Hawks season on the brink heading to Humboldt

The Nipawin Hawks are in must-win territory now going into Friday’s Game 5 matchup in Humboldt as the Broncos lead the best-of-seven Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) playoff series three games to one.

Nipawin climbed back into the series Tuesday with a win in Game 4 and in Game 4, the team looked poised to know the series at two games apiece. A resilient Humboldt team scored four times in the third to win Game Four and take a stranglehold on the series. Hawks head coach Tad Kozun said his team needs to bring the same effort they had on home ice if they hope to force a game six.

“We just have to do what we continued to do in Games 3 and 4, I thought we played really well except the third period there, that definitely costs us that game. If we can get back to doing the right things I know we can be successful,” Kozun said after the gameday skate.

The Hawks struggled in Humboldt at the Elgar Petersen Arena in the first two games of the series, they were outscored 12-2 and the Broncos had a power-play efficiency of almost 50 percent. Nipawin has altered their penalty kill, scored some goals and were just 20 minutes from tying the series. Kozun said the team believes they can play with the favoured Broncos, but need to find it within themselves if they hope to get the series back to the ‘Cage.’