MT. BRYDGES  – The Exeter Hawks picked up a pair of big wins on the weekend, beating the Delhi Travellers 5-4 at home Friday night and overcoming the Mt. Brydges Bulldogs 3-1 on the road Saturday night.
The Hawks are riding a five-game winning streak that has seen victories over three of the top teams in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League (SOJHL), including Delhi and Mt. Brydges.
Delhi had the second-best record in the league at press time, while Mt. Brydges was third-best.
The Hawks were fifth-best, two points behind Thamesford.
Friday against Delhi the Hawks led 2-1 after the first period, thanks to goals from Brent Rae and Colin Thompson.
Steve Gingerich put Exeter ahead 3-1 roughly 4:30 into the second frame, though Delhi tied it up with goals at 6:08 and 6:54.
Justin Reid regained the lead for Exeter at 15:22, then Rae scored his second of the game at 17:32.
Delhi scored the final goal of the game on a power play with 28 seconds left in the second period, and Exeter hung on for the win. Hawks goalie Mike Siddall had 33 saves.
"The team as a whole played really well," said Exeter head coach Jeff MacLean. "I think we were physical and we just seemed hungry. The team wanted to win and they had a good showing."
Neither Exeter nor Mt. Brydges scored in the first period of Saturday night's game, though Bulldogs player Evan Herman broke the ice with a power play effort 11:34 into the second.
Exeter's Jordan Brohman answered with a power play goal of his own at 16:20, and the score was 1-1 after 40 minutes.
The final frame saw two Hawks goals, courtesy of Tim Bilcke and Gingerich, and the Bulldogs were unable to solve Exeter goalie Gregg Dodds the rest of the way.
Dodds had 39 saves in the win.
The Hawks have two regular-season games left, but regardless of the outcome they'll face Mt. Brydges in the first round of the playoffs.
"They've got a lot of offence that we've got to really keep an eye on," MacLean said. "I think it's going to make for a good series. It's going to be a tough series, that's for sure.
"It's not going to be easy, but I think we're in a good place right now. I think we're perhaps peaking at the right time, and we're going to need everybody working hard and doing whatever it takes to win."
The Hawks have been winning games lately they wouldn't have early in the season, and an influx of players from the Junior B ranks in November is likely one reason for their success.
But MacLean acknowledged it can be difficult to add so many players mid-season,  adding that it takes time for existing players to get to know the tendencies of the newcomers.
"I think just the group meshing has been a big difference," he said. "And then again, sometimes you have to convince the guys that they're capable of doing certain things."
MacLean sees a change in the Hawks' style of play as another key reason for their late-season charge.
"I think everybody is buying into the idea that we have to block shots, we have to be physical, we have to finish our checks, stuff like that," he said.
The Hawks play two home games to end the regular season, facing Lambet