Stars' forward, Riley Girod receives smiles and fist-bumps all around from teammates, after scoring his first career SJHL goal in Satuday night's win. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Sweep weekend series

North Stars soar to tenth straight, topping Red Wings 7-1

Oct 9, 2022 | 12:32 AM

The Battlefords North Stars extended their season-opening winning streak to 10-straight Saturday night in North Battleford, with a 7-1 win over Weyburn.

The Stars’ big line of Jake Southgate (one goal, three assists), Holden Doell (two goals, one assist) and Kian Bell (one goal, one assist) led the way for the team, combining for nine points on the evening.

Stars’ captain, Jake Southgate was a force Saturday night, scoring a goal, adding three primary assists and even dropping the gloves in the third period. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

First-year Star, Riley Girod also picked up the first of his SJHL career, Keiton Klein notched his league-leading ninth, and Easton Rask added one of his own, while goalie, Riley Kotai stopped 28 of 29 shots on the night.

Southgate opened the scoring on the power play with just under three minutes to go in the first period. Cleaning up a Tynan Ewart rebound in front, the goal served as his fifth of the season to make it a 1-0 Battlefords lead at the first intermission.

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In the second, after Weyburn’s Jakob Kalin tied the game just 40 seconds into the frame, it was again the Stars’ big line with an answer to re-establish the lead, mere minutes later.

Picking up the puck at centre ice, Bell hit a streaking Southgate to spring the captain on a 2-on-1 with Doell, blitzing down the right-wing side alongside him. Doell would cash in on a one-time shot at the far post to make it 2-1 Stars with the eventual game-winner.

Rask’s third came on a breakaway for the sophomore defenceman, fresh out of the penalty box. Flying in from centre unencumbered, Rask picked his spot and snapped the puck 14-inches stick-side on the goaltender to stretch the lead to 3-1 at the end of 40 minutes.

In the third, Girod’s first of his SJHL career came on a quick release from the side of the net, set up by Kobie Anderson to make it 4-1 just under 2:30 into the final frame.

Bell’s sixth came on the power play, set up by Southgate once again to make it 5-1, followed by another PP goal – this time from Keiton Klein on his patented one-timer – to make it a route at 6-1.

With the goal, Klein takes sole possession of the league lead with nine goals through 10 games this season, including a league-best six coming on the power play.

Doell’s second of the night capped the scoring at 7-1, again set up by Southgate, giving the Stars’ centre iceman three goals and nine points in just six games this season.

In addition to the scoring, there were also a pair of scraps in the third period. Easton Rask and Matthieu Gautier dropped the gloves behind the North Stars’ net just under seven minutes into the frame, before Southgate also scored the takedown in his bout with Ian Maier late in the period, in front of the Weyburn goal.

Brick wall tandem: Goalies Justen Maric (left) and Josh Kotai (right) combined to stop 67 of 69 Red Wings shots total this weekend, in the Stars’ back-to-back victories Friday and Saturday. Maric stopped 39 of 40 Friday night, while Kotai stopped 28 of 29 Saturday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

The Stars will now get a week off to rest up and regroup ahead of their return to action next Friday against the Melfort Mustangs in North Battleford.

Friday’s game will be available on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7 p.m., with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

17:12 BAT Jake Southgate (5) ASST: Tynan Ewart (9), Holden Doell (6) (PP)

Second period:

0:40 WEY Jakob Kalin (3) ASST: Sam Boldt (3), Blake Norris (3)

5:18 BAT Holden Doell (2) ASST: Jake Southgate (7), Kian Bell (5)

11:33 BAT Easton Rask (3) ASST: None

Third period:

2:24 BAT Riley Girod (1) ASST: Kobie Anderson (2)

6:22 BAT Kian Bell (6) ASST: Jake Southgate (8) (PP)

8:21 BAT Keiton Klein (9) ASST: Bradley Blake (6), Colby Bear (6) (PP)

9:11 BAT Holden Doell (3) ASST: Jake Southgate (9)

7-1 North Stars, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1