MT. BRYDGES – At the outset of their first-round playoff series, few anticipated the Exeter Hawks would dispense of the Mt. Brydges Bulldogs – one of the SOJHL’s better teams this year – in five games.
The Hawks did it, though, wrapping the best-of-seven series with a 5-1 win on the road March 4.
The win advances them to a battle with the defending league champion North Middlesex Stars, another best-of-seven series set to begin last night (Tuesday) in Parkhill.
Exeter had trouble with Mt. Brydges at times in the series, and allowed seven goals in Game 3. Their margins of victory were decisive, however: each win came with at least a three-goal cushion.
The Hawks were for the most part able to neutralize Mt. Brydges’ formidable offence, including Yeck Conference scoring champion Brendan Heffernan, who had just two points in the series.
“We were trying to pay attention to that match-up,” said Hawks head coach Jeff MacLean. “We had two lines that we were trying to make sure were out against Heffernan’s line the whole series, and I guess it seemed to work.”
Heffernan registered no points in the March 4 game, which saw the Hawks lead 2-0 after the first period thanks to goals from Tim Burtch and Justin Reid.
Bulldog player Luke Vanderhulst scored on a power play early in the second period, but Reid and Jake Jeffrey answered with Hawks goal later in the frame.
Hawks forward Matt Dawdy scored the game’s only other goal 6:45 into the third period, and Exeter goalie Gregg Dodds had 26 saves in the win.
North Middlesex fell into a 3-1 hole in its first-round series against the Lambeth Lancers but rallied to win it in seven games.
MacLean said he anticipates a much tougher series against the stars than the Hawks saw in the first round.
“They’re going to be ready,” MacLean said, adding that coming back from a 3-1 deficit was likely a confidence-builder.
“It’s going to be a battle, and I don’t expect this one to be a short series either way,” he said. “It’s going to be entertaining, I think.”
A key match-up will be between Dodds and Aaron Bedard, the league’s two top-rated goaltenders during the regular season.
“Goaltending’s going to be a big factor,” MacLean said. “We’re real happy with our goaltending right now – with Gregg at this time. He’s making the stops that we need at the right times.
“Aaron, on the other end obviously took on a big responsibility there, helping his team come back from a 3-1 deficit. He’s stopping the puck at the right times too, so I think the goaltending match-up is going to be good.”
MacLean said the message conveyed by Hawks coaches to their players this series will be the same as it’s been all along.
“We’re not changing our game,” he said. “We’re going to continue to do the things that have made us successful, and that is being physical and doing whatever it takes to win.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to instill in (our players) for a couple of months now. It’s just doing whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Game 2 of the North Middlesex series is set for a 7:30 p.m. start Friday at the South Huron Recreation Centre.