The Flashback: Trojans are close to their goal, Hawks and Mustangs staying ahead

After 40 minutes, the Trojans out shot the Blazers 32-21 but were trailing 2-1. Early in the third, the Blazers seemingly put it away with two more goals.

With under eight minutes to go trailing 4-1, the Trojans looked like they would get payback for that 5-0 win a week earlier, then a fortunate double minor power play fell into their laps after the Blazers’ Liam Bell went off for head contact.

The Trojans pulled goaltender Tanner Martin to make it a six-on-four power play, and Davis Chorney scored two goals in 32 seconds to make it a one goal game.

Martin was pulled again in the dying minutes, and with the man advantage the Trojans drew another penalty. Kalen Ukrainetz with 1:04 remaining tied it up, before Zac Robins scored early in overtime to complete the Trojans comeback.

Darrell Mann, the Trojans head coach, felt momentum build goal by goal.

“It just shows the resiliency of our group,” Mann told northeastNOW. “They never quit, never gave up, they battled and battled and knew they had an opportunity.”

Going into their game in Battlefords on Dec. 12, the Trojans could jump over the Blazers to be first in the SMAAAHL.

One 3-0 shutout win later, and the Trojans finally got what they’ve wanted all season.

“We’ve been chasing Saskatoon for two and a half months here,” Mann said. “Those games in hand, we’ve been winning them and being able to beat [Saskatoon] twice and finally be on top of the league is definitely an exciting feeling for our group.

“We set goals for our hockey clubs and our number one goal was to be in first place by Christmas time.”

Mann credited all 20 of his players for buying into their system to make this happen.

With a two-game homestand against the Notre Dame Hounds on Saturday, Dec. 15 and the Saskatoon Contacts the following evening, they have a chance to check off their first major goal.

Melfort Mustangs and Nipawin Hawks – Prep week

It’s not an uneventful weekend for the Melfort Mustangs and Nipawin Hawks.

Both the Hawks and Mustangs enter the weekend first and second for points percentage respectively (.712 and .710, holy) in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).

The Mustangs have two games in hand on the Hawks as they trail them for first in the Sherwood Division and SJHL standings by three points. A huge weekend against the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division leading Humboldt Broncos (first game on the road will be on CK750 at 7:30 pm) could put the Mustangs ahead of the Hawks in points percentage.

For the Hawks sake, they must stay ahead of the chase, so a home game on Saturday, Dec. 15 against the last place La Ronge Ice Wolves is a must win.

Next evening the Hawks are on the road facing a suddenly surging Battlefords North Stars team.

It’s an eventful weekend. The Mustangs got top-pair defenceman Jake Hobson back from injury but are still without two core bottom six players in Kyle Schneider (broken hand) and Tyson Meyers (foot) and goaltender Hunter Arps.

Other than that, the storyline for both teams remain the same until next weekend.

The Hawks and Mustangs will play their third home-and-home series of the season. The Mustangs will try and go 6-0 against the Hawks this season to try and affirm their position as the team to beat in the Sherwood Division and perhaps the SJHL, while the Hawks will try and get the Melfort monkey off their backs and convince doubters that a rebuilding year will be a contending year.

This weekend will be interesting times for both weekends, it’s just hard to focus when another standings shake-up of a weekend is around the corner.

For the Hawks and Mustangs, this weekend is an appetizer, a chance to stay at the front of the first overall race.

Next weekend, it’s the main course, a chance to fill up their stomachs with crucial head-to-head points before some holiday break dessert.

aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow

by Aaron Schulze

The Flashback: Trojans are close to their goal, Hawks and Mustangs staying ahead

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