R’Hawks lose fourth straight

The Niagara RiverHawks hope to start the new year on a winning note when they return to the ice today.

Returning to the win column and stopping a four-game losing streak will be easier said than done considering the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s opponent for the 7:30 faceoff on the road.

At 28-2-0-1, not only do the Glanbrook Rangers have the best record in the South Bloomfield Division, their .919 winning percentage is the best in the league.

Niagara starts 2018 seventh in the eight-team division with an 8-15-3-3 record, 25 points behind Glanbrook and 14 ahead of the cellar-dwelling Simcoe Shamrocks, 2-26-1-3.

The Rangers lead the season series versus the RiverHawks four wins to none, eight points to one. Niagara earned a consolation point in the opening game of head-to-head play in a 5-4 loss in overtime Sept. 20 at Glanbrook.

The RiverHawks closed out the 2017 portion of their schedule with a 7-4 loss on the road to the Dundas Blues.

Niagara jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Nick Volpatti and Robert Shaw before the Blues tied the game at 2-2 heading into the second period.

The middle frame was also Dundas as the Blues directed 20 shots at Sebastian Iannone finding the back of the net on four of them.

Volpatti brought the RiverHawks to within two with two goals, including a shorthanded marker, before the Blues clinched the win with a power-play goal late in the third period.

Dundas outshot Niagara 38-29 and finished the game 1-for-4 on the power play. The RiverHawks scored on one of their three manadvantage opportunities.

Niagara’s next home game is Thursday against the fifth-place Hagersville Hawks, 12-17-2-0. Puck drop at Gate Centre is set for 7:30 p.m.

Hagersville is 3-0-1 versus the RiverHawks this season.