By Clark Stork

Comeback Falls Short

Hawks battle back to earn point against La Ronge

Dec 4, 2021 | 2:45 AM

The Nipawin Hawks had to claw from behind Friday night in a home-ice contest with La Ronge earning a much-needed point in a 3-2 shootout loss.

Nipawin came into the contest with wins in all four games between the two northern Saskatchewan rivals, but in meeting number five, La Ronge looked to turn the tide.

After a goalless first period that saw 21 shots fired on both Harmon Laser-Hume and Xavier Cannon the Ice Wolves took the lead in the second period. Gavin Mattey and Curren Wintonyk-Pilot both beat Laser-Hume giving La Ronge a 2-0 lead through 40 minutes.

The Hawks found flight in the third period; Braxton Buckberger scored his fifth of the season just over two minutes into the final period cutting the lead in half. Nipawin’s Carter Wickenheiser tied the game with his third goal of his rookie Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season knotting the game at 2-2.

Neither team could break the deadlocked in the final 13 minutes, or through the five-minute overtime period. Mattey was the lone player to score giving the Wolves the win. Buckberger said battling back to get a point was important.

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“We clawed out a point, it was a good third period by the guys to come out and score two goals and make it a hockey game. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get one in overtime,” he said after the game.

The Hawks needed an offensive spark after going more than eight periods without scoring a goal. The club finally hit the scoresheet and rookie defenseman Nikolaus Fomradas took it upon himself to stand up to La Ronge’s Logan Gallaher, a larger 2002 born forward in a spirited scrap. Buckberger said seeing young players step up defend teammates goes a long way.

“It fired the boys up, I know everyone was loving it,” Buckberger said. “It’s exactly what you want from the kid, and everyone loves him. It got me going for the third.”

Laser-Hume made 27 saves in the loss, he allowed the Mattey goal in the shootout, La Ronge didn’t need their third attempt thanks to Cannon’s three saves on Andrew Schaab, Wichenheiser, and Buckberger.

With the extra point, La Ronge moves into a tie with Nipawin and Kindersley for the final playoff spot two games ahead of the midway point of the SJHL season.

The teams will meet again Saturday in La Ronge with key points at stake. Buckberger said the team needs to push the Ice Wolves around in their rink and win the weekend.

“We have to be physical with them, get pucks behind their defensemen, and dig out a dirty two points on the road,” he said.

Faceoff is 7:30 p.m., the game will be broadcast on Saskatchewan’s New Beach Radio beginning at 7:15 p.m.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork