North Stars thump Klippers for second consecutive shutout

After Joel Gryzbowski got the shutout on Friday, this time it was Taryn Kotchorek who was perfect in goal for Battlefords, making 25 saves for his 13th win of the season.

“It’s tough playing goal for our team. It’s not about the shots against us, it’s the prime scoring opportunities that other teams get,” Bedford said. “I think he played extremely well when he had to.”

Kotchorek also got into the game physically, when Klippers forward Josh Fletcher went into him hard in the third period. Kotchorek responded by giving him a couple of good licks.

“He felt like someone was getting a little too close to him and he stood up for himself,” Bedford said. “So 145 pounds coming at a guy isn’t necessarily the scariest thing but when it’s Taryn Kotchorek, it’s a little more frightening.”

Other highlights from this game were Connor Manegre’s first career SJHL goal, a third period fight between Troy Gerein and Brody Ryberg, and the fact that the third period performance was much better than it has been the past couple of weeks.

The score entering the third was just 2-0, but in the end, Battlefords put up six on the board.

“I think we wore them down,” Bedford said. “Where we were successful was just persistence. Guys like [Coby] Downs and [Layne] Young are used to scoring all the time and when you don’t, you can easily get down on yourself and guys didn’t tonight. It was really positive.”

Getting on the scoreboard for the home side were six different players: Keaton Holinaty, Ben Allen, Kendall Fransoo, Connor Logan, Bryce Hall, and Manegre.

Holinaty opened the scoring with a backhander in tight, while Allen sniped one blocker side in the second to give the North Stars a two-goal lead heading into the third.

Fransoo scored a goal with the man advantage early in the third, his fifth power play goal of the season, while Logan banged away at his own wrap-around attempt four minutes later to increase the lead to 4-0.

Hall would add an empty netter, short handed from his own end no less, while Manegre would notch his first goal from right in front of the net on a late power play.

Bedford put Manegre out on the power play midway through the third for the first time all season, and it didn’t pay immediate dividends. But when they had another man advantage in the final minute of play, Bedford went right back with him.

“I could feel everyone’s eyes except for his on me so it wasn’t necessarily much of a choice,” Bedford joked. “We were putting him back out there 100 per cent.

“We had that feeling when Jensen scored [his first goal] earlier in the year…Guys just kind of lost it on the bench, so excited, and same thing today.”

The North Stars welcome the surging Flin Flon Bombers to town next week for two games, one on Wednesday and one on Friday.

Flin Flon is 10-1 in their last 11, while the North Stars have won 19 of their last 20 games.

“Fans here remember hwat happened last year… but it’s two different teams,” Bedford said. “I expect two real good games. I would say we’re ready for them. I’m pretty confident with the effort we had tonight and the postiive energy we had on the bench, I think thsoe guys are really gearing up for Wednesday and I think we’re going to come flying out of the gate.

“Wednesday night is going to be a playoff type game and whoever works the hardest I think is going to win.”

NorSask North Stars hockey gets underway on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. with the Ultra Print pre-game show on CJNB/CJNS. Puck drop is 7:30.

by Nathan Kanter

North Stars thump Klippers for second consecutive shutout

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