Three of four Sherwood Division teams have clinched playoff berths

Three of the four teams in the SJHL Sherwood Division have clinched playoff spots over the past week with the Melfort Mustangs, La Ronge Ice Wolves and Flin Flon Bombers all punching their tickets to the post-season.

The Nipawin Hawks are still in position to clinch the seventh seed and assure all four teams in the division advance to the playoffs.

As of Feb. 19, the Ice Wolves are in second place with a record of 29-17-3-2 with 63 points, two points behind the Bombers. Melfort is in third place with a record of 27-14-5-3 with 62 points and the Hawks are in fourth place with a record of 22-20-4-1 with 49 points.

Melfort earned a split with the Melville Millionaires with a 4-3 shootout loss to Melville in Melfort on Saturday, Feb.18. Tucker Buhay scored the winner for Melville in the three round shootout.

Melfort led 2-0 after the first period and the game was tied 2-2 after the second period.

Clarke Huxley, Dawson Leroux and Ben Tkachuk scored for Melfort in regulation. Zach Bansley, Carter McKay and Ethan Antsley responded for Melville in regulation. James Venne made 26 saves for Melfort; Ethan Rau made 37 saves for Melville.

The Mustangs opened their home-and-home with Melville by defeating the Millionaires 7-1 in Melville on Friday, Feb. 17. Melfort led 1-0 after the first period and 4-0 after the second period.

Clarke Huxley had a hat trick and Zac Somers had a pair of goals for Melfort; Tkachuk, Kevin Minnoch and Lleyton Holoein added the other Mustangs’ goals. McKay scored the lone Melville goal.

Joel Favreau made 19 saves for Melfort; Ethan Rau made 31 saves for Melville.

Melfort opened their week with a 6-2 win over the Kindersley Klippers on Wednesday, Feb. 15 in Melfort. The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and the Mustangs led 4-2 after the second period.

Minnoch and Somers each had a pair of goals for the Mustangs; Tkachuk and Riley Ashe added the other Melfort goals. Brock Evans and Aidan Bangs responded for the Klippers.

James Venne made 22 saves for the Mustangs; Cody Jaman made 30 saves for the Klippers.

La Ronge closed their two game set in Kindersley with a 6-2 win over the Klippers on Saturday, Feb. 18. The Klippers led 2-1 after the first period and the game was tied 2-2 after the second period.

Liam McInnis, Jacob Vinsentini, Lleyton Shearon, Ethan Strik, Trenton Curtis and Dylan Handel scored for the Ice Wolves. Ethan Hilbig and Bangs scored for Kindersley.

Topher Chirico made 29 saves for La Ronge; Logan Falk made 25 saves for Kindersley.

The Ice Wolves opened their two game set in Kindersley with a 3-2 loss to the Klippers on Friday, Feb. 17. La Ronge led 2-1 after the first and the game was tied 2-2 after the second.

Thomas Wright and Jacob Cossette scored for the Ice Wolves. Cameron Rimstad, Logan Linklater and Kayden Ostrom responded for the Klippers.

Dawson Smith made 30 saves for the Ice Wolves; Logan Falk made 38 saves for the Klippers.

In their lone game last week the Hawks lost 6-5 to the Kindersley Klippers in overtime on Tuesday, Feb. 14 in Nipawin. Nathan DeGraves scored the winner for Kindersley 3:10 into the extra frame.

The Hawks led 2-1 after the first period and the Klippers led 4-2 after the second period. Alex Ochitwa had a pair of goals for the Hawks in regulation; Braxton Buckberger, Zander Stewart and Alex Johnson added the other Nipawin goals. Tylin Hilbig had a pair of goals in regulation time for the Klippers; Linklater, Danton Cox and Cash Arntsen added the other Kindersley goals.

Dawson Cunningham made 33 saves for Nipawin; Falk made 20 saves for Kindersley.

The Bombers were in Nipawin to play the Hawks on Tuesday, Feb. 21, results were not available.

The Ice Wolves and Mustangs have a home-and-home this weekend with the teams meeting in Melfort on Friday, Feb. 24 and in La Ronge on Saturday, Feb. 25. The Hawks have a home-and-home with the Humboldyt Broncos this weekend with the teams meeting in Nipawin on Friday, Feb. 24 and Humboldt on Feb. 25.

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