Strong defence has helped the Humboldt Broncos be successful in the final two months of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) regular season.
From Jan. 28 to Feb. 10, the Broncos won six straight games. That winning streak included three shutouts and a game in which Humboldt only allowed one goal.
“Everybody has really been concentrating on doing the job in our own end … When you only need to score one goal, that makes it a lot easier,” Humboldt head coach Ryan Smith said.
Early last week, the Broncos downed Kindersley in a shootout at home and fell on the road to Melville. The squad was to play Weyburn on Feb. 14, after the Journal’s deadline. As of Feb. 12, Humboldt had a 22-22-5-0 record and 49 points. They were in eighth place. Estevan had 47 points for ninth place, while Weyburn had 44 and held the final SJHL playoff spot.
The Broncos’ winning streak allowed them to climb the standings and greatly increase their chances of playing in the postseason. Strong defence certainly has been important for the Broncos. Smith said that it has been a team approach. Led by captain Anthony Kapelke and veterans such as Ashton McLeod, Colton Laroque and Greg Moro, the Broncos blue line has been solid. Smith also said that the forwards have been working hard defensively.
Humboldt has received quality goaltending. With 20-year-old veteran standout Jack Romanuik nursing a minor injury, 18-year-old rookie Ryan Larochelle was been impressive. Through six games he has a 4-1 record, a 1.76 goals against average and a .938 save percentage. Romanuik was the Sasktel SJHL Goaltender of the Week for the period ending Feb. 1. He did not allow a goal in his two starts that week. For the season, Romanuik has a 2.93 GAA and a .896 save percentage.
“It is nice to have both goalies that are capable of winning games,” Smith said.
Big Game Saturday
On Feb. 21, the Nipawin Hawks visit the Elgar Petersen Arena. Humboldt is trying to solidify its playoff spot while the Hawks are looking to move up in the standings. The two teams are also set to tangle in Nipawin the night before.
The Broncos are on the road Feb. 24 against Notre Dame and Feb. 27 in Yorkton. Humboldt wraps up its regular season at the EPA against Weyburn on March 1.
Last Week
Greg Marr and Corey Dambrauskas scored in the shootout on Feb. 10 to improve the Broncos’ winning streak to six games. They picked up a 4-3 win at the EPA. The teams were tied at 1-1 after the first period, but the Klippers held a 2-1 lead after the second. Humboldt’s Stu Symenuk scored twice and Matthew Kenney lit the lamp on the power play. Larochelle made 32 saves to earn the win. He kept two of the three Klippers shooters at bay in the shootout.
Kindersley forward Owen LaClare earned a hat trick by scoring all of the Klippers’ goals. Ryan Weninger made 49 saves for the Klippers.
Humboldt fell 4-2 on the road to Melville on Feb. 11. The Broncos led 2-1 after the first period. Kenney and Jarrett Fontaine scored for Humboldt. Larochelle made 23 saves.
Melville’s Lane Harbor scored twice. Tyson Predinchuk and Reed Murray also had markers for the Millionaires. Trevor Martin stopped 31 shots for the win.
Catching up With
Mitch Stretch (2007-2008) is enjoying an impressive second pro season. The defenceman from Saskatoon has four goals and 13 points in 34 games for the Louisiana Ice Gators of the Southern Professional Hockey League. He already has surpassed the seven points he posted for the Lafayette-based team last year.
“Mitchell Stretch is a very solid two-way defenceman,” Ice Gators head coach Drew Omicioli said. “He has been our most consistent defender and takes pride in shutting down the other team’s top line. Stretch also has great offensive tools to contribute to our offensive attack. He has been a leader on and off the ice and an incredible asset to our organization.”
Stretch played one season in Humboldt before concluding his junior career with Notre Dame. He played four seasons at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
