The Hawks celebrate Noah Heinrich's first SJHL goal Sunday in Melville. (Submitted photo/Cohen Massier)

By Clark Stork

Close but not close enough

Hawks fall in another close one with the Millionaires

Feb 3, 2025 | 12:55 PM

Nipawin was swept by the Melville Millionaires in two closely contested Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) games this weekend.

After a 3-2 Millionaires win Saturday in Nipawin, Melville added a 3-1 triumph Sunday at CN Community Centre.

After two goalless periods, four goals were scored in the final frame. Melville opened a 2-0 lead before Noah Heinrich cut the lead to 2-1 with his first career goal in the SJHL. Unfortunately for Nipawin, the team couldn’t find the equalizer and Melville sealed the win with an empty net tally late in the game. Head Coach Tad Kozun said the Millionaires picked up their game in the third and his club didn’t.

“You go into that third period, and you’ve got to elevate,” he said on the postgame show on 750 Beach Radio. “They elevated and we kind of stood around and watched them. We didn’t have enough guys going tonight, we need our top guys to be our top guys and right now they definitely are not.”

The turning point of the game was the third period where the Hawks were awarded a lengthy two man advantage and could not capitalize. Ashton Tait did hit the crossbar on an open net, but Nipawin being unsuccessful on five powerplays was instrumental in the loss.

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“That’s a time of the game where you can get your hockey team right back in the game and obviously our powerplay didn’t get it done today,” Kozun said.

Nipawin’s busy February will continue Tuesday with the Flin Flon Bombers travelling to the Centennial Arena. Kozun said the team will regroup and look for a gameplan to try and slow down the vaunted Bombers attack.

“A trip home here tonight, go over some video on Monday and draw something up for Flin Flon on Tuesday,” he concluded in Melville.

Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Centennial Arena.