Captain, Nate Monchuk leads the AAA Stars in their handshakes line with Notre Dame at the end of the series, following Game 4 Sunday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Bright Future Ahead

AAA Stars season comes to a close with OT loss in Game 4

Mar 21, 2022 | 12:22 PM

The Battlefords AAA Stars saw their season come to a close Sunday night in North Battleford, as the team fell 3-2 in heartbreaking overtime fashion in Game 4 of their first round series with the Notre Dame Hounds.

Despite the loss, the season featured many bright spots for the Stars, as it marked the organization’s first playoff appearance in six years, with the team pushing the top-seeded Hounds to overtime of Game 4 in a best-of-five series.

Zane Normand (#4) and Kobie Anderson (#7) following Sunday night’s overtime heartbreaker in Game 4. Despite the loss, the Stars have a bright future ahead. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Head coach of the Stars, Dale Grayston said while the overtime loss on home ice was a difficult way to go out, he’s proud of the team for leaving it all out there on the ice.

“Losing at home is never easy and especially when it ends your season, but we had a great crowd out, and I think our finish the last two months of the season and through the playoffs was really strong,” Grayston said.

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Stars forward, Jakin Lawrence pictured here with Hounds captain, Van Eger in Game 4, Sunday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

The coach added that while the team will have to wait to see how many of their veterans return next year – or make the jump to the junior ranks – those that do return will have valuable experience gained from this year to build on.

“Any veterans we get back next year will have a good base of how we want to play, as with last year being limited to just three games we had a lot of rookies this year,” Grayston said. “So there’s lots of positives moving forward and we’re looking forward to it.”

Goaltender Rhett Harkot and defenceman Nate Monchuk set the tone for the Stars as a tough team to play against in their own zone. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Forwards Kobie Anderson and Dawson Gerwing scored the Stars’ two goals Sunday, and will be among the team’s potential graduates to the junior ranks next year. Anderson is committed to the Battlefords North Stars for the fall of 2022, while Gerwing and teammate Treycen Wuttunee were drafted to the Western Hockey League earlier this year as well.

Gerwing was selected by the Swift Current Broncos in the third round, No. 48 overall, while Wuttunee was picked in the 10th round by the Edmonton Oil Kings, No. 221 overall.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1