The Sherwood Division of the SJHL closed off the first half of the season with inter-division home and home series. The La Ronge Ice Wolves lost both games in a home-and-home to the Flin Flon Bombers while the Nipawin Hawks and Melfort Mustangs split their first two meetings of the season.
Entering the Christmas break, the Ice Wolves are still in first place with a record of 21-10-2-1 with 45 points, two points ahead of the Bombers.
The Mustangs are in third place with a record of 17-5-9-1 with 40 points and the Hawks are in fourth place with a record of 14-16-1-1 with 30 points.
The Mustangs managed a split with the Hawks with an 8-3 victory over Nipawin in Melfort on Saturday, Dec. 17. Melfort led 1-0 after the first period and 7-2 after the second period.
Tye Evans and Kevin Minnoch had a pair of goals for Melfort; Ben Tkachuk, David Rioux and Tye Thornton added the other Mustangs’ goals. Chase Visser, Francois-Xavier Bedard and Alex Ochitwa responded for Nipawin.
James Venne made 15 saves for Melfort; Jackson Fellner made eight saves in just over 26 minutes of action before he was replaced by Lowen Kenyon who made 18 saves.
The Hawks opened the two-game set with Melfort with a 6-3 win on Friday, Dec. 16. It was the first time the two teams have met this season.
Nipawin led 1-0 after the first period and the game was tied 1-1 after the second period.
Hudson Cameron had a pair of goals for Nipawin, Zander Stewart, Joel Mabin, Braxton Buckberger and Ochitwa scored for the Hawks. Leyton Holoein, Dawson Leroux and Duguay responded for the Mustangs.
Fellner made 28 saves for Nipawin; Joel Favreau made 28 saves for Melfort.
The Mustangs opened their week with a 9-1 win over the Millionaires in Melville on Wednesday, Dec. 14.
Leroux had a pair of goals for Melforr; Luc Fortier, Clarke Huxley, Boston Maxwell, Hayden Tuba, Rioux and Evans added the other Mustangs’ goals. Zach Cain had the only Melville goal.
Venne made 34 saves for Melfort; Clement Labillois made 10 saves in one period of action for Melville before being relieved by Luke Brunen who made 18 saves.
Nipawin opened their week with a 4-1 loss to the Ice Wolves in Nipawin on Tuesday, Dec. 13. La Ronge led 3-0 after the first and second periods.
Tre Foquette scored the lone Nipawin goal. Ethan Strik had a pair of goals for the Ice Wolves; Kale Taylor and Mason Bueckert added the other La Ronge goals.
Smith made 30 saves for La Ronge; Fellner made 23 saves for Nipawin.
The Hawks and Mustangs play their traditional home-and-home to open the New Year beginning in Melfort on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 in Melfort and in Nipawin on Saturday, Jan. 7.
The Bombers won 3-2 in a shootout over the Ice Wolves in La Ronge on Saturday, Dec. 17. Cory King scored the winner for the Bombers in a 10 round shootout.
The Ice Wolves led 1-0 after the first and the game was tied 1-1 after the second. Dylan Handel and Kaycee Coyle scored for La Ronge in regulation. Cole Duperrault and Jeremi Tremblay responded for the Bombers in regulation.
Dawson Smith made 38 saves for the Ice Wolves; Harmon Laser-Hume made 24 saves for the Bombers.
Flin Flon opened the home-and-home with a 5-1 win over the Ice Wolves in Flin Flon on Friday, Dec. 16. The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and the Bombers led 5-1 after the second.
Jacob Cossette scored the lone Ice Wolves goal. Jaxon Martens had a pair of goals for Flin Flon; Jacob Vockler, Brent Gulenchyn and Duperreault added the other Bombers’ goals.
Topher Chirico made 40 saves for La Ronge; Laser-Hume made 28 saves for Flin Flon.
La Ronge opened their week with a 3-1 win over the Humboldt Broncos in Humboldt on Wednesday, Dec. 14. Humboldt led 1-0 after the first period and the game was tied 1-1 after the second period.
Trenton Curtis, Cossette and Handel scored for La Ronge. Alec Saretsky responded for the Broncos.
Smith made 32 saves for the Ice Wolves; Benjamin Motew made 17 saves for Humboldt.
The Bombers and Ice Wolves meet again to open the second half of the season on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 in La Ronge. The Ice Wolves then travel to the Battlefords to face the North Stars on Wednesday, Jan. 4.
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