The UPL Division of the SJHL came out of the Christmas break with all of the teams facing off in some fashion.
The Nipawin Hawks opened with a game against the La Ronge Ice Wolves and the Melfort Mustangs had a home-and-home with the Flin Flon Bombers.
As of Jan. 6, the Hawks are in second place with a record of 20-10-1-0 with 41 points, six points behind the Bombers, the Melfort Mustangs are in third place with a record of 11-16-1-2 with 25 points and the Ice Wolves are in fourth place with a record of 6-19-3-1 with 16 points.
The Hawks opened the second half of the SJHL season with a 3-2 overtime win over the Ice Wolves in Air Ronge on Saturday, Jan. 3. Will Whitter scored the winning goal 3:25 into the extra frame.
The game was tied 2-2 after the first and second periods.
Finley Radloff and Eric Hoiness scored the Hawks regulation time goals. William Knox and Brock Inglis scored for La Ronge in regulation time.
Gage Roberts made 14 saves for Nipawin; Riley Zezel made 28 saves for La Ronge.
The Hawks were in North Battleford to face the Battlefords North Stars on Tuesday, Jan. 6, results were not available by press time.
The Ice Wolves were in Flin Flon to face the Bombers on Wednesday, Jan. 7, results were also not available.
Melfort was swept by the Bombers in their second half of the season opening home-and-home following a 1-0 loss in Melfort on Saturday, Jan 3. Finn Werner stopped all 36 shots he faced to record the shutout for Flin Flon.
The game was scoreless after the first period and the Bombers led 1-0 after the second period.
Pierce Yakimchuk scored the lone goal of the game for the Bombers.
Kason Kolbelka made 34 saves for Melfort.
The Mustangs opened their home-and-home with the Bombers with a 5-1 loss to Flin Flon in Flin Flon on Friday, Jan. 2.
The Bombers led 2-0 after the first period and 3-0 after the second period. Logan Peskett scored the lone goal for the Mustangs in the third period. Ryder Mucha had a pair of goals for the Bombers; Maverick Delisle, Rhett Ewen and Jared Miskiw added the other Flin Flon goals.
Madden Mulawka made 27 saves for the Mustangs; Devin Peck made 26 saves for the Bombers.
The Mustangs game scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 17 against the Melville Millionaires that was postponed has been rescheduled for Jan. 21.
The reason for the Mustangs and Millionaires postponement has been cited as poor road conditions and sickness. There was a flu outbreak reported by the Humboldt Broncos during the week, along with a storm system in the province on Dec. 17.
The Mustangs are in Yorkton to face the Terriers on Friday, Jan. 9 and face the Battlefords North Stars in Melfort on Saturday, Jan. 10.
The Hawks are in Humboldt to face the Broncos on Friday, Jan. 9 and the teams meet again in Nipawin on Sunday, Jan. 11.
The Bombers and Ice Wolves meet again in Air Ronge on Friday, Jan. 9.
The SJHL and CJHL Trade Deadline is on Saturday, Jan. 10.
