The Ice Hawks started their new life in the BC Hockey Conference (BCHC) with two straight wins over long-time rivals the Richmond Sockeyes, thanks in big part to the hot hand of new goaltender Lucas Disiewich.
Disiewich made 86 saves over the first two games of the season, allowing just 5 goals, while the Hawks scored eight between the two wins.
Brogan Kennedy scored the first two goals in BCHC history, with Owen Cooper, Neland Voshell, and Lukas Hoff also netting goals in the Hawks’ 5-3 win in Richmond to open the season Thursday. The Sockeyes came back to tie the game going into the second intermission, but Voshell’s third-period goal won it for the visitors, with Hoff providing some insurance on the power play. Disiewich had 38 saves in the victory.
In the rematch on Saturday night, Disiewich really put on a show, with 48 saves in the Hawks’ home opener. After a scoreless first period, Richmond opened the score in the second with a power play goal, but Delta bounced back quickly. Beckett Matlock and Ronan Coopman each scored a goal just over a minute apart to take the lead heading into the third. The teams traded goals in the final frame, with Cooper scoring the winner with less than four minutes to go for a 3-2 Hawks win. Disiewich’s 48-save performance was the difference in the game.
The Hawks now have a week off before taking on the Coastal Tsunami at home on Sept 19 and the Port Coquitlam Trailblazers on the road September 20.
