Hamilton would score four unanswered goals on their way to ending an 11-game winning streak in ACH action on Friday night as they defeated the Blast 4-2 in Brantford.  Dean Strong and Mitch McCrank each had a goal and an assist for the Steelhawks while Jamie Williams picked up the game winner early in the second period.  With the win and Dundas’ loss to Thorold, the Steelhawks move within a point in the standings of the Real McCoys for the final playoff spot with five games remaining in the regular season.

Hamilton spotted the Blast a pair of goals, with the first coming on the power play when Josh McQuade was assessed a major penalty for interference.  The Steelhawks cut the lead in half with 4:27 left in the opening period when Strong scored his first goal of the season, in his fourth game as a member of the Hamilton squad.  Taylor Carnevale would tie the game at two for the Steelhawks, scoring with a second left in the opening period of play.

Hamilton would pick up their third straight goal just 1:55 into the second period to take the first lead for good on Williams’ fifth of the season, which would be the only goal of the middle stanza.

Brantford looked to tie the game up just past the halfway mark of the third period but Hamilton’s Dalton McGrath made a huge glove save to keep the Steelhawks up by one.  McCrank would go on to score the loan goal of the third, which was shorthanded and into the empty net with 30 seconds left in the game.

The win not only ended Hamilton’s losing streak but it also ended the Blast’s home unbeaten streak in regulation this season.

Hamilton will stay out on the road and will head to Whitby on Saturday to take on the Dunlops starting at 6:30 PM.

Tickets for all Hamilton Steelhawks home games are available for purchase at the team’s website www.hamiltonsteelhawks.com or at the Dave Andreychuk Mountain Arena on game day.

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GAME SUMMARY
Period 1
BFD – Mark Taylor (Jeff Caister, Mike Burgoyne) PPG 6:57
BFD – Mike Burgoyne (Shane Terry, Charlie Stephens) 13:10
HAM – Dean Strong (Kevin Rebelo, Mark Vida) 15:33
HAM – Taylor Carnevale (Cody Wilson, Mitch McCrank) 19:59

Period 2
HAM – Jamie Williams (Dean Strong, Mark Vida) 1:55

Period 3
HAM – Mitch McCrank (Unassisted) SHG 19:30

SHOTS
Brantford: 18 – 6 – 15 – 39
Hamilton: 17 – 11 – 19 – 47

POWER PLAYS
Brantford: 1 for 3
Hamilton: 0 for 2

Molson Cup 3 Stars
1st – Dean Strong (HAM)
2nd – Mark Burgoyne (BFD)
3rd – Dalton McGrath (HAM)
Hardest Worker –  Mitch McCrank (HAM)