The Nipawin Hawks and Battlefords North Stars went nose-to-nose in a home-and-home weekend series that the North Stars won both games of. (Martin Martinson/BattlefordsNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Saturday Night Hockey

Hawks can’t halt North Stars streak

Dec 11, 2022 | 10:37 AM

The Nipawin Hawks tried extensively to hand the Battlefords North Stars their first regulation loss of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season this weekend, but goaltending and the league’s top sniper had other ideas.

After falling 3-1 on the road Friday Nipawin was looking for revenge on home ice Saturday. Nipawin’s Chase Visser opened the scoring just past the six-minute mark of the opening period, but the lead last just 18 seconds. After Visser scored his second of the season since being acquired in a trade on Dec. 1, Kian Bell tied the game with his SJHL-leading 24^th goal.

Colby Bear scored in the second period to give the North Stars a 2-1 lead in the second. Owen Underhill made the score 3-1 Battlefords early in the third period and Bell added an empty net goal to cap the scoring late. Despite putting 40 shots on North Stars starting goaltender Josh Kotai the Hawks still couldn’t find the win column. Nipawin Captain Maguire Ratzlaff said the team pushed the top-ranked team in both games.

“We played two good games I think,” he said after the game. “We had our mental lapses and when you play a team like the Battlefords, undefeated in regulation you are going to pay for that and we learned that pretty quick, but I think that’s a great effort by the guys.”

Nipawin also reached the 40-shot plateau In Friday’s game at the Access Communications Centre in North Battleford, but Justin Maric made 39 stops for the win in that game. Ratzlaff said the Hawks need to dig deeper to start burying their chances.

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“We have to shoot for rebounds a little more, we have to crash the net a little harder, and a good ‘F-3’ right? Find the soft spot in the top of the zone, I think that will be helpful,” Ratzlaff explained.

The Hawks have three games left before the Christmas break including a showdown with the La Ronge Ice Wolves on Tuesday at the Centennial Arena. The Hawks already have a 5-1 win over La Ronge at home this season, Ratzlaff said if the team keeps up their current work ethic success this week should follow.

“100 percent,” he agreed. “We’re playing a great game right now and have expanded to 200 feet.”

The Hawks will meet the Mustangs in a weekend home-and-home set on the weekend. Tuesday’s game is a 7 p.m. face-off.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork