The Melville Millionaires beat Nipawin for the first time since 2015 on Tuesday in Melville. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Hawks falter in Melville

Offensive struggles continue for Hawks

Oct 27, 2021 | 9:32 AM

The Millionaires extended the Nipawin Hawks losing streak to three games following Tuesday’s 4-1 defeat in Melville in Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) play.

Coming into the contest the Hawks had won 12 straight over the Millionaires, all in regulation time dating back to the 2015 postseason, but Melville made sure that losing slide was curbed as well.

Millionaires’ Zach McIntyre opened the scoring in the first and Noah Wills added a goal in the second for Melville giving the home side leads of 1-0 and 2-0 at the intermissions. Nipawin fought back in the third period when Alex Johnson scored his first goal of the season early in the final period cutting the lead to 2-1.

The Millionaires answered when Jonathan Krahn restored Melville’s two goal lead with under four minutes to play in regulation, Charles-Thomas Larochelle capped the scoring with an empty net marker.

Head Coach Doug Johnson said on the postgame show on Saskatchewan’s New Beach Radio that his team had chances and perhaps deserved a better outcome.

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“We have five posts, three breakaways, a wide-open net, numerous guys net front and we can’t bury,” he said.

The defeat drops the Hawks record to under .500 at 6-7-0-1 and leaves them in seventh in the SJHL standings. After the team started 4-0 on the season, they have gone 2-7-0-1 with minimal offense generated. Johnson said the frustration is starting to mount among the club.

“It’s about as frustrating and disappointing as I’ve been in my time in Nipawin,” he said. “We have a lot with this team but it’s night after night after night we are finding ways to beat ourselves.”

Dylan Lacroix suffered the loss in goal making 28 stops. Melville’s Alexis Giroux was credited with 25 saves in the victory.

Nipawin was 0/3 on the powerplay, Melville scored once on a trio of man advantage opportunities.

The Hawks will look to return to the win column Saturday at home against the Kindersley Klippers. Johnson said the team needs to be more ready to play when called upon.

“It’s eating me up, I know it’s eating Tad (Kozun, assistant coach) and Emma (Galloway, athletic therapist), it’s got to be eating the players. We just need to be better, there has to be more pride in our game,” he said.

Faceoff on Saturday at the Centennial Arena is 7:30 p.m.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork