SPORTS FLASHBACK 1987: Hawks’ rookie stakes Coach Hares to 300th win

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This article was published 20/10/2024 (531 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach Hawks’ rookie goaltender Russell Mehling put on a stellar performance for two periods before leaving with an injury, and Darren Ivanyshyn came on in relief to stop the St Boniface Saints 6-4 and help Coach Al Hares to his 300th Manitoba Junior Hockey League victory.

A night earlier, the Selkirk Steelers defeated the Hawks 9-3, making sure the coach they had fired a year earlier did not earn his 300th win in their building.

Hares would like to have posted his 300th victory in Selkirk Friday, but settled instead for a little pre-game excitement and a home ice victory against the St Boniface Saints Saturday.

Mehling made 13 saves in the first period, and it looked like the Hawks were headed to the dressing room with a 1-0 lead, compliments of Mike Martens’ power play marker. But the Hawks got sloppy in their own end and Greg Lajoie banged in a second rebound to even the score with 10 seconds on the clock.

The teams traded power play goals early in the second period, with Paul Anderson scoring for Steinbach and Russ Romaniuk getting his first of two.

Martens notched his second of the night, midway through the period and Doug Sinclair stole the puck to score an unassisted shorthanded goal two minutes later.

Mehling left the game early in the third, with the Hawks leading by two, after having his neck and head rammed into the crossbar, when a Saints player was tripped just in front of the Steinbach net.

Darren Ivanyshyn came in to finish the game and though St Boniface managed to tie the score, he made 10 saves, as the Hawks won 6-4.

After St Boniface evened things up, Gerry Lafreniere combined with team captain Todd Kemball to beat Jeff Dudych on a neat passing play. In the final minute, defenceman Barry Rochon stepped across centre and lofted a shot into the empty net to guarantee Coach Al Hares his 300th junior victory.

Friday night in Selkirk, the teams had a confrontation before the game, which involved executive members, players and some fans, before the referees had even made an appearance.

The game continued in the same fashion, with penalties carried over onto a second game sheet, while the Steelers made sure the coach they fired a year ago was not going to get his 300th win in their building.

The Steelers skated to a 4-0 first period lead, getting two power play goals along the way and stretched their margin to 7-2 with three more goals in the second, on the way to a 9-3 final.