The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Maroon and White, or Black as they were dressed in their third jerseys, had a rough start Saturday night as the Nipawin Hawks scored two goals against them before they were able to get on the scoreboard. But in the end the Bombers took the two points with a 5-4 overtime win. Klynt Spencer started out in net, but was having an off night as it was 3-1 late into the first period. Head coach and GM Mike Reagan pulled Spencer and replaced him with Matt Weninger, who has been on a hot streak this season. "Klynt has really (been) struggling with his confidence and it's one of those things where this time of the year, we need these wins," he said. "And we just weren't getting the goaltending we needed." Replacing a shaky backup goalie, Weninger was there for the Bombers as he turned away 15 of 16 shots throughout the rest of the game. "We would have loved to give Winny the night off and that, but we (have to) win hockey games," said Reagan. Pulling a goalie can sometimes be a hard decision and the coach said he felt bad for Spencer as a young guy who just needs a confidence boost. The win pushed the Bombers back into first place in the SJHL. In the Bauer Conference, they sat eight points ahead of the second-place Battlefords North Stars. "We have 23 wins....and we feel good being first overall in the SJHL," Reagan said. "I mean, that's a big accomplishment." Earning a few points for themselves Saturday were Brody Haygarth with the team's first goal Ð which brought the score to 2-1 for Nipawin Ð as well as Patrick Sitko, who rounded out the first period to make the score 3-2 for the Hawks. But the Bombers weren't done there. Brennan Cox scored the only goal of the second period for the Bombers. The Hawks also earned a marker to make it 4-3. The third period, things got interesting. The Bombers tied the game at 4-4 with a goal from David Roper and were able to keep the Hawks from gaining another goal. With the game tied at four, the teams got ready for overtime. Of the last five games for Flin Flon, four have resulted in overtime. Of those, the Bombers have won three, including Saturday's game. Captain Michael Young scored the game-winning goal with less than two minutes left in the extra period. Part of the win came back to having a strong goalie in net. "Everybody plays better when they believe in their goaltender," said Reagan. "It's one of those things where they're not gripping their sticks Ð they know that if they make a mistake, Winny is there to bail them out. See 'A' on pg. Continued from pg. "I think it's a confidence thing. It's like early on in the year when Winny was struggling, the guys felt like every time they made a mistake, it was in the back of the net." Making note that when Weninger had a hard time the team stuck by him, Reagan said they are going to do the same with Spencer. "It's proved to be the right choice and we're going to do the same with Klynt," said Reagan. "We believe he is a good goaltender. He's just lacking that confidence right now. "We know he's a good goaltender and we're hoping we have the same results and that it's going to pay off for us down the road." Reagan says Spencer hasn't had much time on the ice this season as Weninger has been on a hot streak. The coach says Spencer needs to be able to get on a streak as well. "It's tough on a young kid. he's never played a back-up role and this is different for him," said Reagan. Reagan said while his team has been coming down to the wire with shootouts and overtime, they have been finding a way to get their points. "We're finding a way to win and I think that's the most important thing," he said. "We struggled a bit, you know. "...it's just that time of the year when guys are itching to get home. We're playing a little sloppy and with the new additions and stuff like that, it takes some time." Several seasons back, the Bombers weren't having near the success they have had in more recent years. With Reagan coming in as bench boss three seasons ago, the team has picked up its pace. "I told the first team that I ever coached here, I told them that when we won a championship, I would remember them," he said. "They were the ones who started it. "The first year, it would have been easy for them to go 'what the heck am I doing here with a rookie coach,' but they believed in what we were trying to do here." With a third place finish his first year and second place finish last season, the Bombers only have one place to go Ð the top.
