By Aaron Schulze

Nipawin Hawks

Hawks comeback falls short, lose 4-3 to North Stars

Feb 11, 2019 | 9:53 AM

The Nipawin Hawks almost turned their worst start of the season into a comeback with a couple of quick goals Sunday, but it was not to be as the team still fell just short of a win.

Nearly seven minutes into the first period, the Battlefords North Stars scored three goals on their first three shots. An Owen Lamb goal off the rush 17 seconds in, a deflection off Cody Spagrud after a turnover, and another Lamb goal after a defensive breakdown and failed clearing attempt.

Trailing 3-0 just 6:32 into the first period was enough for Doug Johnson, Hawks head coach, to call a time out. However, he decided to keep his starting goaltender Declan Hobbs in, even after three goals on three shots.

“Sometimes you’ve got to let guys battle through stuff,” Johnson told northeastNOW. “You look at the goals, I really don’t think Dec was at fault on – I think he might have wanted to see that second one again – but he’s really not at fault on them. We just had huge breakdowns and that can’t happen.

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“The message was ‘wake the bleep up’.”

It was in the second period where the Hawks woke up.

Hawks forward Carson Erhardt finished his check on North Stars defenceman Garrett Johnson behind the net a second after the Battlefords D-man had passed the puck. Erhardt fought Austin Shumanski, Johnson’s teammate, with Shumanski’s instigator penalty giving the Hawks a power play.

On the ensuing man advantage, Hawks’ defenceman Colten Gerlib got his own rebound off a blocked shot and wristed the puck top shelf to cut the deficit to 3-1.

In the third, Hawks forward Jordan Simoneau skated down the left wing and wristed a goal in himself. The Hawks made it a 3-2 game with over 13 minutes to go.

However, the North Stars’ Spagrud scored 23 seconds later after he was left unchecked, and Johnson felt the Hawks’ momentum halt.

“After we scored our second goal, I thought the game was ours,” he said. To give up a goal right after, that is just inexcusable. There’s no excuse for that and it can’t happen.”

Jeremy Bisson tipped in a shot on the power play to get the Hawks within one again, although a few more chances and an extra attacker after Hobbs was pulled from his net, the comeback wasn’t meant to be.

Good news for the Hawks is they’re still first in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and have a comfortable lead in the Sherwood Division. If they win five of their final seven games, they’ll win clinch the division and a top-two seed in the SJHL playoffs.

But their next two games will come against the team right behind them for first overall, the Kindersley Klippers.

With three games in hand and only six points behind, the Klippers are the Hawks’ biggest threat at overthrowing them for home ice advantage throughout the SJHL playoffs.

Despite going into their third game in four nights, Johnson said the Hawks should be mentally and physically ready to play.

“The fatigue factor? We have a whole day to rest. That’s happened numerous times where we play three in three and sometimes have our best game on the third night.

“Guys have to play pissed off. They have to play with some emotion, and they have to show up right from the draw.”

The Hawks host their first of two straight games against the Klippers at Centennial Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow