The second half of the SJHL season began in earnest last week with all of the Sherwood Division teams in action.
The Sherwood Division teams each faced off and the Melfort Mustangs picked up a big win over the Flin Flon Bombers.
The Mustangs handed the Bombers their second regulation time loss with a 3-0 win in Melfort on Saturday, Jan. 6.
James Venne made 26 saves to record his first shutout of the season for Melfort.
The game was scoreless after the first and second periods.
Aidyn Hutchinson had a pair of goals for Melfort and Kaleb Binner added the other goal in the third period for the Mustangs.
Harmon Laser-Hume made 23 saves for Flin Flon.
The Bombers remain tops in both the SJHL and Sherwood Division with a record of 29-2-2-0
As of Jan. 8 the Mustangs are in second place with a record of 24-9-3-0 with 51 points, the Nipawin Hawks are in third place with a record of 16-17-0-2 with 34 points and the La Ronge Ice Wolves are in fourth place with a record of 10-21-2-1 with 23 points.
Melfort opened their post-Christmas schedule with a 6-5 overtime loss to the Ice Wolves in La Ronge on Friday, Jan. 5.
Mason Bueckert scored the winner 20 seconds into the extra frame for La Ronge.
The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and La Ronge led 3-2 after the second period.
Hutchinson had a hat trick in regulation time for Melfort; Zac Somers and Nolan Patterson added the other Mustangs’ goals.
Former Mustang Jacob Hufty had a pair of goals for the Ice Wolves; Bueckert, Rylan Silzer and Parker Layton added the other regulation time goals for La Ronge.
Venne made 37 saves for Melfort; Topher Chirico made 23 saves for La Ronge.
The Hawks closed their week with an 8-3 win over the Ice Wolves in Nipawin on Saturday, Jan. 6.
Nipawin led 2-0 after the first period and 6-1 after the second period.
Artem Hrabovetskyi and Finley Radloff each had a pair of goals for the Hawks; Vito Biondo III, Braeden Jockims, Braxton Buckberger and Ronan Buckberger added the other Nipawin goals.
Max Henderson, Lleyton Shearon and Bueckert scored for the Ice Wolves.
Tyson Endall made 22 saves for Nipawin; Chirico made 32 saves in just over 36 minutes of action for La Ronge before he was replaced by Karl Soneff who made 16 saves.
Nipawin traveled to Flin Flon and lost 4-2 to the Bombers on Friday, Jan. 5,
The Hawks led 1-0 after the first period and the game was tied 2-2 after the second period.
Jacob Michelson and Alex Bernauer scored for the Hawks.
Carter Anderson had a hat trick for Flin Flon while Justin Lies added the other Bombers’ goal.
Damon Cunningham made 32 saves for Nipawin; Harmon Laser-Hume made 40 saves for Flin Flon.
The Ice Wolves were in Wilcox to play the Notre Dame Hounds on Tuesday, Jan. 9 and in Estevan to play the Bruins on Wednesday, Jan. 10, results were not available.
The Hawks opened their post-Christmas schedule with a 7-3 win over the Kindersley Klippers in Nipawin on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
Nipawin led 3-1 after the first period and 6-2 after the second period.
Bernauer had a hat trick for Nipawin: Mason Karakochuk, Maguire Ratzlaff, Braeden Jockims and Braxton Buckberger scored the other Hawks’ goals.
Tylin Hilbig had a pair of goals for Kindersley with Cash Arntsen adding the other goal for the Klippers.
Cunningham made 34 saves for Nipawin; Cody Jaman made 12 saves in just over a period of action before he was replaced by Logan Falk who made 15 saves.
The Ice Wolve are in Weyburn to play the Red Wings on Friday, Jan. 12.
The Hawks are in Flin Flon to play the Bombers on Friday, Jan. 12 and face former coach Doug Johnson in Melville on Sunday, Jan. 14.
The Mustangs have a home-and-home with the Humboldt Broncos this weekend. The teams meet in Melfort on Friday, Jan. 12 and in Humboldt on Saturday, Jan. 13.
The SJHL and CJHL Trade Deadline is also on Jan. 10.
