North Stars teammates celebrate around goalie, Josh Kotai following Friday night's 6-1 win. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Sweet 16

Stars best Weyburn, set new franchise mark with 16th straight

Jan 14, 2023 | 1:51 AM

It was another memorable night for the Battlefords North Stars, in a season chalked full, as the team topped the Red Wings 6-1 in Weyburn to set a new regular season franchise record with their 16^th straight win.

Five different North Stars scored for the team in the victory, led by a two-goal, four-point performance from Holden Doell, while Marshall Light, Tynan Ewart, and Evan Waldie added a goal and an assist apiece, and Steven Kesslering tallied his 20th.

Jake Southgate was also instrumental in the offense, picking up a pair of assists, while Josh Kotai stopped 25/26 between the pipes for the win.

Marshall Light celebrates with teammates following his tying goal Friday night in Weyburn. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Weyburn’s Jakob Kalin opened the scoring on a Red Wings’ power play in the final minute of the first, re-directing a Ryley Morgan shot-pass in the slot, to make it 1-0 for the home-side.

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Though the Wings would carry that lead to the midway mark of the second, when the Stars did finally break through, the team didn’t look back.

Light knotted the score 1-1 on his second of the season at the 9:29 mark of the frame, followed by Ewart’s sixth just 15 seconds later on a shot from the top of the circle as well, to make it 2-1 Stars and flip the lead entirely.

From there, Kesslering added his third in his last two games to hit the 20-goal plateau, walking into a one-timer put on a tee by Doell, to make it 3-1 just over four minutes later.

Prior to the end of the frame, Waldie’s seventh, and second in his last two nights, made it 4-1 on a dart to the top corner.

Evan Waldie celebrates with teammates following his second goal in as many games, Friday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

In the third, Doell’s 19^th and 20^th of the season capped the night’s scoring, putting the game to bed at 6-1, with the latter of which also serving as the consensus highlight of the night that dropped jaws around the arena.

The play started when – fending off a check in the defensive zone – Southgate launched a 60-foot saucer pass head-height to a streaking Doell onrushing the opposition blue line.

Without breaking stride, Doell then grabbed the fluttering puck, dropped it to his stick and broke in alone, deking the goalie for a highlight-reel marker that brought the fans out of their seats regardless of team loyalties.

With the win, the North Stars extend their league-leading record to 33-0-2-1 on the season, while their 69 points give them a 20-point lead over the field.

The Stars will now wrap their weekend road swing through southern Sask., Saturday night in Estevan.

Saturday’s game will be available on 1050 CJNB. A bit earlier than usualhe Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop at 7 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

Scoring summary

First period:

19:19 WEY Jakob (14) ASST: Ryley Morgan, Elijah Anderson (PP) 1-0 WEY

Second period:

9:29 BAT Marshall Light (2) ASST: Evan Waldie, Marshall Light 1-1 BAT

9:44 BAT Tynan Ewart (6) ASST: Jake Southgate, Holden Doell 2-1 BAT

13:52 BAT Steven Kesslering (20) ASST: Holden Doell, Tynan Ewart 3-1 BAT

16:50 BAT Evan Waldie (7) ASST: Emmett Wust, Marshall Light 4-1 BAT

Third period:

4:29 BAT Holden Doell (19) ASST: Kian Bell, Jake Southgate 5-1 BAT

14:32 BAT Holden Doell (20) ASST: Jake Southgate 6-1 BAT

6-1 BAT, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1