The Flin Flon Bombers have beaten another nationally-ranked opponent.
Flin Flon got a 6-4 victory over the division rival Melfort Mustangs - currently ranked as Canada's 17th best team.
Kalem Zary started the scoring early in the game, beating Bomber goalie Brenden Newton less than two minutes into the game. Chrystopher Collin equalized later in the first.
After the first intermission, the Bomber offense was the Nate Hooper and Collin show, with the duo earning points on all but one of the team's goals.
Hooper scored halfway through the second to give the Bombers a 2-1 lead. After two Melfort goals by Colin Schmidt and Beau Stevenson, Flin Flon's Ethan Daniels tied the game at three.
Collin chipped in his second of the game ten seconds into the third period, followed soon after by a Brandson Hein marker to make it a 5-3 Flin Flon lead. Schmidt scored once more for Melfort, but it wasn't enough - Hooper finished the game with an empty net insurance marker.
Newton made 34 saves in the win, while Melfort's Evan Plotnik was yanked in the third period after giving up five goals on 21 shots. Backup Hunter Arps saved all five shots he faced.
Collin ended the game with four points - two goals and two assists. Hooper finished up with two goals and one assist, while Hein had a goal and an assist for the Bombers. Since Hein joined the Bombers on Jan. 19, his former midget linemate Hooper has scored 12 points in eight games. Hein and Collin each have 10 over that time.
Flin Flon sits firmly in third place in the Sherwood Division with 45 points and are guaranteed to not pass Melfort or Nipawin in the division standings. The second-place Mustangs currently have 69 points, while the Bombers can only finish with a maximum of 67 points on the year.
The Bombers are currently ninth in the league standings, nine points clear of Melville and three points back of eighth-place Kindersley.
The Bombers and Mustangs will meet for a rematch Saturday night at the Whitney Forum.
