(Photo courtesy/Rhesa & Richard Petersen, Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

Is 2024 the key?

Hawks unable to break free from .500 bubble during 2023

Dec 21, 2023 | 2:26 PM

The Nipawin Hawks seem so close yet so far away from being one of the SJHL’s great teams during the 2023/24 season.

The Hawks have steadily been in or right around fifth place in the league standings, however, they’ve never exactly felt comfortable there.

As the club has now reached its Christmas break, wrapping up the 2023 portion of the season, they reflect on what could’ve been.

“I thought the first half was just okay, obviously our expectations are a lot higher than where we are, but the good part about it is you can’t win a championship in the first half of the year. We just have to reset during the holidays and be ready to hit the ground running because we’re looking forward to getting into the second half,” explained head coach Tad Kozun.”

“The first half, it is what it is, being 500, we can’t sit here and say it’s the worst thing ever or sit here and say it’s the best thing ever, but we’re still in a good spot, so we just got to be ready to build on it in the second half.”

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That .500 mark is courtesy of a 15-15-0-2 record through 32 games played, which is slightly better than last year’s position at this time, in which they were 14-16-1-1.

While they are currently a top-five team in the SJHL this season, they’re just six points ahead of a non-playoff spot.

“The big thing is to take those next steps, being in my second full year now, we took those steps last year to get in the playoffs, and this year we expect to take those next steps in making sure we solidify ourselves in there. We want to be in the top half instead of fighting for our playoff lives, so we have to make sure we’re ready to make a big push,” Kozun added.

One thing that the Black and Yellow will have to figure out in 2024 if they want to separate themselves from the middle of the pack, is how to put a winning streak together.

As of now, Nipawin is 11 points or more behind the league’s best, and one of the reasons for that is they have yet to win three in a row.

Consistency will have to be the key during the final stretch if they are to get to where they want to be.

“It’s making sure that you put in that 100 per cent effort, every single day, no matter who you’re playing, who’s watching, if it’s practice or away from the rink. It’s the dedication that you have to have if you want to get to that next level, so we’re just looking to find that daily consistency because it’s a long grind to play a full season and be on the ice every single day,” Kozun told northeastNOW.

The club is hopeful, whether it’s new blood in the lineup, guys getting healthy or coming back from other commitments, that they are on the brink of breaking free from slight mediocrity and becoming a force to be reckoned with when it matters most.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8