New year, same result for the Humboldt Broncos.

They fell 4-1 to the Notre Dame Hounds in their first game since December 19th Wednesday night in Wilcox.

That was their third straight loss and fourth of the year to their division foes, the two teams meet again in Humboldt next Tuesday.

On the post game show of KMK Sales Broncos' hockey, Assistant Coach Brayden Klimosko broke the game down which looked all to familiar.

"We took it to them for a little bit, we don't score, we had some opportunities, we don't. (Evan)Werle gets about five shots from the point and finally one goes in, you just can't give him those opportunities, he buries. All of sudden it's 1-0, then they score a squeaker for the second and then it's an uphill climb. They put it in cruise control and we had a rough time getting back into it."

Conor McLean tipped the Werle point shot during a Hounds' power-play in the first half of the opening period then Peyton Hogan slapped his first of the game past Ryan LaRochelle on a two-on-one break, that would stand as the game winner.

Andrew Cummings deposited a rebound past LaRochelle in the second to make it 3-0 through two periods, Hogan would rifle his second of the night past LaRochelle on a four-on-three power-play before Wesley Shipton scored a magnificent goal late to get the Broncos on the board. Daniel McKitrick earned the lone assist on Shipton's eighth goal of his rookie year.

LaRochelle finished with 28 stops on 32 shots, Darin Fox turned aside 22 in the win. Notre Dame was 2/4 with the man advantage, Humboldt was 0/2.

A tough test for the green and gold this weekend, they meet Nipawin twice, beginning Friday night in Nipawin, the Hawks return to the Elgar Petersen Arena Saturday night.

Klimosko said they need to be better as the season winds into it's stretch run.

"It really comes down to bearing down on those situations, I felt like there were some of us that were ready to go tonight and some probably weren't. You know as well as I do that the hockey doesn't get any easier from here on in. it gets a lot tougher and it gets a lot more intense and we better be ready to play or we're going to have some lopsided games otherwise."

Both games against the Hawks are 7:30 face-offs.

You can hear Klimosko's complete post-game comments below.

In the other game Wednesday in the Saskatchewan junior Hockey League, Yorkton fell 3-2 to the Melfort Mustangs. The Terriers remain three points up on the Broncos for the last playoff spot.