Stars teammates gather around goalie Justen Maric following Friday night's win at the ACC. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

North Stars rolling

Bell, Maric lead Stars over Hawks for seventh straight

Dec 9, 2022 | 11:48 PM

The Battlefords North Stars gave their fans a fitting sendoff to the holidays Friday, with a 3-1 win over Nipawin in their final home game before Christmas at the Access Communications Centre.

Kian Bell scored a pair of goals, Riley Girod added a third, and Justen Maric stopped 39/40 to lead the team to their seventh straight victory, while Holden Doell also added two helpers in his return to the lineup after missing the last two.

Kian Bell scored another two goals Friday night to extend his league-leading total to 23 in just 24 games this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Bell’s first of the night opened the scoring just 3:35 into the contest, roofing a pass from Doell in-tight to bring a flood of stuffed teddy bears raining down to the ice early, on the Stars’ Teddy Bear Toss night.

The lone goal of the opening period, Bell would double dip in the second, adding his 23^rd of the year as well, to make it 2-0 Stars on a power play snipe from the mid slot. This time set up by both Doell and Jake Southgate, the tally brought the trio’s total to a combined five points on the night.

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With another 39 saves for the victory Friday night, Justen Maric is now 7-0 with a 2.14 goals against average and .943 save percentage this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

In the third, Girod’s fourth came off a quick release as a left-hand shot blazing in down the left wing to make it 3-0 Battlefords, after being sprung for the chance by Tanner Gold.

Nipawin’s Carson Dobson cracked the goose egg on his team’s side of the scoreboard with his 10^th of the year on a power play late, though that is as close as the Hawks would come.

Former North Stars’ goalie, Lowen Kenyon stopped 31/34 Battlefords shots to keep his team in the game throughout the night, making his Hawks’ debut against his former club. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

With the victory, the Stars snap Nipawin’s four-game winning streak and extend their league-leading record to 24-0-2-1 this season. With 51 points, the team now hold a 12-point lead over the field in the standings.

The North Stars and Hawks will now get just under 24 hours before playing the back-half of their home-and-home in Nipawin, Saturday night.

Saturday’s game will be available on 1050 CJNB with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m., and puck drop to follow at 7 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

Scoring summary

First period:

3:35 BAT Kian Bell (22) ASST: Holden Doell 1-0 Stars

Second period:

14:23 BAT Kian Bell (23) ASST: Holden Doell, Jake Southgate (PP) 2-0 Stars

Third period:

8:40 BAT Riley Girod (4) ASST: Tanner Gold 3-0 Stars

18:52 NIP Carson Dobson (10) ASST: Braxton Buckberger (PP) 3-1 Stars

3-1 Stars, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1