Brodie Girod scored with exactly a minute left and the Nipawin Hawks won their second straight game to start the season, 2-1 over the visiting Melfort Mustangs on Friday.
Burke Simpson opened the scoring for the Hawks (2-0-0-0) while Ross Hawryluk needed just 16/17 saves for the win.
Joel Favreau stopped 20/22 shots at the other end, with Gabe Odowichuk getting the Mustangs (2-1-0-0) on the board with a powerplay goal late in the second peroid.
The two teams duke it out again Saturday in Melfort.
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Xavier Cannon made 29/32 saves and the La Ronge Ice Wolves earned their first win of the year, a 5-3 victory over Battlefords.
Holden Knights had a goal and an assist, and the Ice Wolves (1-1-0-0) had five different goal scorers, with Spencer Kennedy, Mathieu Belanger, Bradon Della Paolera and Nolan Doell notching the others.
The North Stars (0-2-0-0) had a 2-1 lead after Connor Garbruch tied it late in the first and Jaxon Steele put them ahead 11 seconds into the second period, but it was short-lived as the hometown Ice Wolves racked up three unanswered less than nine minutes apart in the middle frame. The Stars spent the night in La Ronge and will have a Saturday night rematch.
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Melville’s Portland connection was big again, as Winterhawk, and now Millionaire teammates Jaydon Dureau (2g-1a) and Reece Newkirk (1g-2a) had three points each, leading the way in a 4-3 victory in Weyburn.
The Millionaires (2-1-0-0) trailed 3-2 late in the third before Dureau’s second of the game tied it with 5:25 remaining, and Newkirk potted the winner with 32 seconds left. Jonathan Krahn also scored and Alexis Giroux won his first SJHL start making 18/21 saves.
It was 2-0 Melville in the first period before the Wings (0-1-1-0) scored three straight, thanks to Brock Wallace, Spencer McHardy and Liam Rutten all scoring their first of the season. Joseph Young made 30/33 saves in roughly 55 minutes of work.
Melville hosts Weyburn on Saturday.
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The Estevan Bruins handed the Humboldt Broncos their first loss of the young season, as Cole Fonstad scored twice as the Bruins edged the Broncos 3-2 on the road, opening another weekend home-and-home.
Fonstad has four goals and an assist in three games. The Bruins (2-1-0-0) trailed twice and answered back both times before Fonstad’s second of the night with 5:14 left in the third stood up as the winner. Eric Pearce also scored and Emerik Demers made 30/32 saves on the night.
Tristan Shewchuk opened the scoring for the Broncos (2-1-0-0) with his third goal of the season in as many games. Max Gudnason also scored in the second period and Tanner Marshall stopped 23/26 shots. The Broncos head to Estevan Saturday night.
Flin Flon and Kindersley were postponed as the Bombers remain in limbo due to Manitoba’s Covid restrictions.
