The Winterhawks took a step in the right direction in their bid to make it into the top four in the North Division on Friday night with a convincing 9-4 thrashing of the visiting Shallow Lake Crushers.
A top four spot will give the Winterhawks an opportunity to battle for the AA Championship while all others will compete for the A title.
With the win, the Winterhawks are within a point of fourth-place Shallow Lake and the two teams will meet again on Saturday night in Shallow Lake.
The Winterhawks who have traditionally been a high scoring team have struggled offensively this season but they broke out in a big way in front of a good-sized hometown crowd.
Defenceman Trevor Smith scored less than two minutes into the game and Trent Hawke potted one a few minutes later to get the Hawks off to a good start.
Shallow Lake responded to narrow the margin to 2-1 but Andy Fracz notched his seventh of the year as he took a Bryan Kazarian drop pass and beat Shallow Lake goaltender Brandon Vanderschot.
Smith scored his second of the game with less than a minute to go in the first to make it 4-1.
The second period was all Winterhawks with big Alex Penner helping keep the floodgates ajar with his third of the season.
Bryan Kazarian got his fourth of the season midway through the period and then notched another late in the frame as he deposited a Brent MacDermid rebound into the Shallow Lake net to make it 7-1.
Adam Alexander rifled one in the top corner early in the third to make it 8-1.
Shallow Lake's Chad Jones got the Crushers second of the night but Blake Underwood responded to make it 9-2.
The Crushers got two more in the third but that was as close as they would get.
Things started to get ugly in the third as Winterhawk defenceman Jacob Brown levelled Shallow Lake's Kevin Beirnes and then had to fend off Ian Barnard and Mike Rocca. Brown was penalized for fighting and a hit to the head while Barnard was also sent off with a major for fighting.
Trevor Smith was named the Wismer House Player of the Game.
Prior to the game, the Winterhawks presented a cheque for $600 to the family of Crushers netminder Justin Hammond, who passed away earlier this year. The money will be donated in Hammond's name to Mental Health and Addiction Services in Grey Bruce.
with files from winterhawks.net
