The Broncos' backs are against the wall in their best-of-seven Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League quarterfinal series with the Nipawin Hawks.

Tuesday night the Hawks collected a 4-2 win to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

Right off the get go the Broncos didn't appear ready to play and that was evident when the home team took just nine seconds to score off the opening face-off. Brandon Arnold scored his first of the series converting a Josh Bly pass putting the Broncos in an early hole in what was essentially a must win game.

"Not a great start," Head Coach Darcy Haugan lamented on the post game show.

Humboldt did draw the game even just prior to the four minute mark but they couldn't get of the first without a deficit. Brayden Camrud notched his first career SJHL post season goal from Stephan Wack and Michael Korol but Eric Bolden restored the one goal lead before the opening frame was complete.

"We did battle back and the get the tying goal but not a great way to start," Haugan added.

The second period was less successful, the Broncos generated four power plays but they were outscored 2-0 in the middle stanza, Tanner Thompson scored on a Nipawin power-play, Bolden added his second, Bly assisted on all of them for a four point night.

Haugan admitted spotting the Hawks four won't usually work out in the end.

"They are a team that doesn't give up a lot of goals, they get four the writing is on the wall. It seemed like some of our guys the harder they tried the worse they got. I'm not real pleased some of efforts here tonight."

Logan Schatz scored his first just 14 seconds into the third period from Trevor Posch and Chris Van Os-Shaw but SJHL Most Valuable Player Kristian Stead did the rest stopping 33 shots.

"It's about execution right now and we're being out-executed by the Niapwin Hawks," Haugan concluded.

Garrett Mason made 34 stops for the Broncos.

Each team finished 1/7 on the man advantage.

Tristen Elder received a game misconduct for goalie interference, on a play he was clearly pushed into Stead who was outside the goal crease however the SJHL rules state a second infraction of that nature comes with the penalty, Chris Van Os-Shaw took the same call in the second bumping Stead behind his net.

Game four is slated for 7:30 Thursday at the Elgar Petersen Arena. Visit humboldtbroncos.com for tickets or call 682-5575.

In the other three series that were played Tuesday, the Battlefords Stars completed a sweep of Weyburn with a 4-3 victory, Estevan has the Yorkton Terriers on the ropes after a 5-4 victory and the Flin Flon Bombers have the same lead on the Notre Dame Hounds following a 3-1 decision.

You can hear more from Haugan below as well as from Parker Wakaruk and Luke Kempf who turned the tables and interviewed Bolt FM's Clark Stork during the first intermission.