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Hawks rally for two wins

Plenty of offence for Valley West against South Island
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Valley West Hawks defenceman Mitch Savage (top) trips up South Island Royals forward Jonah Ragsdale during a BC Hockey Major Midget League hockey game Sunday at the Langley Events Centre. The Hawks won 7-6.

It wasn’t a dominant weekend against the league’s weakest team, but scoring five times in the second half of each game was enough for the Valley West Hawks to win twice over the South Island Royals.

The Hawks, now tied for third place in the 11-team BC Hockey Major Midget League, edged the last-place Royals 5-3 Saturday night at Queen’s Park Arena in New Westminster and 7-6 Sunday afternoon at the Langley Events Centre.

Valley West improved it’s record to 13-6-1-2 (win-loss-tie-overtime loss). The Hawks are tied on points with the Vancouver Chiefs, who have played two fewer games.

Saturday night, the Royals led 2-0 after one period and were ahead 3-0 as the second period neared the midway mark.

Bobby Russell got the Hawks on the scoreboard with a powerplay goal just 24 seconds after South Island’s third score. In the final 91 seconds of the second period, goals from Aidan Barfoot and Calder Newson had the Hawks even at 3-3 after 40 minutes.

Carson Franklin netted the winner five minutes into the third period, and Tyler Ho added an insurance goal with two minutes remaining.

Valley West had to come from behind again Sunday for a win. They jumped to a 1-0 lead after just 20 seconds of play on a tally from Tyler Ho, but trailed 4-2 at the midway point of the game. Carson Franklin of the Hawks netted his team’s second goal.

The Hawks reeled off five straight goals to take a 7-4 lead into the final nine minutes of play. Jerret Raymond, Calder Newson, Nolan Krogfoss, Franklin with his second of the game and Bobby Russell gave Valley West the three-goal cushion which proved to be just enough.

South Island scored twice in the last half of the third period to get to within one, but the Hawks hung on.

Valley West will be in Kamloops next weekend for two games against the Thompson Blazers. The Blazers are 10th in the league standings with a 5-17-0-0 record.

BLUE LINES: Amy Potomak played both games for the Hawks as an affiliate player, collecting three assists on the weekend. Potomak, 17, will suit up for the Canadian women’s national team for two games against the United States next week, facing off Saturday in Plymouth, Michigan and again Sunday in Sarnia, Ontario.