North Stars teammates gather around goalie Justen Maric following Friday's 10-1 win in Kindersley. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Match Franchise Points Record

Stars explode for seven in third, top Klippers 10-1

Mar 11, 2023 | 1:11 AM

It was truly an all hands on deck performance from the Battlefords North Stars Friday, as nine different players chipped in with a goal on the night, to led the team to a 10-1 victory over the division-rival Klippers, in Kindersley.

With the win, the Stars extend their league-leading record to 47-5-2-1, and match their franchise record for most points in a season with 97, with a chance to set a new franchise-high mark in their regular season finale Saturday.

Kian Bell celebrates with teammates after scoring his 53rd goal of the season Friday, in just his 50th game. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Defenceman Easton Rask opened the scoring for the Stars just 37 seconds into the night’s action. Jumping in on the play from the right point, Rask pounced on the rebound of a Wilson Steele shot, to pull the puck forehand-to-backhand and deposit the 1-0 tally.

Less than 20 seconds later, Holden Doell then struck to make it 2-0 early on his 30th of the season, still within the opening minute.

COMMUNITY CHAMPION

Dwight King receives Leadership Excellence Award for inspiring youth through sports

1h ago

SUPPORT AND PREVENTION

'They are not alone': Sask. RCMP address rising domestic violence with prevention and support programs

21h ago

Battlefords North Stars Preview

Nipawin game postponed, then North Stars visit Bruins for the first time

21h ago

In the second, after Danton Cox got the Klippers back within a single at 2-1, Tynan Ewart’s eighth of the campaign stretched the lead to 3-1 Battlefords with just 0.7 seconds to go in the frame.

Zane Florence made the play possible, winning a board battle to fire the puck to the front of the goal with just three seconds to go, setting up the rebound conversion from #2.

Serving as the proverbial turning point of the contest, the Stars’ scoring exploded in the third, as the Battlefords cashed for seven unanswered to blow the contest out of the water.

Marshall Light’s third of the season made it 4-1 Stars just 29 seconds in, followed just 1:20 later by Kesslering’s 36th, and first of two on the night to make it 5-1.

Tanner Gold’s eighth on the power play made it a 6-1 game, jumping in from the right point to cash on a setup from Kesslering and Southgate. Riley Girod’s ninth just two minutes later added to the total, to make it a 7-1 lead.

The ‘kid line’ of Marhall Light (right), Riley Girod (middle) and Ashtyn Shields (left) combined for two goals and six points Friday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Emmett Wurst’s sixth of the season came off a shot from the point tipped by Allan and deposited by Wurst to make it 8-1, followed by Bell’s 53rd of the year to make it 9-1 on a gorgeous set-up from Doell.

Busting in on a two-man breakaway with five minutes to go, Bell fed Doell right in front, who then hit him right back for the tap-in.

Kesslering’s second of the game and 37th of the year, capped the night at 10-1 on a breakaway late, splitting the defense to fire home the final goal of the night and ice the victory.

Steven Kesslering scored two goals and an assist Friday, to move into second in league goals (37) and fourth in points (65), now trailing only teammates Bell, Doell and Southgate in the league scoring race. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

The Stars will wrap their regular season on home ice Saturday night, capping their home-and-home with Kindersley. The game 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:

0:37 BAT Easton Rask (4) ASST: Wilson Steele, Ashtyn Shields 1-0 Stars

0:51 BAT Holden Doell (30) ASST: Jake Southgate, Kian Bell 2-0 Stars

Second period:

1:31 KIN Danton Cox (4) ASST: Matthew Mazzocchi, Ethan Hilbig 2-1 Stars

19:59 BAT Tynan Ewart (8) ASST: Zane Florence 3-1 Stars

Third period:

0:29 BAT Marshall Light (3) ASST: Riley Girod 4-1 Stars

1:57 BAT Steven Kesslering (36) ASST: Jackson Allan 5-1 Stars

5:45 BAT Tanner Gold (8) ASST: Steven Kesslering, Jake Southgate 6-1 Stars

7:10 Riley Girod (9) ASST: Marshall Light, Ashtyn Shields 7-1 Stars

12:45 BAT Emmett Wurst (6) ASST: Jackson Allan, Alex Izyk 8-1 Stars

14:50 BAT Kian Bell (53) ASST: Holden Holden Doell 9-1 Stars

16:24 BAT Steven Kesslering (37) ASST: Tynan Ewart 10-1 Stars

10-1 North Stars, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1