The regular season is almost over, and they're not letting up on the gas.
The Humboldt Broncos scored two more wins at home this week, one over one of the strongest teams in the league this season.
On February 11, the Broncos took on the Nipawin Hawks in the first of two games played over the weekend.
Both teams recorded at least 10 shots on goal in the first period, but neither scored until Patrick Tran of Humboldt knocked one in on a power play at 17:37. Chase Wharton and Logan Sproule got the assists in the point.
And though the Hawks did score their first and only goal of the game next, at 3:54 of the second period, the Broncos were on a roll and once they gained back their lead, they never looked back.
It was Matt Glowa who took back the Broncos' lead at 9:07 of the second period, assisted by Greg Ferguson and Brett Pisio. The same three-some made it a 3-1 game with a point at 9:30, this time by Ferguson with the other two assisting.
Late in the third, Bronco Adam Antkowiak brought the score to 4-1 with a goal at 18:09, assisted by Adam Zbitniff and Neil Landry. Then Pisio got a point of his own, assisted by Glowa and Ferguson, on the power play at 19:54.
Final score: 5-1 Humboldt.
Penalties were minimal throughout the game, but Humboldt was able to score twice on four power plays. Nipawin failed to score on any of the three power plays they were given.
Stars of the game were all Humboldt players: Glowa, Ferguson and Humboldt goaltender Andrew Bodnarchuk.
Shots on goal in the contest were dead even with each team making 27 over three periods.
Two nights later, the Broncos took on the Yorkton Terriers, who sit in second place in the league, without fear and skated away with another win.
It was Bronco Taylor Johnson who started off the scoring with a point at 4:01 of the first period, assisted by Ward Szucki and Dayton Shaw.
Gabe Minville of Humboldt strengthened the Broncos' lead with a goal at 6:59, with assistance from Szucki and Greg Ferguson.
The Terriers got on the board with a goal at 9:35, scored by former Broncos Jeremy Boyer and Justin Buzzeo, but they never managed to take away Humboldt's lead.
In the second, the Broncos struck again, netting their third goal on Terrier goalie Warren Shymko just 37 seconds into the period. Shaw got the point, assisted by Johnson and Chase Wharton.
Yorkton got their second and final goal of the night at 6:06, but Humboldt kept on going. Neil Landry got their fourth goal of the night at 10:09, assisted by Adam Zbitniff and Adam Antkowiak. Johnson then wrapped up Humboldt's scoring with a power play goal at 14:46. Szucki and Shaw got the assists.
Things got a little ugly on the ice from that point on. A fight broke out between Nathan Hudema of the Broncos and Zak Majowski of the Terriers at 15:20 of the second. Both received five-minute majors for fighting.
In the third, Antkowiak dropped gloves with Terrier Devon McMullen at 5:54. The Bronco received a two-minute penalty for boarding on top of his five-minute fighting major, while McMullen got two for instigating along with five for fighting.
Finally, a third fight took place between Brett Pisio of the Broncos and Keon Vick of the Terriers at 18:41 of the third. That earned both of them five minutes for fighting, along with game misconducts.
The fights didn't change what was on the scoreboard, however. The game ended with the Broncos up 5-2.
Humboldt out-shot the Terriers 32 to 29, and beat them on power play stats, going one for six, while the Terriers were zero for two.
The three stars of the game were all Broncos - Johnson, Shaw and Szucki earned the titles for their work in the game.
The Broncos wrap up their regular season with an away game against Notre Dame on February 19.
