Still dangerous, just in a different way

He was once one of the most feared goal scorers in the Molson Challenge Cup Soccer League, but Jon Hawco’s game has changed, even if his importance to Holy Cross hasn’t.

Hawco, who once scored 28 goals in a season, won the Challenge Cup scoring championship in 2007 with 18 goals.  However, he scored only five times during the 2009 season and had just three goals during the 2010 regular season, although his playing time was limited due to a knee injury which he picked up at last year’s nationals in Saskatoon.

Nevertheless, Holy Cross coach Jake Stanford said Hawco’s overall game improved, especially his playmaking.

”He didn’t score a lot of goals last year, but he played really well for us,” said Stanford.

Stanford said Hawco, who had knee surgery in June, has been “getting back to his old form the past few weeks” and is near 100 per cent for today’s 1-2 Page system playoff game against Mount Pearl/That Pro Look/Molson at Centennial Field in St. Lawrence.

The winner of the game will go directly to  Sunday’s final.

Stanford said Hawco will start in the playoff opener and predicts, “He will be a very dangerous person this weekend.

“I think he wants to prove he’s still the striker he was a few years ago.”

Defending champion Holy Cross finished first on 56 points from a 17-1-5 record, while Mount Pearl (15-2-6, 51 points) placed second.

An oddity about this year’s playoffs is that the perennial finalist St. Lawrence Labatt Laurentians won’t be playing in the 1-2 game.

The Laurentians, led by league scoring champion Mike Howlett (19 goals), finished in third place this season with a 15-4-4 record for 49 points and will play fourth-place Feildians Ernst & Young Orenda (8-12-3, 27 pts.) in a 5 p.m. match today. The loser is out, while the winner goes to Saturday’s semifinal against the loser of the 1-2 game.

St. Lawrence has finished either first or second since the top four-to-the playoffs format was introduced two decades ago. And St. Lawrence has finished second only twice in that time. What’s more, since 1993, the Laurentians have played in every final.

Stanford said today’s 1-2 playoff game is huge for both teams, “because no one wants to face St. Lawrence in the semifinal.”

 All four games will be broadcast live on CHCM (740). Russ Murphy will handle the play-by-play duties, while Rick Farrell will do the color and Gord Dunphy will add his commentary out of the Don Turpin Broadcast Booth.

jbrowne@thetelegram.com

Today

Game 1: 2 p.m. — Holy Cross Kirby vs  Mount. Pearl That Pro Look/Molson

Game 2:  5 p.m. — St. Lawrence Labatt Laurentians vs Feildians Ernst & Young Orenda

Saturday

Game 3: 3 p.m. — Loser of Game 1 vs winner of Game 2

Sunday

Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs winner of Game 3

Opening Ceremonies: 2:30 p.m.; Challenge Cup All-Star team and individual award winners announced

Kick–off time: 3:30 p.m.

Provincial senior men’s soccer champions since 1967:

1967 — St. Lawrence

1968 — St. Lawrence

1969 — Feildians

1970 — Grand Bank*

1971 — St. Lawrence

1972 — St. Lawrence

1973 — Holy Cross

1974 — Grand Bank

1975 — St. Lawrence

1976 — St. Lawrence

1977 — St. Lawrence

1978 — St. Lawrence

1979 — Holy Cross

1980 — St. Lawrence

1981 — Holy Cross

1982 — St. Lawrence

1983 — Holy Cross

1984 — Holy Cross

1985 — Holy Cross

1986 — Holy Cross

1987 — Lawn

1988 — Holy Cross**

1989 — Holy Cross

1990 — Burin

1991 — Burin

1992 — Holy Cross

1993 — St. Lawrence

1994 — Holy Cross

1995 — St. Lawrence

1996 — St. Lawrence

1997 — St. Lawrence

1998 — St. Lawrence

1999 — St. Lawrence

2000 — St. Lawrence

2001 — St. Lawrence

2002 — St. Lawrence

2003 — Mount Pearl

2004 — Marystown

2005 — St. Lawrence

2006 — St. Lawrence

2007 — St. Lawrence

2008 — St. Lawrence

2009 — Holy Cross

2010 — ????

* Grand Bank won provincial championship, all-star team represented Newfoundland in national play

** Won Canadian Challenge Cup