HAWKS committed ice hockey suicide last night...snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

Leading 6-2 and coasting, Hawks stunned their supporters with a quite remarkable collapse which saw the previously pedestrian Vikings from Dumfries run in seven goals on the bounce.

The sort of night to turn air blue and hair grey.

Hawks were two up in no time thank to Patrik Ferlander and Lee Cowmeadow and then they responded admirably when the Vikings fought back to level...scoring four in a row to build up a sound lead midway through the second period.

But, for no apparent reason, the jitters set in and the Vikings totally turned the tables. The final half hour saw the visitors win 7-0 to leave major question marks over Hawks defensive capabilities.

Too easily were the visitors allowed to swarm forward and too easily were long range shots allowed to find a route to goal. At the other end, Vikings net-minder Gordon Langford turned in an inspired final period although some of the Hawks shooting was woeful.

Period scores: 4-2, 2-3, 0-5.

Scoresheet: Patrik Ferlander 1+1, Lee Cowmeadow 1+0, Ismo Rokala 1+0, Jim Pennycook 1+1, Paul Fleury 1+1, Johan Goransson 1+0, Bobby Haig 0+1, Tom Burridge 0+1.

An ice hockey exhibition is touring local libraries. The next planned stop is in Whalley on Thursday, September 26 (6pm). Various players will be in attendance.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.