The Nipawin Hawks will travel to La Ronge Friday for the final time this SJHL season. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Seventh Heaven?

Hawks travel north looking for seventh straight win

Jan 27, 2023 | 9:52 AM

Riding their longest winning streak since the start of the 2019-20 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season, the Nipawin Hawks fly into La Ronge seeking a seventh straight victory.

Nipawin has won seven of its eight games since the Christmas break and picked up victories on the road in Melfort, La Ronge, Wadena, Melville, and Rosetown during the 2023 calendar year. Most recently was a 5-2 win over Yorkton at home on Jan. 24.

Braxton Buckberger has led the way offensively for the Hawks of late scoring seven goals in their last five games. He said the Ice Wolves will provide a tough task over the next two nights.

“It’s great to see the boys going on a little bit of a roll here, we just have to keep it going. Two big games this weekend and they are going to big tests for us,” the 19-year-old Saskatoon product said.

This weekend’s home-and-home series that starts Friday at the Mel Hegland Uniplex will conclude the season’s head-to-head matchups between the two northern rivals. Each team has won a pair of games.

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Buckberger said the points up for grabs within the division are crucial for the Hawks quest to return to the postseason.

“We just have to keep making ground back in the standings,” he said. “There are four points we need in division, the boys just need to keep it going.”

The Hawks have used the hot streak to solidify a playoff position, the club is seventh overall and they have 14 points between them and the ninth-place Notre Dame Hounds with 16 games remaining. La Ronge is 10 points up on Nipawin in second, the Ice Wolves have played three more games than the Hawks.

Face-off Friday is 7:30 p.m., and the pregame show of Nipawin Rona Hawks Hockey begins on 750 Beach Radio starting at 7:15 p.m.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork