No playoff bye for the Skyhawks

Skyhawks with a great chance that's thwarted by Beavers goalie Mike Wuthrich. Photo by Jazz Mathon.

Shortly after scoring three goals in a minute and fifteen seconds to retake the lead in the third, the North Bay Skyhawks surrendered two to fall 6-5 to the Blind River Beavers.

The Hawks needed a win to finish second in the standings and earn a bye in the playoffs. With the loss, the Abitibi Eskimos now get a two week break, along with the first place Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds.

The Skyhawks took control of the game scoring the first two goals courtesy Justin Roy and Marcel Konopelky.

In the second Blind River went on to score four unanswered goals and regained the momentum early in the third period.

But just as it looked like the game was out of reach with less than six minutes on the clock, the Hawks put on an amazing comeback. Konopelky cut the lead to one at 14:13, then Travis Bradshaw evened the score 40 seconds later. Just 20 seconds later the gardens erupted once again as A.J. Shiverdecker lit the lamp to give North Bay the 5-4 lead.

However, the celebration was short lived as the Beavers tied the game with three minutes left and delivered the knockout blow soon after.

Despite pulling Ian Wilson at the two minute mark the Hawks could not put their rally caps back on and get the equalizer.

Skyhawks head coach Ian Swalucynski felt it was clearly not the way the Skyhawks wanted to end the regular season.

“Bad back check, bad pinch, probably the best effort as far as coming back, I mean we really started working hard working together, and two bad decision and they score,” noted the rookie bench boss who took over for Darren Turcotte close to the halfway point in the season.

With the loss, North Bay finishes the regular season in third place and will face the Manitoulin Islanders in the first round of the NOJHL playoffs.

Swalucynski says the team was prepared for either scenario and says his team will be ready.

There is no word yet what day the series will begin.