The Hawks and Red Wings faced off in game three of their SJHL first round series Tuesday in Weyburn. (Image Credit: Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Need a response

Hawks grounded in game three loss to Red Wings: game four Wednesday

Mar 26, 2026 | 12:26 PM

For the second time in their first round Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) playoff series, Nipawin is needing a response.

The Hawks are down again in the best of seven series after a 6-3 loss in Weyburn on Tuesday. Nipawin trailed the series 1-0 after the first game but responded with a win in game two. Now down two games to one; the Hawks need another response to avoid being pushed to the brink. In game three Weyburn was all over Nipawin firing 17 shots in the opening period, another 10 in the second frame and 44 overall on route to the win. Hawks’ Head Coach Tad Kozun was not thrilled with his team’s effort in the game.

“I thought the first period might have been our worst period of the year,” he admitted on the postgame show on 750 Beach Radio. “We get outshot 17 to three, the shots we had were from the blueline, we didn’t generate anything. Luckily our goalie showed up to be ready to go today.”

After a goalless first period, Weyburn opened the scoring taking a 1-0 lead. Nipawin did get themselves into a lead with two quick goals in the second period. Jack Janzen scored his fourth of the series on a powerplay and just 53 seconds later Noah Derouin scored his first career SJHL playoff goal giving the Hawks a 2-1 lead that lasted until the third period.

Weyburn tied the score at 2-2 eight minutes into the third, then scored two more times to give themselves a 5-3 lead. Late in the frame Braeden Jockims scored his second of the series to draw the Hawks back within one, but an empty net goal and late marker capped the scoring and secured a series lead for the Red Wings. Kozun said there was flashes for his group in the second period, and the team killed off a lengthy two man disadvantage to start the third, but overall that was not good enough.

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“In the second period I thought there was times we took the game over. You get the lead going into the third period feeling good, you kill off a massive five-on-three for a full two minutes to start the third and you want to roll. I just didn’t think we had our legs fully going tonight,” Kozun added.

The final shot tally was 44 to 20 in favour of the Red Wings.

Game four is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Whitecap Resources Centre. Game five will go Saturday in Nipawin.

You can hear Wednesday’s game on 750 Beach Radio starting with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com