Photo credit: sasksportsphotography.com
home win elusive

Hawks’ power play prowess punishes Wolverines

Oct 10, 2025 | 11:29 PM

The top-ranked power play in the SJHL stayed hot on Friday as the Nipawin Hawks scored three goals with the man advantage and added another on a penalty shot en route to a 6-1 win over the Warman Wolverines at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex.

Konnor Watson tallied all three power play goals to record the first hat trick of his SJHL career while Will Whitter notched the first penalty shot goal in the league this season. Carter Anderson and Ashton Tait also scored for Nipawin while Gage Roberts made 31 saves to backstop the victory. Cam Sarna scored the Wolverines lone goal of the night.

The Hawks’ power play entered the night producing at a 28 per cent clip — and 41.7 per cent on the road — and on their first opportunity of the game, Watson fired a shot from the slot past Wolverines goaltender Taye Timmerman at the 13:43 mark for what turned out to be the only goal of the opening period.

Nipawin doubled its lead 20 seconds into the middle frame as Anderson jammed one home from in tight, then made it 3-0 at 3:27 when Watson netted his second power play marker, capitalizing on a fortunate bounce after a blocked point shot came right to him at the side of the net.

The Hawks caught another break midway through the period, this time after a pass attempt deflected to Watson, who once again found himself in the right place at the right time and put the loose puck past Timmerman to complete his hat trick. The Spiritwood, Sask., product now has seven goals in seven games this season, with a league-leading five coming on the power play.

Sarna broke up the shutout with a power play marker of his own eight minutes into the third period, batting the puck out of midair after a goalmouth scramble for his third of the season. That gave the Wolverines some life but any hope of a late comeback fizzled out with five minutes left when Wylie Smith took down Whitter on the rush and the Hawks forward was awarded a penalty shot, which he converted to give Nipawin a 5-1 lead.

Tait rounded out the scoring 1:20 later, burying a centering pass from Jaxen Smyth, who earned the assist for his first SJHL point in his first SJHL game.

The Hawks outshot the Wolverines 43-32 and went 3-for-5 with the man advantage. Warman’s power play scored once on five chances. Nipawin’s record now matches Friday’s score at 6-1 while Warman falls to 1-6-1 on the season.

The Wolverines are back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 14, when they visit the La Ronge Ice Wolves. Every Wolverines game can be heard on SaskNow.com.

X: @RFlahertypxp

View Comments