Ice Wolves clip Hawks
The La Ronge Ice Wolves got back into the win column Friday night at home when they clipped the Nipawin Hawks 3-2 in overtime.
“I think we just kept working and got better throughout the game,” said Ice Wolves Asst. Coach Kyle Schneider. “It was a bit of a slow start, but the boys just kept fighting through it.”
The Ice Wolves opened the scoring 9:21 into the first period when Jacob Cossette smashed the biscuit into the yawning cage after Jackson Fellner misplayed the puck.
Nipawin tied the game at one 12:46 into the first after Joel Mabin tallied his 13th of the campaign. Alex Johnson gave the Hawks a 2-1 edge with just 35 seconds left in the opening stanza when he solved Topher Chirico, who was brilliant in the victory, making 44 saves.
Neither team found the back of the net in the second frame, but the Ice Wolves tied the contest 17:04 into the third when Kyle Graham flew down the left side and rifled home his second of the season.
Just 49 seconds into the extra session, Dylan Handel ended things when he recorded his 15th of the season after beating Fellner cleanly.
“I think we just kept it simple and played Ice Wolves hockey,” said Ice Wolves netminder Topher Chicrico. “We kept shots to the outside, it wasn’t always pretty, but we found a way to win.”
With the win, the Ice Wolves improved to 26-14-4 on the season, which still has them controlling second in the SJHL standings.
La Ronge will search for its second straight win Saturday night in Nipawin when they conclude a home-and-home series with the Hawks.