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Rolling along: Six different players chipped in with a goal apiece in the North Stars’ 6-3 victory Friday night at the Civic Centre. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff) 
Walking the dog

Stars tame Ice Wolves, take third straight, with 6-3 win

Jan 18, 2020 | 12:16 AM

Six different Stars etched their name in the scorecard, and goaltender Kristian Lyon stopped 37 of 40 shots against, as the Battlefords North Stars topped the La Ronge Ice Wolves 6-3 Friday night at the Civic Centre.

Ben Hiltz, Quintin Loon-Stewardson, Kaden Boser, Matthias Urbanski, Dylan Esau and Timon Prexler rounded out the scoring for the home side.

With the win the Stars sweep their season series with La Ronge a perfect 6-0, and further their lead atop the league standings with a 35-7-2 record through 44 games this year.

Forward, Jordan Mish scored all three goals for La Ronge in the loss, while Liam McGarva stopped 24/30, before being replaced by Cannon Xavier in the third, who saved 7/7 in relief.

With the loss, La Ronge are now 23-17-5 on the year, but remain in fourth spot overall.

Mish’s first goal of the night opened the scoring on the evening, making it 1-0 La Ronge on their first shot of the night. Coming just 3:29 into the first, the goal was a spin around shot that beat the goalie clean, coming on the opening man advantage of the game.

Hiltz’ tally did answer though, as the forward scored a power play goal of his own, to tie the contest 1-1 prior to the first intermission. Coming on a shot through traffic from the right side-boards, Hiltz picked his spot through traffic for his 15th of the year.

The game remained a 1-1 to the end of the first. In the second though, the home side took the Ice Wolves to astronomy class, to show what a North Star could do.

Quintin Loon-Stewardson gave the Stars their first lead of the night at 2-1 on a wicked wrist shot off the rush, that beat the goalie clean, for his team leading 24th.

Boser’s seventh followed soon after, adding an insurance marker for good measure. Set up by feverish forechecking pressure put on by Dylan Esau to force the turnover in the attacking zone, Boser picked up the loose puck and sniped it home from the high slot to make it 3-1.

Urbanski’s 17th was next on the agenda, coming shorthanded on a pass far-post from Quintin Loon-Stewardson to make it 4-1 Battlefords.

Still showing no signs of slowing down, Esau made it 5-1 tipping a Matthew Fletcher point-shot for his seventh of the campaign for the Battlefords’ second power play strike of the night.

Then, just when it looked like La Ronge couldn’t get to the dressing room soon enough, Timon Prexler gave the visitors one more for the road, snapping home his sixth from the point with under a minute to go in the second frame.

Just like that, the Stars put up five in the middle period – and six unanswered overall – to decide the night’s contest.

Mish’s second and third goals of the game came in the third period to make it closer at 6-3, but ultimately the damage was done. For Mish, the hattrick performance brings his total to 11 goals on the year.

The North Stars will now look to build on their performance, as the team is back in action Saturday for a neutral site game at Hillmond Redden Arena against the Notre Dame Hounds.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast on 1050 CJNB. The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast will begin with pregame at 7:15 p.m. and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

3:29 LAR Jordan Mish (9) ASST: Kyle Ford (25), Daylon Mannon (34) (PP)

7:12 BAT Ben Hiltz (15) ASST: Jaxon Steele (9), Seth Summers (28) (PP)

Second period:

4:49 BAT Quintin Loon-Stewardson (24) ASST: Timon Prexler (5)

6:13 BAT Kaden Boser (7) ASST: None

10:13 BAT Matthias Urbanski (17) ASST: Quintin Loon-Stewardson (23) (SH)

13:49 BAT Dylan Esau (7) ASST: Matthew Fletcher (30), Quintin Loon-Stewardson (24) (PP)

19:19 BAT Timon Prexler (6) ASST: Ryland McNinch (3)

Third period:

4:38 LAR Jordan Mish (10) ASST: James Philpott (27), Nolan Spadafore (2)

18:07 LAR Jordan Mish (11) ASST: Ty Budai (1), Grant Longtin (13)

6-3 North Stars, the final.

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1

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