Both Alex Johnson (left) and Ethan Zielke each scored in Saturday's SJHL game between Nipawin and Humboldt. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Saturday Night Hockey

Hawks doubled by Broncos

Feb 26, 2023 | 10:23 AM

The Nipawin Hawks got down early Saturday in Humboldt and did bounce back but fell 4-2 to the Broncos.

Looking for the weekend home-and-home series sweep after Nipawin edged the Broncos 4-3 Friday at home but couldn’t upset Humboldt on home ice where the Broncos have now won their last 11 games.

The Broncos jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period before Alex Johnson scored his 12^th goal and 50^th point of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and Maguire Ratzlaff snapped his team-leading 23^rd goal of the year past Jared Picklyk to tie the game at 2-2. Unfortunately for the Hawks their captain was hit with a late hit after the goal that knocked him out of the game with no call on the play.

The Broncos scored again in the second to take a 3-2 lead, Lucas Ceccareli added his second of the game late in the third period to cap the scoring and secure the Humboldt win. Hawks Head Coach Tad Kozun was proud of the way his team bounced back after the early deficit.

“I am happy with the guys and how we battled back, we didn’t let that deflate us at all. We kept playing, we kept battling back, we kept grinding,” Kozun said.

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Jackson Fellner started for the Hawks, he was relieved by Damon Cunningham after Fellner allowed the opening two goals. Cunningham took the loss only allowing one goal on 26 Humboldt shots. Picklyk made 24 stops in the win.

The Hawks are currently in seventh place in the SJHL standings, and the Broncos are in second, so these teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs. Kozun said getting the win Friday will go a long ways for his group if the teams clash in round one.

“Getting a split against these guys when realistically there is good chance we see them in a couple weeks again,” he said. “Our job isn’t done though, we don’t have an ‘X’ beside our name so we’re not going to look that far ahead.”

Nipawin is 11 points ahead of the ninth-place Notre Dame Hounds, the Hawks have six games remaining, the Hounds have eight. Nipawin hosts the Kindersley Klippers Tuesday at the Centennial Arena. Face-off is 7 p.m.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork

by Clark Stork

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Hawks doubled by Broncos

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