Black Hawks ready for semifinal game against Old Town

The Houlton-Hodgdon Black Hawks will travel to Winslow on Saturday to take on the Old Town Coyotes in a semifinal matchup for the right to play in the Eastern Maine final next Tuesday at Orono.
The game time is yet to be determined, as Presque Isle is playing off with Lawrence to determine who will play Brewer in the other semifinal game. With a Presque Isle victory, the Black Hawks will play the 8 p.m. game, if the other County team fails to make the semis, the Black Hawks will square off with Old Town at 5 p.m.
    The match with the Coyotes will pit the Black Hawks against the Eastern Maine Class B Player of the Year in Cody Cross. Cross has been Old Town’s leading scorer for the last three years and is winding down his career with more than 160 points. Old Town also is led by forward David Wilcox and netminder Nathan Colloninno.
The Black Hawks have handled the Coyotes in both games this season with an early season 8-1 victory at home and a much closer 3-2 win at the Alfond in early February.
The Black Hawks finished the regular season in second place in Eastern Class B with a 15-3 record only losing to the first-place teams in both Eastern and Western Maine. The Black Hawks have been led by two high-scoring lines. Ben Ward, Cody Briggs and Logan Holmes have combined for more than 80 points this season and Dylan Gard, Ian Gervais and Parker Sanderson have tallied more than 70. Sam Fitzpatrick, Jordan Russell and Lucas Grant have given the Black Hawks a proven checking line to round out the forwards.
Malik Abouleish has been solid in goal this season and the defense in front of him is anchored by senior Kam Lincoln. Lincoln’s defensive partner is Brandon Ward and the other defensive tandem is Jordan Brown and Jimmy Fitzpatrick. D.J. McGary has given the team a solid fifth defenseman.
“We are looking forward to the playoffs as it has been our focus the entire season,” said Black Hawks coach Joel Trickey. “Our match against Old Town should be a good game, but we feel that if we come out with our high energy game we should find ourselves looking at another Eastern Maine final showdown with Brewer.
“The Coyotes are a good club, but we feel that we have the numbers and team defense to wear them down and take the game,” Trickey added. “However in the playoffs anything can happen. At this point in the season, a lot depends on which team wants to keep playing and we’re hoping our players will have the energy and desire to take them to the state finals in Lewiston.”