Six different players scored for the Stars in their 7-4 win over the rival Broncos in Humboldt Tuesday, while netminder, Parker Rey turned in a 40-save performance to provide the backbone for the team on their way to victory on the night. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Rey leads way

Stars bounce back with 7-4 win in Humboldt

Dec 18, 2019 | 1:05 AM

After scoring just 10 goals over their last six games heading into play, the proverbial offensive dam finally burst for the Battlefords North Stars Tuesday night, as the team exploded for a 7-4 victory over the rival Broncos in Humboldt.

From fisticuffs to penalties, a goalie change and even a penalty shot, the night’s divisional matchup between the Stars and Broncos featured a little bit of everything.

Goaltender, Parker Rey led the way for the Battlefords with 40 saves, while six different North Stars chipped in offensively.

Defenceman, Timon Prexler pitched in two goals on the night, while Seth Summers, Jaxon Steele, Ben Hiltz, Quintin Loon-Stewardson and Dylan Esau each potted a single in the win.

Humboldt’s Justin Jamer, Jackson Bohan, Logan Foster and Doug Scott scored for the Broncos in the loss. Goaltender Brendan Forman was pulled after allowing four goals on seven shots, while Dawson Cochrane stopped 11 of 14 in relief.

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Summers opened the scoring for the Stars just 42 seconds into the first, on the Battlefords’ first shot of the night. Wiring home his seventh of the season from the high slot, it was 1-0 Stars early in the contest.

Prexler made it 2-0 Battlefords just about 40 seconds later on the team’s second shot of the evening, capitalizing on his first of the night and second career Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) tally, on a writer from the top of the circle.

The hometown Broncos did answer back at the 3:03 mark to respond. Cashing in on their initial power play opportunity of the night, Justin Jamer scored his seventh of the season on a deflection in front. The goal cut the Broncos’ deficit in half, at 2-1 North Stars.

The Battlefords bounced back though in a big way, adding an additional two before the first intermission, to make it 4-1 after the first.

Prexler’s second of the evening started the bounce back, coming on a slap shot from the slot to make it 3-1. Steele then fired a turnaround drive that beat the goalie just 40 seconds later, making it 4-1 on his third as a Star.

Following the fourth goal, Forman was replaced in favour of Cochrane in the Humboldt net.

Although the Steele tally was the final goal of the frame, it was far from the final chance. Luke Spadafora was hauled down on the breakaway late in the period, leading to a penalty shot opportunity at the 17:30 mark for the Broncos’ leading scorer.

Cutting in one-on-one against the Stars’ netminder, the crafty forward, Spadafora faked forehand before pulling the puck to his backhand, but Rey was there to stonewall him with the pad.

In the second, Hiltz made it 5-1 Battlefords on his first goal in a North Stars’ uniform, tipping a Summers’ shot home from in front.

But the lead would be cut quickly, as Jackson Bohan notched his fifth on the man advantage to make it a 5-2 game just over a minute later.

While the momentum was perhaps swinging midway through the period, Stars’ forward, Elijah Loon-Stewardson reestablished the flow for his team with a simple drop of the gloves.

Engaging in an outbreak of fisticuffs with Broncos’ forward, Max Gudnason at the 13:42 mark of the second, the bout landed each player a game misconduct with Loon-Stewardson scoring the takedown.

In the third, Quintin Loon-Stewardson and Esau cashed in with back-to-back power play goals to make it 7-2 by the midway mark of the period.

While Humboldt would ultimately be rewarded for their feverish pressure with back-to-back goals of their own from Foster and Scott, at 7-4, that is as close as the Broncos would get on the night.

With the win, the North Stars improve to 28-6-2 on the season, while the Broncos fall to 16-14-5 on the year.

The two sides will now get a brief period to rest and regroup, before returning to action Wednesday night for the back-half of the teams’ home-and-home this week as the series will shift to the NB Civic Centre Wednesday night.

Wednesday’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.

Scoring summary

First period:

0:42 BAT Seth Summers (7) ASST: Ben Hiltz (16), Elijah Loon-Stewardson (18)

1:20 BAT Timon Prexler (2) ASST: Rylan Nivon (27), Jaxon Steele (4)

3:03 HUM Justin Jamer (7) ASST: Logan Foster (25), Spencer McHardy (2) (PP)

16:04 BAT Timon Prexler (3) ASST: Hunter Partsch (2), Dylan Esau (8)

16:41 BAT Jaxon Steele (3) ASST: Liam Antoniuk (4)

Second period:

7:46 BAT Ben Hiltz (12) ASST: Seth Summers (21), Matthew Fletcher (23)

9:08 HUM Jackson Bohan (5) ASST: Tristan Shewchuk (12), Karter Mcnarland (23) (PP)

Third period:

8:32 BAT Quintin Loon-Stewardson (22) ASST: None (PP)

9:59 BAT Dylan Esau (5) ASST: Steven Kesslering (8), Dylan McCabe (12) (PP)

12:33 HUM Logan Foster (17) ASST: Justin Jamer (9)

16:07 HUM Doug Scott (2) ASST: Karter Mcnarland (24), Tristan Shewchuk (13) (PP)

7-4 North Stars, the final.

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1