The Nipawin Hawks were in Estevan Friday to take on the Bruins in SJHL action. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Friday Night Lights

Hawks lose overtime heartbreaker and two top forwards

Feb 11, 2023 | 9:43 AM

A shorthanded Hawks hockey club grinded out a point in a 2-1 overtime loss in Estevan Friday night.

Taking on the Bruins in their second game of a three-game road trip Nipawin was looking for a win at Affinity Place, something that hasn’t occurred since Kenzie Arnold scored the game winning goal in game six of the 2018 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) final.

After dropping a 2-1 regulation decision in Notre Dame Thursday the Hawks headed south to Estevan for the fifth and final meeting of the year with the reigning SJHL champions.

Neither team was able to score in the opening period, Estevan opened the scoring midway through the second period with their SJHL leading eighth shorthanded goal of the year courtesy Mitch Kohner. Nipawin’s Zander Stewart tied the game late in the second with his seventh goal of the year.

The teams traded blows throughout the game with both Damon Cunningham and Cam Hrdlicka standing tall in goal for their clubs.

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Already down 19-year-old forward Joel Mabin after taking a hit in the corner, following a face-off in Nipawin’s zone during a penalty-kill in the third period Nipawin centreman Rylan Lefebvre got tangled up with a couple of players and had his arm cut with a skate. Play, and the game was immediately stopped while the three-year Hawk forward was attended to quickly. The team will provide an update Saturday.

After the game Nipawin Head Coach and General Manager Tad Kozun was proud of his team for their play and dealing with a scary situation.

“It’s one of those games that hey, we really competed and it’s tough to see it end like that because we deserved a better fate,” he said. “You lose two guys up front, you never want to see something like that, there was a lot of blood out there. The way they came together, battled to the end. It’s kudos to the group we have.”

Owen Miley scored the overtime-winning goal with a minute left in the five-minute period. Nipawin does earn a point and continues to hold down the seventh playoff spot in the SJHL.

Kozun added that he wants to see more of this type of effort from his club heading into the final 11 games of the season.

“That’s how we have to play all the time,” he added. “It just can’t be when we want or when we decide to. If we play like that all the time we’re going to have a lot of fun this year.”

Cunningham finished as the game’s first start making 31 saves, Hrdlicka stopped 27 shots.

The Hawks are three points ahead of the Weyburn Red Wings, Nipawin’s foe on Saturday as the club concludes their road trip.

Face-off is 7 p.m. from Crescent Point Place. The game will be broadcasted on 750 Beach Radio, there will be no pregame show due to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey broadcast.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork