North Stars teammates celebrate around goaltender Josh Kotai, following Saturday night's response win in Humboldt. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Character win

North Stars bounce back with 5-3 victory in Humboldt

Mar 5, 2023 | 1:01 AM

Coming off a 5-3 loss to the rival Humboldt Broncos to open the weekend Friday, the Battlefords North Stars flipped the script with a 5-3 win of their own in the rematch, Saturday at the Elgar Petersen Arena.

The win splits the weekend series, and gives the Stars their second victory against the Broncos in the six games of the season series, responding in a big way to snap a four-game skid against their divisional foes.

Kian Bell of the North Stars scored his 52nd of the year Saturday night, while Humboldt’s Lucas Ceccarelli cashed in for his 14th. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Steven Kesslering led the way for the Stars with his second-straight two-goal game. The veteran winger tallied his first of the night on a shorthanded dart for his 34^th of the campaign, also adding the game-winner in the third to put the team in front for good, in a three-point night.

The pair gives the Viceroy, SK., product four goals on the weekend, and seven in his last five games overall.

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With another two goals and an assist Saturday, Stars’ forward Steven Kesslering now has 35 goals and 62 points in 51 games this season. He sits just two goals back of Flin Flon’s Cole Duperreault for second in league goals, and two points back of Duperreault for fourth in league points. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Josh Kotai made 32 saves on 35 shots to backstop the team to victory, while Humboldt’s Benjamin Motew stopped 45/50 Battlefords’ shots, as the goaltending at both ends stole the show through much of the night.

The teams combined for 38 shots in the first period alone (21-17 Battlefords), including a number of high-danger scoring chances thwarted between the two ‘tenders.

Motew robbed Stars’ captain Jake Southgate with a glove stop on a one-timer from the slot, just ahead of the midway mark of the first. The play was followed by an equally-impressive bang-bang save sequence from Kotai, to stonewall Cage Newans with the pad-blocker tandem on a rush chance the other way.

Holden Doell’s 29^th gave the Stars their first lead of the night at 2-1 just a minute into the second, with Jordan Grill’s fourth coming on a deflection in front to re-establish the advantage at 3-2, just prior to the end of the frame. Kian Bell’s empty netter sealed the win serving as his 52^nd.

Jordan Grill scored his fourth of the season Saturday, cashing in for the goal in just his second game of the season playing the centre position. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

At the other end, Alec Saretzky’s Broncos-leading 26^th of the year opened the scoring on the power play, while Lucas Ceccarelli added a shorty in the second, and Noah Barlage also scored to get the team back to within a single late in the third.

With the win, the North Stars are now 45-5-2-1 through 53 games. With three games remaining in their regular season schedule, the team sit just four points back of matching the 2016-17 Stars for the most points in franchise history, in two less games (schedule used to be 58 games, now is 56).

With five points in their last three games the Stars can set a new record outright.

The Stars will return to play Tuesday night on home ice, when they welcome the Nipawin Hawks to town for what could be a potential first round playoff preview.

Tuesday’s game at the ACC will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m., and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

8:49 HUM Alec Saretzky (26) ASST: Jacob Boucher, Tim Kim (PP) 1-0 Broncos

10:05 BAT Steven Kesslering (34) ASST: Keiton Klein, Zane Florence (SH) 1-1 Tie

Second period:

1:18 BAT Holden Doell (29) ASST: Jordan Gibbs, Kian Bell 2-1 Stars

11:21 HUM Lucas Ceccarelli (14) ASST: None 2-2 Tie

16:39 BAT Jordan Grill (4) ASST: Evan Waldie 3-2 Stars

Third period:

12:34 BAT Steven Kesslering (35) ASST: Colby Bear 4-2 Stars

16:41 HUM Noah Barlage (4) ASST: None 4-3 Stars

19:51 BAT Kian Bell (52) ASST: Steven Kesslering (EN) 5-3 Stars

5-3 North Stars, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1