The Nipawin Hawks celebrate a 7-4 win in Kindersley on Friday. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Slow start, fast finish

Hawks start slow on route to win in Kindersley

Nov 19, 2022 | 12:00 PM

The Hawks found themselves down 4-0 halfway through the first period in Kindersley Friday, but Nipawin found flight and beat the Klippers 7-4.

Hosting the Hawks for back-to-back home games this weekend, Kindersley jumped on Nipawin early opening a 3-0 lead and chasing starting netminder Reid Lalonde from the net after the 18 year-old allowed three goals on 12 shots. Jackson Fellner came on in relief, allowed the Klippers to take a four goal lead before the Hawks responded.

Alex Johnson scored his third goal of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season and first of the game late in the first to give the Hawks hope.

“That’s a key goal and turning point in the game,” the 20-year-old told northeastNOW after. “I didn’t do much on that goal, I am not going to lie. That was all Reid McKay, he made a nice move and gave me a backdoor tap in, I am just thankful I went to the net with my tick on the ice.”

Heading to the intermission down 4-1 Nipawin scored four more in the middle period, Joel Mabin, Alyandro De Leon, Reese Malkewich, and McKay all scored in the second period giving Nipawin a 5-4 lead going to the third period. Johnson said the team may have taken the 12^th place Klippers too lightly off the start.

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“We talked about not dropping to their level, in the first period we maybe did a bit, but it was a great character win,” he said.

De Leon and Johnson added goals in the third period to cap the scoring. Johnson has five goals on the season and four goals against Kindersley in the last two games. The Calagary product had a pair in a 5-4 win over Kindersley on Nov. 11 at the Centennial Arena. He said his confidence is building as the season progresses.

“It’s a big building block. This does give me confidence going forward and I hope I can build off it tomorrow,” he said.

Fellner picked up the win in goal making 31 saves in relief, Logan Falk suffered the loss for Kindersley allowing five goals on 33 shots. Cody Jaman came on in relief in the third period and allowed a pair of Nipawin goals on 18 shots.

The teams will meet against in Kindersley on Saturday.

“We will keep a short memory, we will go in with a clean sheet and look to bring home four points from the weekend,” Johnson concluded.

Face-off is 7:30 p.m., the pregame show on Rona Nipawin Hawks Hockey on 750 Beach Radio begins at 7:15 p.m.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork