There's no better way to start a hockey season than with a big win. The Flin Flon Bombers did just that on Friday night, beating rivals La Ronge 7-4.
The Bombers started the scoring with Billy Klymchuk tallying his first-ever goal in junior hockey only three minutes in. After Bomber defenceman Isaac Jackson was ejected from the game for a check from behind on La Ronge captain Kolby Johnson, Ice Wolves forward Mitch Zambon tied the game.
Early in the second, Zambon added another goal to give La Ronge their first lead of the game. That lead didn't last long, as another Bomber rookie, Vincent Nardone, scored his premiere goal in the SJHL less than a minute later. A minute later, Brandson Hein got the lead back for the Bombers with a powerplay goal, taking the score to 3-2.
Shortly after, La Ronge's Justin Bill seemingly lost control, earning a fighting major, an instigator penalty and a ten-minute misconduct, earning an ejection from the game. With an Ice Wolves player in the box, Hein scored his second powerplay goal of the second period, giving Flin Flon a 4-2 lead.
Antonio DiPaolo scored to cut Flin Flon's lead to one, but once the third period started, Dawson McKenzie added another marker for the Bombers. Less than two minutes after that, Hein finished off the hat trick, getting a 6-3 lead for the Bombers.
Ice Wolf Zach Bannister scored for La Ronge, followed later in the period by Flin Flon's Donavan Houle-Villeneuve finding the twine.
Pierce Diamond earned his first win in maroon and white, while La Ronge's Chad Duran presided over a shooting gallery, taking a loss.
Bannister led the way for La Ronge with four points, finding the scoresheet on all of his team's goals. Newly-named Bomber captain Nate Hooper and Calvon Boots each ended the game with three assists, while Houle-Villeneuve ended the night with a goal and two assists.
The Bombers and Ice Wolves will head down the Hanson Lake Road for the Bombers' home opener on Saturday. After that, the Bombers will play another home and home series, this time against the Nipawin Hawks - the Bombers will play host on Sept. 21, then will head to Nipawin to play on Sept. 22.
