R’Hawks slam brakes on skid

Road win gives Niagara first victory in 12 games

Simcoe’s team in the Provincial Junior Hockey League is listed as the “Shamrocks” on the schedule and in the junior C league’s standings.

As far as the Niagara RiverHawks are concerned, they’re the “Fourleaf Clovers.”

Niagara wasn’t feeling all that lucky Saturday night when it travelled to play Simcoe. Not only had the RiverHawks lost 11 in a row, including one to the Shamrocks, they were short-staffed when they hit the ice.

Turns out, the ones they brought were good enough to get the job done. Niagara jumped out to a 2-0 lead and went on for a 4-3 victory for the team’s first win since doubling the Dunnville Mudcats 4-2 Dec. 9 in Niagara Falls.

Matt Gallant and Matt Somerville gave the RiverHawks an early lead, but the Shamrocks replied with two of their own to knot the score at two-all heading into the third period.

Carter Leroux scored on the power play and teammate Robert Shaw two minutes latter to give Niagara a lead it would never relinguish.

Simcoe scored with a man advantage with 6:19 remaining in regulation but that would be as close as the Shamrocks would get.

Gabe Maskaluk earn the win in net for the RiverHawks who outshot their hosts 40-39.

Niagara finished the game 1-for-1 on the power play; Simcoe, 1-for5.

The RiverHawks improved to 9-21-3-4 with five games remaining in league play.

Simcoe fell to 3-32-1-3.

Niagara hosts the division-leading Glanbrook Rangers, 33-3-01, Thursday. Puck drop at Gale Centre is 7:30 p.m.

The RiverHawks trail the season series versus the Rangers 5-0, 10 points to one. Niagara earned a consolation point in a 5-4 overtime loss Sept. 20 in Glanbrook.