(Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

By Mat Barrett

Mustangs defeat Hawks

Mustangs get first win of 2020 against rival Hawks

Jan 4, 2020 | 9:04 AM

It’s a new year and maybe a new Melfort Mustangs, at least when they visit Centennial Arena in Nipawin, otherwise known as “The Cage”.

After only scoring one goal in their previous three meetings against the Hawks in Nipawin, the Mustangs scored three times in a 3-2 win to kick off 2020 on Friday, Jan. 3.

The win comes almost two weeks after the Mustangs fell 2-0 right before the Christmas break. Head Coach Trevor Blevins said the team’s competition level was there this time around.

“I just think it was a better effort overall for us, a good bounce back game,” he said.

“And we can get back home and maybe have a little bit more time and space and maybe play a little bit more of a paced game that we like to play.”

Riderville

Now for the Hard Part

Dec 10, 2025

Grey Cup!!!

Everything you wanted and more

Nov 21, 2025

Ferland earns Grey Cup ring

'A wonderful human being': High school coach thrilled Logan Ferland is a Grey Cup champion

Nov 17, 2025

The hometown Hawks were the first ones to get on the scoresheet in Friday’s game. A Dawson McKenzie breakaway chance was stopped by Mustang goalie Shawn Parkinson, but was followed up by Brodie Girod who scored to make it 1-0.

The Hawks led the shot clock 3-1 early in the period, but the last half of the period seemed to be all Mustangs as they led the shots 7-5 after the first. Colby Brett fired one by Ross Hawryluk with just a couple minutes remaining in the frame to tie things at one.

Nipawin got a couple scoring chances early in the second period, but it was Melfort who got the next marker as Christian Albertson won a faceoff to Ben Tkachuk. Tkachuk found some room and fired a deadly wrist shot passed Hawryluk to make it 2-1.

Melfort had to kill off around four minutes of penalties in the middle portion of the period. The team only gave up one goal on what ended up counting as four chances on the powerplay for Nipawin.

Jake Tremblay got the powerplay marker to tie it up at two. The Mustangs were able to hold off the Hawks though and got another offensive chance as a Colby Brett shot found it’s way onto Hawryluk who kicked a rebound to Albertson. The 18-year-old forward made no mistake on the rebound and made it 3-2.

The Hawks pushed hard in the third, firing a total of 13 shots at Parkinson, but none of those slipped by the veteran goalie as the Mustangs got their first win in Nipawin this season.

The rivals meet again on Saturday, Jan. 4 in Melfort.

–

mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6