First, they took on and beat a team that was a force to be reckoned with. Then, they won handily over the current top-ranked team in the league.
The Humboldt Broncos emerged victorious in both home games played in the last week, first winning against the LaRonge Ice Wolves by a large 7-1 margin, then trouncing the first-place Nipawin Hawks 5-2.
The Broncos got off to a very strong start in their game against the Wolves, played in front of 774 fans at the Elgar Petersen Arena on September 21. They scored four goals in the first frame alone.
Their first goal was scored on a power play at 4:56 of the first period, by new Bronco Riley Kieser. Logan Sproule and Andrew Johnston got the assists.
Goal two for Humboldt came from Adam Zbitniff, while the Broncos were shorthanded at 9:25 of the first. Zbitniff, who has come on strong this season, grabbed the puck in the Bronco end of the ice, skated it down the ice alone, and smoothly shot it past Ice Wolf netminder Myles Hovdebo.
The Broncos' next goal - and the first even-strength point of the night - came at 16:50, courtesy of Neil Landry. Adam Antkowiak got the assist.
Rounding out scoring in the first period, with Humboldt's fourth point, was Kieser, assisted by Andrew Herle and Ryan Marshall at 18:25.
The intermission didn't seem to do anything to curb the Broncos' scoring streak. At 3:12 of the second, Humboldt got their fifth point of the night thanks to Joey Davies, assisted by Drew Berkel and Zbitniff.
LaRonge finally got on the board with a point at 13:13 of the second, scored by Jared Iron, assisted by David Greyeyes.
But that would turn out to be their lone goal of the game.
The Broncos made it a 6-1 game with another power play goal at 18:57 of the second, scored by Antkowiak, assisted by Landry.
The Broncos added another point just 48 seconds into the third period - scored by Johnston, assisted by Matt Glowa and Robbie Ciolfi - to make it 7-1.
Penalties were light on the Broncos side - they were called on just six in the entire game, though the last was the only major call of the night - to Davies for spearing.
Over on the LaRonge side, things were a little rougher. Eleven calls in total were made for holding, high sticking, tripping, elbowing, slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Broncos were two for eight on the power play, while the Wolves were zero for one.
The Broncos made a total of 38 shots on LaRonge's net, guarded by Hovdebo for the entire game. At the other end of the ice, Bronco netminder Matt Hrynkiw had little to do in the first and third periods, blocking just five and six shots respectively in those periods. LaRonge did give him more action in the second, sending 10 shots his way, for a total of 21 in the entire game.
All three stars of the game were Broncos: Zbitniff, Landry and Johnston.
Just three nights later, the Broncos hosted the Nipawin Hawks at the Elgar Petersen Arena. The over 800 fans in the building were anticipating a hard-fought game, and things were pretty close in the first period.
No goals were scored until the second frame, when Humboldt's Brett Pinder finally sunk the puck behind Hawks goaltender Stephen Klein at 4:52. Adam Antkowiak got the assist.
Nipawin tied the game with a power play goal at 10:56, but the Broncos took back their lead at 11:14 with a goal by Robbie Ciolfi, assisted by Matt Glowa and Andrew Johnston.
Then Nipawin evened things up again with a goal just 40 seconds later, so it was a tied game at two heading into the third.
The third period belonged to the Broncos.
Ciolfi got his second goal of the night at 1:10, assisted by Johnston and Glowa, to put Humboldt up 3-2.
Then Neil Landry gave the Broncos a two-point lead with a goal at 13:11, assisted by Pinder and Antkowiak.
Finally, the Broncos foiled the Hawks' last-ditch effort to even the score by scoring on an empty net at 18:56. Joey Davies was credited with that point.
Final score: 5-2 Broncos.
Penalties throughout the game were minimal - four for the Broncos and three for the Hawks.
Shots on goal numbers were quite far apart when all was said and done - the Broncos had made 31, while the Hawks levelled just 18 at netminder Tyler Marble.
All three stars of the night were Broncos - Ciolfi, Johnston and Antkowiak.
The Broncos played two away games September 27-28 in Estevan and Weyburn.
able Mention: Carson Grolla, Notre Dame; Jeff Datoff, Nipawin; Tanner Clark, Flin Flon.
Thanks to his play early in the season, Broncos' goaltender Matt Hrynkiw was named SJHL Goaltender of the Week.
The 1992-born goalie from Saskatoon won both of his starts and stopped 39 of 40 shots in the process.
