(Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Back-to-back wins

Hawks diffuse Bombers in Flin Flon

Feb 16, 2022 | 10:31 AM

The Nipawin Hawks have won back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 11 and 14 after Tuesday’s 4-2 victory in Flin Flon over the Bombers.

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) club followed their 4-3 shootout win Sunday at home with a spirited win over the SJHL’s third-ranked team.

The Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period at the Whitney Forum courtesy of Carter Wickenheiser’s fourth career goal and Maquire Ratzlaff’s second SJHL goal.

Nikolaus Fomradas, 17, put Nipawin up 3-0 in the second period with his first career SJHL goal. The Bombers scored twice in the second closing the gap to 3-2 but Ratzlaff iced the game with his second of the night on the power play late in regulation securing the Hawks’ 16^th victory of the season and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Fomradas said the vibe in the dressing room is positive for the team right now.

“It’s obviously energetic right now,” he said. “The boys are loving it and we need to just keep building from here and take it into this weekend.”

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Fomradas also had an assist in the game setting up Wickenheiser for the game’s opening goal. Prior to scoring his first in the second period, the Hawks were forced to kill a double minor Fomradas took the shift before. The Hawks killed the four-minute penalty off and Fomradas followed with the game-winning goal.

“Obviously the guys on the other team were chirping me, but I came out the next shift and scored that goal,” he said.

Harmon Laser-Hume was the game’s first start. Nipawin’s 18-year-old goaltender was credited with 53 saves in the win. Flin Flon starter Ben Montgomery allowed three goals on 24 shots, the fourth goal was scored while he was on the Bombers bench for an extra attacker as Flin Flon was trying to tie the score.

The Hawks now sit eight points out of the final playoff spot with nine games to play. Nipawin will host Humboldt on Friday and Melfort on Saturday. Fomradas said the team needs to continue their momentum going into the crucial weekend games.

“It’s a big weekend with the parent-billet weekend coming up. We will hope to play the same and pull out two more big wins this weekend,” he said.

Both games will face off at 7:30 p.m. at the Centennial Arena.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork