TUESDAY TICKER

(Photo courtesy: Clark Stork.  Bruins/Hawks faced off in Nipawin, where the Canalta Cup was handed out in Game 7 between the same clubs 7 months ago)

The Nipawin Hawks and Melfort Mustangs were both on home ice Tuesday night, and gave up about as many goals as they usually do, both continuing winning streaks and starting to get some cushion together at the top of the Sherwood Division.

The Mustangs (20-6-1-0) won their 10th consecutive game, routing the Weyburn Red Wings 9-1, become the league’s first club to hit 20-wins.

Justin Ball’s point streak is now 25 games, and he scored a goal and added three assists, to also take over the league lead with 26-goals and 46-points.

Carson Albrecht (2g-1a) and Zach Anderson scored twice each, while Kayle Tosh (1g-2a), Kenzie Arnold (1g-2a), Parker Fofonoff (1g-1a) and Marshall Skapski all scored.  Shawn Parkinson also had his usual one goal against, making 22/23 saves.  He’s now 7-0, with seven goals against (1.06, .958%).

Melfort chased Weyburn starter Riley Lamb with three goals in the first 9:26 of the game, but they scored again 1:07 later and led 4-0 after one period, and 9-0 early in the third, before Rhett Fry provided the only goal for the Red Wings (9-15-2-0), who opened up a four game, five night trek through the Sherwood Division.  Next stop is Flin Flon on Wednesday.

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Declan Hobbs made 25 saves for his league-leading 5th shutout, and the 10th of his regular season SJHL career Tuesday, as the Nipawin Hawks blanked the Estevan Bruins 3-0.

The Hawks (19-8-0-1) won their fourth in a row and have now surrendered 54-goals in 28-games, an average of 1.93 as a team.

Carson Erhardt scored twice in the win, and Jordan Simoneau opened the scoring.

Against his former club, Jake Anthony made 27/30 saves for the Bruins (13-16-1-0), who dropped their fourth straight contest.  Estevan didn’t score a goal in Nipawin this season, as they were blanked 2-0 there back in October.

The Estevan and Weyburn busses will be criss-crossing through northern Saskatchewan as the Wings are also on a Sherwood Division tour over the next five nights.  They’re off to La Ronge on Wednesday.