Ice Hawks captain Yuji Akimoto played in his first game on home ice of the 2023-24 season and scored the first goal of the game on his first shot of the game, starting a four-goal rally in the first period for the Hawks. // Tav Morrison photo
The Ice Hawks rolled to their third victory in a row, thanks to a big first period, taking down the Knights 6-2 in Ladner Tuesday night.
Yuji Akimoto looked right at home in his first game back at the Ladner Leisure Centre this season, scoring just 31 seconds into the game, looping around along the blue line and letting go of a long shot through traffic.
The Hawks made it a 2-0 game two and a half minutes later, with newcomer Sasha Gutsu tipping a Nicholas Goyer shot past Mason Upton; Gutsu’s second goal of the year in just five games played so far this season.
A minute later, Tye Hemenway and Colin Jang passed back and forth a few times, with Jang eventually stepping in and taking a shot, stopped by Upton, but Jang was able to get to the rebound and backhand it home for a 3-0 Hawks lead.
Delta went up 4-0 before the mid-period time out on an all-defensemen play, as coach Steve Robinson gave his playerRyan Bal sent a stretch pass up to Drew Stafford, who got it across the crease to Billy Johal for a one-timer tap-in past DJ Cash, Johal’s second goal of the season.
In a turn of events, Surrey had the lone goal of the second period, with Kirit Sran scoring on the power play after both teams got into some penalty trouble, making it 4-1 heading into the third.
Nearly six minutes into the final frame, Nicholas Goyer took things into his own hands, picking up an attempted Knights clear and cutting into the middle of the ice for a shot, which Cash was able to stop, but Goyer got to the rebound and slid it home for his first of the season and as a Hawk.
Surrey got it back later in the period, with Bronson Sales finishing off a rush play with a shot past Remy Quintoro to make it 5-2, but the Hawks weren’t done.
With 1:18 left in the period, Jaren Ashbee one-timed a rocket from the right circle over the shoulders of Cash to wrap up a 6-2 win for Delta on home ice.
