Stars goalie, Josh Kotai set a career high with 58 saves on 60 Bombers' shots to lead the North Stars to victory Friday night. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Stars 'tender shines

Kotai steals show with 58 saves as Stars top Bombers in Wilkie

Nov 19, 2022 | 2:21 AM

It was a much-anticipated game between the league’s top two teams in front of a packed barn in Wilkie Friday night, as the Battlefords North Stars took home a 5-2 win over Flin Flon to open the teams’ back-to-back weekend series.

Goaltender Josh Kotai stopped 58 of 60 Bombers’ shots on the night to lead the Stars to victory, while five different players chipped in with a goal apiece, as Kian Bell, Emmett Wurst, Jackson Allan, Keiton Klein and Evan Waldie each scored for the homeside in the win.

Bell’s opening goal made it 1-0 Battlefords with just three minutes to go in the first, converting on the rebound of a Zane Florence shot from the blue line in tight for his league-leading 18th of the season, in just his 19th game.

Just under three minutes into the second, Wurst then extended the Stars’ lead with an insurance marker on a partial break for his third of the year to make it 2-0, followed by Jackson Allan’s fourth just under a minute later, to stretch the score to 3-0 Battlefords.

Jaeden Mercier would cash for Flin Flon on their first power play of the night just under six minutes into the frame, but trailing 3-1 is as close as the Bombers would come.

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Klein notched his 11th of the year to make it 4-1 Stars on a laser wrister from the slot on a breakaway, and after Bombers’ forward Wyatt Cook chipped in one of his own to make it 4-2, Waldie put the game to bed with his fourth of the campaign to make it a 5-2 North Stars’ final.

With the win, the Stars extend their season-opening streak to now 19-0-2-1, remaining the lone team in Canada undefeated in regulation time.

The North Stars and Bombers will play the back-half of their weekend series Saturday afternoon at Battleford Arena, with their second game in less than 24 hours, as a 2 p.m. afternoon start.

The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Broadcast will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

17:11 BAT Kian Bell (18) ASST: Zane Florence, Holden Doell 1-0 Stars

Second period:

2:45 BAT Emmett Wurst (3) ASST: Jordan Grill 2-0 Stars

3:36 BAT Jackson Allan (4) ASST: Wilson Steele, Jake Southgate 3-0 Stars

5:51 FF Jaeden Mercier (6) ASST: Reece Richmond, Jacob Vockler 3-1 Stars

Third period:

8:31 BAT Keiton Klein (11) Unassisted 4-1 Stars

9:42 FF Wyatt Cook (5) ASST: Kylynn Olafson 4-2 Stars

15:03 BAT Evan Waldie (4) Unassisted 5-2 Stars

5-2 North Stars, the final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1