Kian Bell and Holden Doell each scored their 100th point of the season, and Steven Kesslering notched his 40th goal, in a milestone night that saw both Doell and Kesslering pitch hat tricks in the win. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Dual Hat tricks lead way

Milestone night leads Stars to new franchise points record

Mar 12, 2023 | 3:16 AM

It was a milestone night of epic proportions Saturday night at the ACC, as the Battlefords North Stars continued to reach new heights in their season for the ages.

Topping Kindersley 8-0 for their 48^th win of the season, with the victory the Stars set a new franchise record for points in a season with 99, thanks to a 48-5-2-1 record overall, to end the regular season.

Holden Doell and Steven Kesslering each scored a hat trick and four points on the night, and Kian Bell added a multi-point effort of his own, as all three registered new statistic benchmarks.

Both Bell and Doell hit the 100-point mark with their performance, becoming just the sixth and seventh players to hit the century mark in the SJHL in the last 20 years.

Kesslering’s hat trick included his 38^th, 39^th and 40^th goals of the campaign, to become just the fourth North Stars’ player since 2000 to hit 40 in a season, joining Blake Tatchell (42 goals in ’11-12), Igor Leonenko (47 in ‘15-16), and Bell (54 this season).

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Between the pipes, Josh Kotai make 24 saves for his third shutout of the year and 32nd win, the second-most by a goaltender over the last 15 years, to Humboldt’s Rayce Ramsay’s 40 last season.

Bell’s 54^th of the season opened the scoring on a deflection in front of the goal from a Southgate shot, off a Doell set-up, to make it 1-0 in the final half-minute of the first.

The goal was followed quickly by another, this time on Doell’s 31st, just 14 seconds later, forcing a steal in neutral ice to then cash on a self-made breakaway to make it 2-0 Battlefords into the first intermission.

Steven Kesslering added his first of the night and 38^th of the year just over seven minutes into the second, on the rebound of a Jackson Allan tip in front, followed this time by an Emmett Wurst tally.

Stars’ forward Emmett Wurst (#18) is congratulated by teammates following his seventh of the season, and second of the weekend, Saturday night. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Wurst’s seventh of the season and second of the weekend, was set up by the ‘killer B’ tandem of Brad Blake and Colby Bear at the side of the net, to stretch the lead to 4-0 midway through the middle frame.

Doell’s 32^nd from Kesslering and Bell made it 5-0, marking the 100^th point of the season for Bell, before Doell joined him with his own 100^th point on the goal to complete his hat trick just 7:30 into the third.

Kesslering’s 39^th and milestone 40^th capped the night with a second round of hats thrown to the ice, completing his third hat trick of the season.

Steven Kesslering finishes the season with 18 goals and 27 points over his last 14 games, dating back to the end of January. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

With the completion of the regular season, the North Stars will now get a week off to rest and regroup ahead of the start of the playoffs next weekend.

Playing the eighth-seeded Weyburn Red Wings in their opening round best-of-seven series, the North Stars will host Games 1 and 2 next Friday and Saturday (Mar. 17 and 18) on home ice at the ACC.

Both games 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. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

Scoring summary

First period:

19:35 BAT Kian Bell (54) ASST: Jake Southgate, Holden Doell 1-0 Stars

19:49 BAT Holden Doell (31) ASST: None 2-0 Stars

Second period:

7:16 BAT Steven Kesslering (38) ASST: Jordan Gibbs, Jackson Allan 3-0 Stars

8:59 BAT Emmett Wurst (7) ASST: Brad Blake, Colby Bear 4-0 Stars

10:24 BAT Holden Doell (32) ASST: Steven Kesslering, Kian Bell 5-0 Stars

Third period:

7:30 BAT Holden Doell (33) ASST: Kian Bell, Jake Southgate 6-0 Stars

8:07 BAT Steven Kesslering (39) ASST: Wilson Steele, Brad Blake 7-0 Stars

17:17 BAT Steven Kesslering (40) ASST: Brad Blake, Jackson Allan 8-0 Stars

8-0 North Stars, the final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1