Terriers’ goaltender, Ryan Ouellette made 29 stops on the night including several key saves at big moments for his team, to help lead Yorkton to victory in the Battlefords. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Dog eat dog

North Stars fall 6-4 in tussle with Terriers

Nov 14, 2019 | 12:14 AM

Every dog has its day, and for the Yorkton Terriers, theirs was Wednesday night in the Battlefords.

It was as much a game of tug-of-war as it was hockey Wednesday night, as the Terriers narrowly edged out the Stars, 6-4 in a back-and-forth battle at the Civic Centre.

The defeat snaps a 15-game winning streak for the Battlefords, serving as just the second loss this season for the Stars. The team’s first loss also came at the hands of the Terriers, back on Oct. 1.

If the North Stars appeared superhuman ahead of the night’s battle, then Terriers’ captain, Chantz Petruic would be their kryptonite.

Petruic, who entered the evening leading the scoring race, put on his biggest performance of the season yet. The 20-year-old cashed in for four goals and six points on the night, factoring in on each of his team’s goals to lead the visitors to victory at the Civic Centre.

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The performance gives the forward seven goals, twelve points in just three games against the Stars this season.

For the home side, Quintin Loon-Stewardson pitched in a pair for the Stars in the losing effort, while Timon Prexler and Kaden Boser chipped in a goal apiece as well on the night.

Goaltender Parker Rey stopped nine of twelve Terriers’ shots through two periods, before Adam Dmyterko came off the bench for the third, to close the night’s contest stopping ten of twelve.

Yorkton goalie, Ryan Ouellette made 29 saves on 33 Battlefords’ shots in the win.

Blue liner Timon Prexler opened the scoring for the Stars on the night, just under two minutes into the first.

Firing a shot through traffic to beat the goalie clean from the high slot, Prexler’s 1-0 tally served as his first of the season and first career Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) goal.

Petruic struck back though for the Terriers, before the end of the opening frame.

Firing home his league-leading 25^th goal of the season and first of the night, Petruic’s marker knotted things up, 1-1 heading to the first intermission.

In the second, the Stars would again pull ahead, thanks to defending SJHL Player of the Week, Quintin Loon-Stewardson. Loon-Stewardson snapped a shot home, off the near-side post and in, on a rush chance in tight.

Serving as the 19-year-old’s first of the game and 18^th of the season, the goal made it 2-1 Stars.

Staying that way for much of the middle frame, as the clock hit the final two-minute mark, Petruic again came alive.

Potting back-to-back tallies this time in quick succession, Petruic’s 26^th and 27^th goals of the season came at the 18:36 and 19:09 marks of the period, capping the veteran’s hattrick performance ahead of the third.

But the offensive dynamo he was still not done.

Felling refreshed following the intermission, the Terriers’ captain again came out to add another to his total on the night, giving him 28 this season and four goals on the evening; 4-2 Yorkton.

Despite the early period setback, however, the Stars were not rolling over.

Kaden Boser tipped home a Seth Summers’ shot at the midway mark of the third to again make it a one-goal game at 4-3.

A few minutes later, the Stars looked to have tied things on a Rylan Nivon shot from a tough angle, that was deemed shortly after to be called off. Upon reflection, the officials ruled the puck had in fact, not crossed the goal line.

Rather than hang their heads though, the Stars continued to battle. Finally, with just under four minutes to go in regulation, Quintin Loon-Stewardson broke through again for his team delivering his 19^th of the campaign to tie things once more, 4-4.

Nearly blowing the roof off the building, the goal looked to signal a patented North Stars’ comeback, but the end result was not to be this night.

After a Stars’ player was assessed a hooking minor late with just minutes to go in the game, Yorkton again capitalized thanks to Petruic.

This time having his shot from the line deflected in front, the late power play goal by Steven Norum served as the game-winner on the night, making it 5-4 Terriers.

Yorkton added an additional goal late on an empty netter to seal it, again assisted by Petruic.

Petruic, who led all SJHL players in scoring heading into play with 24 goals 48 points in just 24 games, capped the evening with a bump to 28 goals, 54 points in 25 contests this year.

The North Stars will now get just over a week off to rest and regroup from just their second loss of the season, before returning to action next Fri., Nov. 22 against the Estevan Bruins at the NB Civic Centre.

Friday’s game will be broadcast on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. on NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey.

Scoring summary

First period:

1:49 BAT Timon Prexler (1) ASST: Dylan Esau (5)

12:47 YOR Chantz Petruic (25) ASST: Ethan Robson (3), Ryan Granville (10)

Second period:

7:12 BAT Quintin Loon-Stewardson (18) ASST: Noah Form (13)

18:36 YOR Chantz Petruic (26) ASST: None

19:09 YOR Chantz Petruic (27) ASST: Jordan Guiney (18), Ryan Ries (9)

Third period:

0:30 YOR Chantz Petruic (28) ASST: Jordan Guiney (19)

10:18 BAT Kaden Boser (6) ASST: Seth Summers (16) (PP)

16:34 BAT Quintin Loon-Stewardson (19) ASST: Rylan Nivon (22) (SH)

18:14 YOR Steven Norum (5) ASST: Chantz Petruic (25) (PP)

19:50 YOR Jordan Guiney (9) ASST: Chantz Petruic (26) (EN)

6-4 Terriers, the Final.

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1