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By Mat Barrett

New Year, Same Rivalry

Mustangs open 2023 with home and home against Hawks

Jan 6, 2023 | 9:45 AM

The calendar has turned to 2023, and the Melfort Mustangs are hoping to continue their hot play into the home stretch of the SJHL season.

Heading into the break, the Mustangs won 10 of their last 13 games, only losing one in regulation. That stretch helped propel Melfort’s record to 17-9-5-1, good for sixth in the SJHL and five points back of the second placed Ice Wolves and Bombers.

It will ultimately be a 21 day break for the Mustangs and Captain Ben Tkachuk says it was nice to get away for a bit, but he and the team are excited to get back to playing hockey.

“Coming back you’ve got to get your legs under you and your hands going,” he said. “Now it’s just preparing for the game tomorrow, keeping things simple, and we should be fine.”

The Mustangs will open a home and home set with the Nipawin Hawks on Friday, the same team they saw to close out 2022. In the set on Dec 16 and 17, Nipawin dumped Melfort at the Cage 6-3 on Friday before the Mustangs routed the Hawks on Saturday night 8-3.

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Tkachuk said it felt like two different teams that weekend and they’re looking to get back to playing their own game, especially in Nipawin, where he says there’s some adjustments that need to be made.

“Just about keeping our game simple, pucks in deep,” Tkachuk said. “Kind of putting pucks in spots where you know your teammates are going to get them.”

The Hawks are currently seventh in the SJHL, four points clear of the final playoff spot with a 14-16-1-1 record.

Friday nights game will take place at the Palace in Melfort at 7:30, while on Saturday night, the series will shift to Nipawin.