The Bombers, led by a torrent of second-period scoring, picked up a big win in their first game of the season Friday, beating Nipawin 5-3.
The first period saw little offence - it was a feeling-out process with both clubs, sporting mostly new rosters, seeing what they could and could not do. Aside from a few penalties, little happened in period one.
That was matched by a flurry of activity in period two, with the two teams combining for six goals in the 20 minutes alone. The fun kicked off with the Bombers' American rookie Trevor Stenglein finding the twine early in the frame on a shot from an almost impossible angle - from the corner, behind the goal line. It was Stenglein's first-ever regular season goal in Canadian junior hockey and it put the Bombers up 1-0.
The lead would not last. A few minutes after the Bombers took the lead, the Hawks tied it up, courtesy of a shot by Hudson Cameron, who picked Cheechoo Lathlin's pocket at the blueline, went in on a breakaway and made no mistake. Ten minutes after that, Nipawin took the lead, courtesy of returning star forward Maguire Ratzlaff, who made it 2-1 Hawks with a precise wrister from the slot.
The lead lasted exactly 13 seconds.
The last four minutes of the second were all Bombers. Stenglein picked up his second goal of the period after getting open and one-timing it home, then Joey Lies potted his first of the season barely 30 seconds later, grabbing a loose puck near a busy Nipawin net.
Moments later, Aiden Chow put in a "keep the puck" marker, his first goal in the SJHL, picking up another loose puck and hammering it into the net through traffic. Chow's first goal as a Bomber, coming in his 29th game in maroon and white, put the Bombers into their dressing room up 4-2 after 40. In less than two minutes, the Bombers both regained the lead and gave themselves room to breathe.
Nipawin's Evan Forrest pulled the Hawks within one early in the third, catching the Bombers napping on a line change, but Matt Egan would restore the two-goal lead on a quick play into the slot, making it 5-3.
The Hawks had late chances, including a two-on-one with Forrest and Joel Mabin, but Harmon Laser-Hume made a big cross-crease stop to save the lead late. Nipawin would pull goalie Damon Cunningham late, but no offence would result. The Bombers would ride to glory and pick up two valuable points.
Laser-Hume had a 17-save performance en route to his first win of the season, while Cunningham made 44 stops on the night. Luke Lepper and Dawson Karol each added two assists for Flin Flon. The Bombers had seven chances on the powerplay, but failed to convert any of them.
The Bombers will host their home opener Saturday night against the Melfort Mustangs at the Whitney Forum.
