The Hawks and Ice Wolves meet for the fourth time this SJHL regular season Tuesday. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Hawks look for first win vs. Ice Wolves

Dec 3, 2024 | 12:17 PM

The Hawks seek their first win this Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season against the La Ronge Ice Wolves on Tuesday.

Nipawin has lost all three games between the teams this year by one goal including one in overtime. The Hawks are coming off a 7-5 loss in Humboldt on Saturday against the Broncos. Nipawin scored early in the game taking a 1-0 lead but fell behind by four goals, and despite never giving up the Hawks couldn’t earn a point in their third straight game last week.

“It was the start we wanted, get up early and right off the next faceoff we have another grade ‘A’ chance, a quick two-on-one that we don’t score,” Head Coach Tad Kozun reflected after the club’s game day meeting. “We let it get away from us, at 5-1 we obviously battled back to make it a hockey game.”

Special teams continue to improve for Nipawin, the club gave up a shorthanded goal last Tuesday in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Battlefords, but the Hawks scored a trio of powerplay goals in their last two games pushing their efficiency over 10 per cent. Kozun said continuing to improve in the man advantage department is crucial in the team’s success.

“We must continue to shoot pucks and stay in that mentality and now that we have a little bit of success, we must continue to do things that are making us successful and getting too fancy and getting away from it,” he said.

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In the season series with La Ronge that dates back to the opening weekend of the season in late September Nipawin has two powerplay goals in 13 chances, La Ronge is scoring at a 40 per cent rate over the three games, something Kozun says needs to change if the Hawks hope to get back in the season series.

“Our penalty killing needs to be better against them,” he admitted. “Our PK has been much, much better, our percentage is going up, so we just have to continue what we are doing. We haven’t played them since the middle of October, we’ve obviously changed some stuff up, we must be ready to go tonight.”

Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Mel Hegland Uniplex. The pregame show of Nipawin Chrysler Dodge Hawks Hockey begins at 7:15 p.m. on 750 Beach Radio.