The Nipawin Hawks swarm goaltender Jackson Fellner after a 4-3 win over Humboldt on Friday in SJHL action at the Centennial Arena. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Comeback Kids

Strong third period lifts Hawks past Humboldt

Feb 25, 2023 | 11:09 AM

The Hawks used three third period goals Friday night to propel them to a 4-3 win over Humboldt Friday in Nipawin.

Hosting the Broncos for the first time since October the Hawks were looking for their first win over Humboldt since early in the 2021 – 2022 season. In the only other meeting of the year at the Centennial Arena the Broncos routed Nipawin 11-4.

Friday’s game was tighter throughout much to the applause of the 510 people in attendance.

The Broncos got on the board first, Ben Kotylak scored the Broncos’ ninth shorthanded goal of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season late in the first period giving the visitors a 1-0 lead after one period.

Nipawin responded with a shorthanded goal of their own to tie the game 1-1 in the second period, Hudson Cameron beat Benjamin Motew for his third SJHL goal and Nipawin’s fourth goal this year while down a man.

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The lead lasted about 10 minutes before Cage Newans slapped his 19^th goal of the year past Jackson Fellner restoring Humboldt’s one goal lead that stood until the second half of the final frame.

Alex Ochitwa scored back-to-back goals in the third period to give the Hawks a 3-2 lead. The Prince George, B.C. product has six goals in his last three games. Finley Radloff added an insurance marker with under three minutes left that would tourn out to be the game winning goal. Radloff agreed that the win was the biggest of the season for Nipawin.

“Yeah definitely, I think this is a really big turning point. We’ve been slow recently, I think this will really bring us together,” the Nipawin native said after the game.

The win was the Hawks first victory against a team ahead of them in the SJHL standings since the Hawks beat La Ronge on Jan. 11. Radloff said getting over moral victories and collecting two points gives the Hawks hope gong forward including into Saturday’s return date with Humboldt a the Elgar Petersen Arena.

‘Next game I expect everybody to play with more confidence. It’s not really a milestone, just a night we can build off of,” he said.

Radloff now has three goals in his rookie season with his hometown team. Chipping in with his first career game winning goal on home ice was a moment he won’t soon forget.

“Yeah, it’s perfect. A big win, everything is perfect about it,” Radloff said.

Fellner finished with 26 stops in the win, Motew allowed four goals in 35 Nipawin shots in the loss.

With the win Nipawin pushed themselves into seventh place in the playoff race, two points up on Weyburn who lost in Flin Flon. Estevan was idle Friday, the Bruins are four points ahead of the Hawks for sixth with two more games played.

Nipawin is in Humboldt Saturday looking to sweep the weekend series.

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

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork