The Nipawin Hawks wasted little time jumping in to their pre-season schedule as they locked horns with the Flin Flon Bombers for a pair of weekend matchups.
The Hawks kicked off the week on Sept. 2 as they welcomed the Flin Flon Bombers to the Cage.
The Hawks jumped out to an early lead in the 18 and under game scoring a goal in each of the first two periods, off the sticks of Jaden Mayer and Caleb Paisley.
Unfortunately for the Hawks they could not keep the momentum going in the third as they gave up three unanswered goals to lose 3-2.
The two teams engaged in the back half of their home and home the following night in Flin Flon, with the Hawks exacting revenge pulling out a 6-3 win.
Austin Mikesch and Jordan Simoneau led the way offensively scoring a pair of goals for the Hawks, who also got goals from Jeremy Bisson and Jayden Bexte in the win.
Despite emerging victorious in the second game, Doug Johnson, the Hawks’ head coach and general manager, noted the first game was filled with more enthusiasm and energy, while the second game was more reserved.
“[I] don’t know if that’s because of the bus trip or fatigue or whatever, but obviously every game’s an evaluation, every time we’re around the kids, it’s an evaluation and some guys are making our decisions easy, some guys are making it tough and that’s all we can ask.”
With the players playing in the second game coming out flat it will be important for them to find another gear, said Johnson, who noted that if they need the coaches to give them a boost they will not be around much longer.
“The only true motivation is self-motivation and you either have it or you don’t and to be fighting for a job you should be as motivated as you could be and some guys just haven’t been.”
Looking ahead, Johnson said that is what he would like to see most over the course of the pre-season schedule is players fighting for a job.
“We want to see guys that want to be wearing the black and gold at the end of the day and not only wear the black and gold but wear it with pride and strive to get better every day. Those are the guys that you win with. You don’t win with guys that you constantly have to stroke and coddle.”
The Hawks have four pre-season games on the schedule as they play a home-and-home with the Melfort Mustangs Sept. 4 and 5, starting in Melfort, and a home-and-home with the Melville Millionaires Sept. 8 and 9, starting in Melville.
