Ice Hawks battle the Fusion, Bruins on road ice

Coming out of the winter break, the Havre Ice Hawks high school hockey team was looking to start 2022 on the right note as they played a pair of doubleheaders on the road against the Flathead Fusion and the Missoula Bruins this past weekend. The Ice Hawks split with the Fusion as Flathead won, 8-3, Saturday night and Havre won, 4-3, Saturday morning. The Ice Hawks were then swept by the Missoula Bruins as they lost both games, 8-0, Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The weekend got started Friday night with a game between Havre and Flathead. Isaac Jensen scored first to give Flathead an early lead but Austin Boyce scored for Havre to tie the game, 1-1, at the end of the first period.

The Fusion then took control of the game in the second period as they scored four goals in the frame. They then scored three more goals to start the third to push their lead to 8-1. Jared Rosgaard and Jacob Herring were able to score a pair of goals in the third, but it was not enough to make it a contest.

The Ice Hawks were able to bounce back Saturday morning. Herring scored two goals in the first period to give Havre an early lead. After a Flathead goal, Herring scored again for a hat trick in the first. But the Fusion were able to score a pair of goals in the first and second to tie game. Early in the third period, Rhett Wetheheimer scored a goal to give Havre a 4-3 lead. The Havre defense then held on to win the game.

The doubleheader against Missoula started Saturday night where the Bruins jumped on the Ice Hawks early. Just under five minutes into the game, Alden Hellem scored a goal to give Missoula the lead. Less than half a minute later, Lars Thorne Thomsen scored another goal. Six minutes later, Hunter Naugle scored a goal to make the lead 3-0. In the final few minutes of the first period, Simon Wilson and Connor Hangas scored a pair of goals to give Missoula a 5-0 lead to end the first.

While the Missoula offense slowed down in the second period, the Bruins held onto momentum. The Ice Hawks were unable to break through to score to get back into the game. Under four minutes into the second period, Thomsen scored his second goal of the day to extend the lead to 6-0.

The Bruins controlled the third period as well. Less than eight minutes into the final period, Thomsen scored another goal to complete the hat trick. Later in the period, Adam Jones scored a goal to make the lead 8-0. The Missoula defense continued to play well as the Ice Hawks were shut out in the game.

The Ice Hawks and Bruins continued their doubleheader on Sunday morning. The game followed a similar flow as the Bruins jumped out to an early and sizable lead. Just over a minute into the game, Jones scored to give Missoula the lead. Five minutes later, Easton Leadbetter scored to make it 2-0. Cooper Hall then scored a goal for the Bruins to give them a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period.

The Bruins kept up their offensive momentum in the second period. Just under four minutes into the second period, Hangas scored a goal to make the lead 4-0. Over the rest of the second period, Samuel Swain and Jeremy Englert each scored a goal to make the lead 6-0 to end the period.

The third period followed a similar flow. Daniel Upton and Alexander Neibauer each scored a goal to further extend the Missoula lead while the Ice Hawks were unable to break through for a score to get back into the game.

The Ice Hawks are now 6-6 on the season. They will next play Jan. 21 against the Great Falls Americans at the Havre Ice Dome.