After battling visiting Oxford to a deadlock through two periods Jan. 15, the Brandon varsity hockey team took care of business in the third.
Matt Cinader earned a hat trick as the Blackhawks soundly defeated the Wolves 5-2 at the Polar Palace. With the win, Brandon improved to 9-1 on the season.
Cinader scored two of his goals in the first period, one at 2:08 of the period and the other at 13:43. Oxford scored a goal in between the two Brandon goals, leaving the Blackhawks up 2-1 at the end of the first.
The Wildcats, though, would not go away, scoring with about 5-1/2 minutes expired in the second to tie the contest at two.
Within a span of nearly three minutes in the third period, though, the Blackhawks put the game away. Mike Ross scored at 4:20 of the third on an assist from Steve Tallman; Cinader completed his hat trick at 6:21 of the third on assists from Kyle Jackson and Brandon Newman; and Craig Skidmore wrapped up the Brandon scoring at 7:01 on an assist from Troy Nuccio.
Goalie Jeff Hammond notched the win in net for Brandon.
Senior Mike Cybulski led a potent Brandon offense Jan. 7 against Linden, scoring four goals as the Blackhawks routed the Eagles 11-1 at the Polar Palace in Lapeer.