The Nipawin Hawks faced off against the Flin Flon Bombers Saturday in SJHL action. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Saturday Night Hockey

Hawks humbled in Flin Flon

Oct 2, 2022 | 1:02 PM

The Nipawin Hawks were edged 4-3 by the Bombers in Flin Flon on Saturday.

Riding a modest two-game point streak the Hawks were poised to gather a couple more points thanks to a strong first period at the Whitney Forum in northern Manitoba, but a 2-0 opening period lead wasn’t enough.

Maguire Ratzlaff opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season just a few minutes into the game, Jake Smith scored his first of the season late in the period giving the visitors the lead at the intermission.

The Bombers exploded for three goals in the second to take the lead they never relinquished. Nipawin Head Coach Tad Kozun said on the postgame show of Rona Nipawin Hawks Hockey on Beach Radio that the club needs a full game effort to win in tough venues.

“They are tough to beat up here, so you have to be ready to go for a full 60,” Kozun said. “When you fall flat in the second period it’s obviously very frustrating, especially after the start we had.”

Offering $1,000 bonus

Horizon SD bus contractor seeking bus drivers

19m ago

Middle Eastern Conflict

Canada secures limited seats on commercial flights from Lebanon as conflict widens

1h ago

supporting Canadian

Some Sask. shoppers still snub U.S. products a year after tariff war

1h ago

Flin Flon took the 3-2 lead into the third period and added another to make the score 4-2. Nipawin’s Bryden Kiesman added a goal with just one second left to finalize the scoring. Flin Flon had one powerplay goal and two more just seconds after a Hawks penalty came to a close, the Hawks were unsuccessful on four man-advantage opportunities. Kozun said the coaching staff took the blame for the Hawks’ special team woes that have cost them a few games already this season.

“Your penalty killing has to be good and your powerplay has to be difference makers and right now it hasn’t been good enough. That’s on me and Levi (assistant coach) to figure out and get this thing rolling,” he said.

Reid Lalonde suffered the loss in goal for Nipawin making 35 saves, former Hawk Harmon Laser-Hume picked up the victory against his former squad with 26 saves.

The Hawks will now prepare for three games in a three-day stretch from Wednesday to Friday starting in Notre Dame on Wednesday. Kozun said he is excited to see what the team brings after a day off Sunday.

“We need to get some guys healthy, but we also need some guys to figure it out. We haven’t seen the best out of a lot of our guys yet. It’s one of those things where we need to find that, we’re eight games in now,” he concluded.

Wednesday’s game is an 8 p.m. start. The pregame show on Beach Radio begins at 7:45 p.m.

—

clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork