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North Stars win third straight

Oct 23, 2016 | 9:10 AM

Slow starts were once again an issue for the Battlefords North Stars in their game against the La Ronge Ice Wolves on Saturday, Oct. 22, but it didn’t hold them back from a win. 

They were outshot by the struggling Ice Wolves in the first period 13-12, but rebounded with 20-9 shots in the third, to come away with a solid 3-0 win. 

“Our first two periods were a little slow,” North Stars associate coach Braeden Johnson said following the team’s third straight win. “We allowed too many easy entries and that allowed them to keep the momentum on their side and every time you give an easy entry it allows them to create offence.”

By the end of the game, Battlefords had peppered La Ronge goaltender Aaron MacKay with 48 shots with just 28 shots against.

The first goal came late in the second period on a power play from Coby Downs, followed by third period goals from Owen Lamb and Layne Young. 

Lamb has been quietly productive this season, landing his ninth goal this season in 14 games.

The top line of Young, Downs, and Ben Allen notably kept together after a formidable appearance in Friday’s win over the Broncos.

“They were excellent, with Allen,” Johnson said of his team’s first line. “I think [Allen] is the most underrated player in the league. That’s a huge statement but his hockey IQ is unbelievable.

“Playing with Downs and Young – he compliments them well. I just can’t say enough good things about him.”

The game could have ended differently if not for a big play from goaltender Taryn Kotchorek in the second period.

Kotchorek stopped Jared Blacquiere on a shorthanded breakaway with his right shoulder when the game was still scoreless. Had that gone in, momentum would have swung in the other direction.

“We built from that so it was a good save for him,” Johnson said. ”He kept us in it obviously in the first [with] our inability to get in the game.”

Kotchorek stopped all 28 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.

The other major bright spot for the team was defence stepping up in the absence of Connor Sych, who has now served two games of a four-game suspension.

“They’ve done an excellent job,” Johnson said. “Our defensive core is second to none in the league and we have to use that as an asset.”

Minnesota native Connor Jensen got healthy just as Sych left the lineup, which certainly helped.

“He’s looked phenomenal,” Johnson said. “You can tell he’s definitely worked hard in the off-season and it’s definitely showing. Then you have Connor Managre, who’s definitely a tough kid … and he’s definitely a student of the game. He’s always asking questions and how to improve his game.

“Then you have the duo of [Cody] Spagrud and [Levi] Kleiboer, who I think are phenomenal together and they definitely feed off each other  …and then obviously you have [Kendall] Fransoo and [Ryan] Rosenberg – they’re two big bodies that compete extremely hard.”

It was also a milestone night for captain Fransoo, who played in his 200th career regular season game. His first career SJHL game was nearly four years ago, on Oct. 29, 2012, when the North Stars beat Notre Dame 4-1. He’s compiled five goals, 28 assists, and  441 penalty minutes over those 200 games.

The North Stars are back at it on Tuesday, when they host division rival Kindersley at the Civic Centre.

NorSask North Stars radio gets underway at 7:15 p.m. with the Ultra Print pre-game show on CJNB/CJNS.

 

Nathan Kanter is battlefordsNOW’s sports reporter and voice of the Battlefords North Stars. He can be reached at Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca or tweet him @NathanKanter11