Nipawin surrounds goaltender Gage Roberts following a 5-2 win over Flin Flon in SJHL action. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Heavyweight home-and-home

Hawks head to Flin Flon riding six game tear

Dec 6, 2025 | 12:00 PM

The Nipawin Hawks will be in Flin Flon Saturday with a six game winning streak intact following Friday’s 5-2 win over the Bombers at home.

Going into Friday’s Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) game at the Centennial Arena both Nipawin and Flin Flon had won five in a row. The Bombers got an early powerplay opening up a 1-0 lead.

The Hawks responded in the second period. Captain Finley Radloff tied the game 23 seconds into the middle stanza. The four-year Hawks forward catapulted the fans into tossing teddy bears onto the ice to be dispersed over the holidays to local organizations. Another hometown Hawk, Raydr Wallington gave Nipawin the lead with his second SJHL goal, Eric Hoiness notched his seventh of the season which was the game winner.

Head Coach Tad Kozun was impressed with his team that will now go into Saturday’s game in first place in the SJHL.

“There was a lot to like tonight,” Kozun said. “We went down early at home, but we stuck to the process and kept at it. Gage [Roberts] made some unbelievable saves to keep us in it, and we got back to Hawks hockey in the second. Pressing their defensemen, creating turnovers, cycling the puck down low and driving to the net. It worked out tonight and I am really proud of the guys.”

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Roberts was named first star after making 45 saves on 47 Bomber shots. Finn Werner suffered the loss giving up four goals on 22 shots, his first loss in four starts in the SJHL.

Hudson Gainer and Clayton Nesbitt scored in the third period to cap the scoring. Nesbitt’s fourth goal was an empty net tally with Werner on the bench for an extra attacker.

The Hawks have struggled on the road in Flin Flon losing 12 straight at the Whitney Forum. Nipawin’s last win in northern Manitoba was Feb. 15, 2022. Kozun said it’s a hard trip to make, but his players must find a way.

“It’s the hardest trip in the league, long drive, dark, cold, but eventually we need to win a game there. I feel the playoffs will go through the Bombers in some way, so we need to push through the bus trip, the mentality of it all. We have a great team, this has been a tough place for us, hopefully tomorrow we find a way,” he said.

The Hawks and Bombers have split the first four games this season, three of the contests have been in Nipawin.

Saturday’s game starts at 7:30 p.m., the pregame show on 750 Beach Radio starts at 7:15 p.m.