Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League

FRIDAY RECAPS

By Craig Stein

Rayce Ramsay stopped 34 of the 35 shots he faced and the Humboldt Broncos won their fifth game in a row, 2-1 over the Hawks in Nipawin on Friday night.

In his return to Humboldt and the SJHL, Drew Warkentine opened the scoring in the second period and Derek Patter made it 2-0 just over a minute later, before Nipawin’s Jeremy Bisson scored a powerplay goal in the third.  Warkentine played a handful of games in Humboldt as an underager in his 16 and 17-year-old seasons (while in ‘AAA’ Midget with Tisdale), before spending much of the next two seasons in the WHL with Prince Albert.  He played the bulk of last season with the Melfort Mustangs (15g-16a-31p in 36 GP), and the Broncos acquired him from the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats earlier this week.

Humboldt (17-6-2-0) now leads the SJHL with 36 points and a .720 winning percentage.

Declan Hobbs made 25/27 saves in goal for the Hawks (15-8-0-1) on Friday.

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Grant Boldt needed just 12 saves to pick up his first SJHL shutout Friday as the Estevan Bruins blanked the visiting Melville Millionaires 6-0.

The Bruins (13-12-1-0) scored four times in the first period and were on cruise control from there.  Rookie defenseman Kade McMillen scored his first two SJHL goals, both in that opening frame, and five Estevan goals came from defensemen as fellow blueliners Austin King-Cunningham, Johnny Witzke and Jake Heerspink all found the net as well, as did forward Jayden Davis.  TJ Irey and Eddie Gallagher had three assists each and Tom Sweeney added two.

The Millionaires fall to 7-15-2-2 with the loss.

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A night of impressive goalie performances continued in Battlefords where Joel Gryzbowski made 30/31 saves as the Stars edged the Flin Flon Bombers 3-1.

Pierce Diamond made 41/43 stops at the other end before the Stars added a late empty-netter with him on the bench.

Jacob Bayne, Cody Spagrud and Matthias Urbanski scored, and Braydon Buziak had two assists for the North Stars (13-7-1-3), who moved into second place in the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division.

Calvon Boots opened the scoring for the Bombers (14-6-0-2), his 5th of the season but fourth in his last two games.  Boots leads all SJHL defensemen with 26-points (5g-21a).  Flin Flon saw their five game win streak come to an end and in that tight Sherwood Division, now sit third, one point back of both Melfort and Nipawin.

The Bombers and Stars go at it again Saturday night.

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