Leafs handed the Arrowhawks their third consecutive loss Friday with a 4-2 win. The game was close and not decided until the final minutes when Johnny Red Pants took the puck (quite selfishly) from a wide open Andrew 'Firenuts' Applehans and potted an empty netter.

"I was waiting for the puck and he just took it," said a disgusted Applehans after the game. "Like a mean Dad who rips a sucker right from your mouth, he just stole it. I tried to catch him but he got a head start. Otherwise I would have stole it back." he added.

The game began with the Arrowhawks not having a goaltender. That's right folks. For the first time in history, Jason Jensen was late to the game.

Q: Why were you late to the game, Jay?
A: I no longer speak English. I've reverted to my second language, Portuguese, and you'll need to speak through my interpreter. [said Jason's interpreter, a squatty 60-something woman sporting a Ralph Macchio mustache]

Q: Um, OK same question.
A: I was home doing something important. I did NOT, repeat did NOT have the wrong time and rink and I was NOT sitting on the couch trying to take a nap.

Q: Why aren't you speaking English anymore?
A: I will not speak english until we win again

Q: Couldn't you pick something easier, like giving up broccoli?
A: I will not eat that either.

Jensen grabbed his interpreter's arm and they stormed off in a huff. Goalies are strange.

Barry Snow did an excellent job playing goal in Jensen's absence in the opening period. He stopped 4 shots and only gave up a goal.

"Barry was awesome back there," said an impressed Mike Gauthier. "Those weren't easy floaters. They were ripping shots and he just took them. I would never do that. He's freakin' nuts."

The score was tied 1-1 when Jensen arrived.

The action was back and forth from there. The Leafs scored the next 2 goals to take a 3-1 lead. Andrew Applehans took an incredible pass from behind the goal line and scored on a breakaway to cut the lead to 1.

"Lanctot feathered that laser to me. It was awesome. He did it twice, in fact." said Firenuts. Not sure how one can feather a laser, but we'll give Andrew the benefit of the doubt.

But the scoring ended there for the Hawks. Jensen was pulled with a minute left on the clock and the faceoff in the Leafs zone. Thirty seconds and a couple shots into the man advantage, Johnny Red Pants got selfish.

"I'll bet he used to take all the kids balls in the neighborhood and not give them back," said John Kenyon. "Bully."

Dropping like a Minnesota fly

Murphy's Law is in full effect, boys. As if losing their captain wasn't hard enough, causing the whole team to cry at center ice after practice today, the Hawks will now have to face the Freakin' Eskimos without star defenseman Nick 'Minnesota' Lanctot. [is that a giant run-on sentence or what?]

"He's got a hard shot, but that's about it," said a disappointed Rick Titus. "He'd make a good candidate for The Apprentice but he'd probably sucker punch a washed-up actor, make fun of Donald's hair and get kicked off the show. You are FIRED NICK!"

No Lanctot isn't really fired. The Hawks couldn't replace his blazing speed, cannon shot or personable demeanor at the bar.

"We considered claiming Sheldon Souray off waivers, but Nick's much cooler," said Tom Morgan from his private plane. Morgan and linemate Jason Torsok are volunteering for a 3-day goal scoring clinic in Charlotte, NC. "We're legends in these parts," said Torsok humbly.

No word on minor league callups as of this post. Check back later for more information.

Arrowhawks skate to 5-2 win

DUBLIN, OH - Let's start with the basics. The Arrowhawks entered tonight's contest against the new team in the division, Rirruto, tied for the league basement at 1-3. Both teams needed a win. The Hawks next two games are against league powerhouse Eskimos and Maple Leafs, so a win was a must. They didn't disappoint.

The Arrowhawks, wearing their new red sweaters and really tight socks, started fast with 3 quick goals in the first period. Kevin Griffith potted a rebound after controlling play deep in the offensive zone. Oleg Chetverikov, the Hawks favorite ever European player, helped set up the goal keeping the puck in the zone.

"Did you know Oleg has a sauna in his basement?" said LW Rick 'Blind Squirrel finds a nut' Titus. "220 degrees is a good temperature." he added. Oleg invited the entire team over for a cleansing session, but there were no takers.

"I've been in hot places before," said Mac Lawless, a frequent visitor of Mexico, Columbia and African hunting trips. "I use a long bow like that crazy long haired elf from the Lord of the Rings. But I usually hunt small game since it's easy to carry and won't interfere with my beer stash. I only sweat when I kill game and I like Oleg," he added.

Hawk fans should be proud of that decision.

A decision the fans wouldn't be proud of happened early in the third period. Rirruto had scored two goals, one even strength on a breakaway and one on a 2 man advantage. An Arrowhawk whispered ever so gently, "#37 isn't wearing shoulder pads." It was a classless move, one never before taken. The refs made the player leave the ice for his pads.

"Gutless, crap call on our part." said captain Mark Monahan. "I'm going to find out who did it and send him down to the minors like we did last week with our minor league callup Big 'Don't call me cup' Ryder. He's a hell of a guy and probably a good rugby player and golfer, but we had to send him down because he made me look small."

Ryder, 6'4" and 260 pounds is a former WWE wrestler. "He was overrated," said Kevin Griffith, a big WWE fan. "Good player and good guy, but he made fun of Mac being too skinny and looking like a tooth pick and we didnt like that."

Despite the gap of integrity, the stoppage in play seemed to work for the Hawks, Rirruto seemed rattled by the call and the momentum quickly turned back to the Arrowhawks favor.

"I didn't like it. We owe them an apology,"" said Nick 'Chara' Lanctot after the game. "Total bush. Not like the beer, but like those funny Australian's with bones in their noses."

The Hawks killed their penalties and seemed to get their legs back to close the game. Chris Carpenter notched his first goal on the session with a timely slap shot from the blue line. The puck deflected off a Rirruto defenseman and found twine.

"Carp's goal was huge. Even Nate was impressed. He seems to have a thing for pretty things. He's always talking about sunsets and iPads and stuff," said Mike Gauthier.

The Hawks prevailed 5-2 on a back and forth affair. Rirruto should do well in the division. #19, #1 and #37 are very good players.

"They are a good team," said LW Tom Morgan. "We had many chances but they did their thing, controlling rebounds and keeping us out of the slot."

Nate Mensel manned the right wing for Jason Torsok, who was a healthy scratch. "Jay is probably the most committed guy on the team, always watching tape. He fell asleep in the film room this week trying to prepare and spilled his milkshake all over the computer equipment. He tried to fix it, but the duct tape didn't work. So he wrote a note that he was sorry and baked a cake for the technology manager," said John Kenyon. "Then he drank all the beer in the team room and passed out. That was probably the worst of it."

Jason Jensen played well, like usual. Nick Lantot has a really heavy shot. "Ryder wouldn't even be able to lift it," Lawless chirped. Not to be outdone, Lawless blitzed a heavy shot of his own, adding the Hawks fifth goal.

In the end, it was a much needed win for the Hawks.

Hawks lose, 4-3

DUBLIN, OH - Sometimes the best team on the ice isn't. If you are a fan of hockey you understand that it takes a full 36 minutes -- our league, not the NHL -- to defeat a quality team like the defending champion Big Pucks. This was one of those nights.

The Arrowhawks sprang from the locker room with a quick jump tonight. The first line of Monahan, Morgan and Torsok did their usual thing, controlling the puck through neutral ice and dictating tempo. But it was the second line of Griffith, Snow and Titus that surprised the opposition -- notching two early goals in their first shift.

"It was a good surprise," said LW Tom Morgan, the Hawks leading point man in team history. "They did a great job of finishing. Kevin was awesome all night and Barry really finished when he had the chance." Tom said after the game. Barry Snow drilled a goal scorers goal top shelf off the cross bar to start the scoring.

"I'm the best finisher on the team," said Snow at the bar after the game. "Well, at least when I'm not mocking NHL coaches at a Blue Jackets game." he added. If you'd like to see him in action, click here.

"Barry was great when he had to be," said Griffith. "He finished when he had to and helped us get a good jump tonight." he added.

The Hawks jumped to a 2-0 lead on goals from Griffith and Snow in their first shift. But unfortunately for the Hawks, that was all the scoring they'd add on the night.

The defending champs buckled down, clogging passing lanes and skating with tenacity. They notched a quick answer on an ugly deflection over the league's best damn goaltender period, Jason Jensen.

"Jay was screened all night," said RW Jason Torsok. "Outside of one brilliant goal by them, he battled to just find the puck."

At the end of the first period the score was 3-1 Hawks. Too bad the game didn't end there.

"I thought we had them on the ropes," said defenseman Mike Gauthier. "We started fast."

But the champs wouldn't rest. Their short bench was up to the task shift after shift, thwarting scoring chances. The Big Pucks goalie made the saves he had to, controlling rebounds to keep them in the game.

The game for the Hawks was decided by the refs whistle. It seemed like the entire second period the Hawks were on the penalty kill, having to fend off two 5 on 3 kills.

"Some of the penalties were justified, but it got ugly," said captain Mark Monahan, nursing a bad shoulder. "No way we committed all the penalities tonight." he added. The Arrowhawks suffered through over 12 minutes of penalties and that was the difference, leading to 2 power play goals for the Pucks.

The calls were one-sided tonight. "No way we were the aggresive ones deserving all those calls," said defenseman Nick Lanctot. "I think the refs don't like us because we wear black. They must have a thing for black sweaters."

"Give them credit. They worked it and were able to get the puck past Jason when they needed to," said Morgan. Never mind that our effort wasn't good defensively. Mac and the boys played well but they had the puck bounce their way."

The Big Pucks potted the last 3 goals on the night to win the contest 4-3., including 2 power play goals.

"It was a great game and I'm glad we won," said one of the Big Pucks after the game. "The Hawks are a powerhouse and any win against their team is a good win. They are better looking than we are. Have better hair and probably make good money, but we have a great sponsor and private jet, something no other team has," they added. The Hawks would love a ride on the private jet.

"Do they have hot stewardesses?" asked a random Hawk.

Oleg Chetverikov had a great chance in the final seconds, but hit the post. "I should have had that one," the talented Ukrainian admitted.

Jason Jensen made 24 stops on the night. He made excellent saves as he usually does.

The loss dropped the Hawks record to 1-3 on the session. It's the first time in three years the Hawks have had the record.

"We'll get it on track," said Monahan after the game. "We've got the skill to finish strong. We're going to be fine."

The last time the Hawks were 1-3 they won the session championship. That would be fine, indeed.

MENSEL A LATE SCRATCH
Missing from the lineup was playmaker Nate Mensel. "Nate is a difference maker and I'm certain his puck ability would have counted when it mattered," said Rick Titus. "He's pretty with the puck and we needed more pretty tonight." he added.

Nate couldn't answer the call tonight. He was sidelined with an undisclosed injury and his play was missed.

"Gooch and the boys did their thing. Lanctot was awesome as usual, but against the Pucks, we needed our full lineup." said Chris 'Jesus was a' Carpenter.

"We'll see them in the playoffs."

Hawks blank CS Bank, 5-0

The Arrowhawks evened their record to 1-1 in the division with a solid win over the pesky CS Bank club Friday, 5-0. The Hawks opened strong, scoring 4 goals in the final 7 minutes of the opening period and never looked back. Jason Torsok notched 2 goals with assists from linemates Mark Monahan and Tom Morgan. Morgan also had a goal, as did Kevin Griffith and Barry Snow. Monahan continued his offensive touch, dangling with the puck and setting up snipers all night. Jason Jensen pitched the shutout and the defenseman played strong in the win. Terry Walker returned to the lineup and skated without vomiting, which is always a plus. Nick Lanctot and Mac Lawless also joined the fray, continually clearing traffic in front while bringing a solid transition game to the offensive attack. John Kenyon and Oleg Chetverikov worked their magic in the offensive zone, throwing the puck in deep and digging it out all night.

The win was hopefully the first of many in the team's new red Team Canada 2006 sweater.

Hawks fall to Leafs 4-3

LEWIS CENTER, OH - Friday's matchup against the Arrowhawks and Maple Leafs, two powerhouses within the Friday night CAHL division, was everything it was supposed to be and maybe a little more. The night began with a crash, literally. Starting goaltender Jason Jensen and some of his Arrowhawk teammates were stuck in traffic and were late getting to the rink. The Arrowhawks called their timeout before the puck even dropped, hoping their netminder would enter the building. All eyes were on the arena doors, but there was no Jensen.

"Let's start this thing," said Danny, the head ref.

The puck dropped and Barry Snow was in net. He looked a little light in the equipment department (insert crude jokes here), but was fast and mobile in his crease.

"I have dabbled in goal before," Snow admitted after the game. "I could have played better but I think I did OK all things considered."

Realizing the Hawks would have to carry the puck to have a chance to win, they did just that. They passed, carried and dangled their way through a period and a half with Barry in net. The score was 2-1 Arrowhawks with 7:30 to play in the second period with the agitated Jensen waiting to take the ice. It appeared the Hawks were going to carry a lead against the league's top scoring team despite not having a goalie, but it all changed in an instant.

The Hawks failed to touch-up a high stick deep in the Leafs offensive zone, leading to an odd-man rush the other way. Two tape-to-tape passes later and the score was tied, 2-2.

Oleg and Kevin Griffith's goals weren't going to be game winners.

"It was a bad error on our part," said dejected second line defenseman Mike Gauthier after the game. "Championship teams can't give away chance like that. There was a clear momentum swing after that."

The Leafs seemed to control play for the next period.

"I think we were tired from all the skating," said Mac Lawless from the golf course. "Here, let me put my beer down and I'll illustrate." Lawless begins simulating skating strides around the tee box in a rather excited fashion. He's quick -- a long strider, but able to maneuver around his soon to be empty can of Coors Light. "See, I'm good now but last night I would have hit my beer and that tells you everything."

Huh?

The second and third period were, as usual, chock-full of scoring chances at both ends. It took two brilliant goals from the Leafs -- one on a deflection in front and the other on a great individual, unassisted breakaway -- to notch their four tallies.

Nick Lanctot and Nate Mensell were paired together for the first time this session. They were like Batman and Robin, without all the annoying THWAP! and BLAMS! Each was dominant controlling the puck and setting up the Hawk forwards. Mensel added a dandy goal early in the third period to tie the game 3-3.

The Hawks rolled three lines of offense during the game. Most of their scoring chances came from the first and second lines but the grind line of Titus, Snow and Kenyon played a good role neutralizing the Leafs top offensive threats.

"It's a good thing we were on the ice," said Snow, released from the net to play center. "We bring energy like fighting bull in small china shop," he said while looking at Oleg. Oleg just shook his head and walked away.

The Hawks trailed 4-3 with 1:15 to play. They pulled Jensen and blitzed the Leafs with 9 shots but couldn't put one past the Leafs goalie. Bryce Griffith had the puck on his stick, wide open after a rebound as the buzzer sounded.

"It was that type of game," said Bryce Griffith. "I thought I had a millisecond more, but as it turned out..."

He didn't.

Arrowhawks Off To A Good Start

Third line winger John 'Grand' Kenyon collects himself after blowing a tire and crashing wildly into the boards in the defensive zone. Kenyon is one of the Hawks smarter players, at least on paper.

Lewis Center, OH – The winter session began with a bang as the Arrowhawks collided with Check Republic in front of a raucous crowd last night. The game was marred with several penalties yet the tempo was high.

"They may of had a short bench but they're hard to knock off the puck" said captain Mark Monahan during the post game press conference. In goal for the Arrowhawks was Jason Jensen, who spent the off season meditating in the mountains of Tibet. Jensen was tested early and often when the Hawks found themselves short handed just 2 minutes into the game. The PK unit killed off the penalty and Jensen was stellar.

Kevin Griffith lit the lamp with a wrister on the Power Play with 7:14 to go in the 1st, Griffith was set up by brother Bryce and the floodgates opened. Defenseman Mac Lawless followed 3 minutes later with a beautiful shot that knocked the water bottle off of the net and Bryce Griffith rounded out the 1st period scoring with 2:55 left.

The 1st period saw 5 goals as the Hawks led 3-2, "the 1st period was pretty chippy, there was a lot of clutching and grabbing out there" said Nick Lanctot.

Check Republic came out storming in the 2nd and tied the game on yet another power play just 1:12 into the 2nd..."The penalties were a bit out of hand, it seemed one sided at times" said Barry Snow.

The Hawks regained the lead for good when Jason Torsok forced a turnover in the Check Republic zone and Tom Morgan buried it 5 hole with 6:13 to go in the 2nd. "We needed that goal, we were slacking off in the neutral zone a bit" Monahan added. Defenseman Nate Mensel made sure the game was out of reach with nifty wrister early in the 3rd and Jason Torsok chipped one in with a minute to go to seal the win. "We could have had 12 goals tonight, our offense was humming" added Mac Lawless in between sips of beer.

Up next

The Arrowhawks will travel to Dublin next week to take on the Maple Leafs, "they always play us tough, we'll have to be on our toes and skate hard" said Jason Jensen. Should be a fun game...stay tuned.

Hawks athleticism shines in playoff win

CAHL MVP goaltender Jason Jensen flies high in the air to avoid out-of-control defenseman Mac Lawless, aggressively back-checking on the play.


Nobody knew for sure what fruit the summer roster would bear. If tonight's opening round playoff game was any indication, this book is not yet written.

The Arrowhawks quite possibly played their best game of the session, soundly defeating the talented Discover team, 5-2 Friday night. All three forward lines and 5 defenseman brought their 'A' game to the Dublin rink.

"We played well tonight," said epic goal-scorer Tom Morgan after the contest. "I think everyone played well." Morgan added matter-of-factly.

Easy for Tom to say. He's the beneficiary of playing with the same 2 wingers for the last two years. The chemistry was evident. The line contributed 7 points on the night and was +7 in the game, despite many penalties. #7 Morgan did his usual thing, finishing everthing in sight and notching his second playoff hat-trick. The combined goal total? You guessed it, 7.

"That's a lot of sevens," said Mike Gauthier as he counted on his fingers.

"I'm lucky to play with the best 2-way center in the game and the best damn power forward to wear an Arrowhawk jersey," Morgan said.

"Tommy was on fire tonight," said Mark Monahan, who assisted on two on Morgan's goals. "Jay played well, filling space in front of the net, making it easier on all of us." said Monahan.

It's true the first line did it's part, but the storyline of this game had as much to do with the back 5 as it did the front 9.

"Jensen was in playoff form," said an exhausted Mac Lawless. "He was athletic moving from post to post, burying every rebound and frustrating Discover's goal scorers."

Even Discover's best player, Brian AKA Tool, agreed Jensen was good. "I remember beating Jensen high gloveside before and thought I'd be able to do it again tonight," he said after the game. "But he was on his game tonight. Now they have to win it all."

Jensen survived a scare in the third period when defenseman Mac Lawless drove hard to the net to break up a scoring chance. Jensen dove high in the air to avoid a collision and was momentarily dazed, crashing to the ice and causing a brief stoppage of play.

"When I landed I lost my breath momentarily. I wasn't sure where I was so I went to my happy place," said Jensen.

"We were all worried on the bench," admitted Monahan. "But like every time, Jensen answered the bell," he added.

Hannah Fields continued her aggressive physical play and added a key assist to ice the game, making a nifty pass to Andrew for the empty netter to ice the game.

"John Kenyon made the play," said Fields. "He plays with a long stick and got good wood on a clearing attempt in the offensive zone. We just finished for him. It was the least we could do." she said.

Jason Torsok giggled like a school girl in the background, mumbling to himself "she said wood..."

Terry Walker, Mike Gauthier and Freakin' Basso were stellar defensively.

Mac Lawless had a goal tonight, assisted from the highly skilled Minnesota kid, Nick Lanctot. He and Nate Mensel dangled with the puck every shift, controlling play in both zones.

This chapter is written, but the book isn't done. The Hawks will play #1 seed CS Bank next Friday for a chance in the championship game.

"We're hitting our stride," said Jason Torsok. "Our timing is good, but we have two games left before we'll know whether it's good enough."

Stay tuned Hawk fans.