Bryden Kiesman (9) celebrates his third goal of the game Wednesday as the Hawks beat Estevan 6-3 in SJHL action. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Sharp Shooter

Kiesman’s hat trick leads Hawks over Bruins

Sep 22, 2022 | 11:19 AM

The Nipawin Hawks doubled the Estevan Bruins Wednesday 6-3 on the heels of Bryden Kiesman’s first Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) hat trick.

The 20-year-old Winnipeg product scored twice in the second period and another in the third to up his season goal total to an SJHL-leading five.

“I couldn’t do it without all the guys,” Kiesman told northeastNOW after the game. “Everyone battled, everyone gave it all tonight, that’s all that matters.”

Maguire Ratzlaff opened the scoring for the Hawks with his fourth goal of the year in the first, and the 1-0 cushion held until the second period. Estevan scored twice to take a 2-1 lead at the halfway point of regulation. Kiesman tied the game at 2-2 before the Bruins jumped ahead again on an Aleksa Babic penalty shot goal.

Kiesman tied the game again with 13 seconds left in the second giving Nipawin momentum going into the third that exploded into three goals. Kiesman again early in the third, Joel Mabin scored his second of the season and Reese Malkevich scored on a seeing-eye wrist shot from the blueline to finalize the scoring. Kiesman said his good start has come from playing well in all areas of the ice.

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“I must stay humble and make sure we’re all doing the right things. We make sure we’re doing right as a team and it will lead to more goals,” he said.

All three goals Kiesman scored were shots to the right top corner of the net. He becomes the first Hawk to score a hat trick since Burke Simpson scored three times against Melfort on Nov. 6, 2022. He said the Estevan netminders left the spot open and he took advantage.

“Rylan Lefebvre doing good a job in front of the net, the boys getting me an open lane to shot, if it’s open, I will put it there,” he said.

Nolan McDowell earned his first SJHL win in goal for Nipawin making 22 stops for the win.

The Hawks are off until Sunday evening when they face Yorkton in Warman at the SJHL Showcase. Kiesman said he’s thinking about his post-junior hockey career going into the Showcase but added putting the team first will show potential suiters all they need to see.

“The end goal is to play university in Canada somewhere, but again like I said, put the team first and make sure we come out with four points in Warman,” he said.

The Hawks have now won two and lost two games this season. Sunday’s contest in Warman begins at 7:30 p.m.

The club also announced Thursday morning that rookie defenceman Ty Woodard has been traded to the Red Lake Miners of Canada’s Superior International Junior Hockey League for a player development fee.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork