North Stars teammates celebrate following the win. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Will play for National Championship

North Stars advance to Centennial Cup Final with 7-1 win over Terriers

May 20, 2023 | 11:55 PM

The Battlefords North Stars topped the host, Portage Terriers 7-1 Saturday night in the semi-finals of the Centennial Cup, to punch their ticket to the National Championship Game Sunday.

Holden Doell scored a pair of goals in a three-point outing, while Kian Bell added five assists, Steven Kesslering took sole possession of the tournament goal lead with his sixth, and Jake Southgate, Brad Blake, Alex Izyk, and Riley Girod also scored for the team.

Four of the Stars’ goals came on the power play, including man-advantage tallies from each of Doell, Southgate, Kesslering, and Blake, though 40 minutes.

Izyk’s first of the tournament opened the scoring on a perfectly-placed shot from the left-point, off-the-post and in to make it 1-0 Battlefords just over five minutes into the first period.

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Kesslering’s sixth then made it 2-0 Stars on a power play goal, assisted by Bell and Southgate, who dished it down to the Stars’ playoff MVP to show quick hands in front, and tuck the puck home for his tournament-leading total.

Doell’s back-to-back goals broke the game open to make it 4-0 Stars prior to the end of the first, scoring for a power play marker on a sizzling shot from the point through traffic on his first, before adding his second on a two-one-one chance set up on a platter by Southgate.

Southgate’s second of the tournament was the Stars’ third power play goal of the night, stretching the lead to 5-0, on a quick shot off some slick passing from Doell to Bell in the middle of the slot, to Southgate on the one-time deflection in tight.

Blake’s second of the tournament served as the Battlefords’ final power play strike, cashing in off the carom of a Bell shot to hammer the rebound past the hapless Terriers’ goaltender for a 6-0 lead. The goal ended Bailey Monteith’s night in the Terriers’ goal, as he was given the mercy pull and replaced by backup Jayden Catellier for the second half of the game.

After Matt Wisener scored late in the second period to get Portage on the board, trailing 6-1 at the end of 40 minutes, Riley Girod capped the night with his first of the tournament in the third period, beating the goaltender on a quick pull to the backhand in-tight to make it a 7-1 final.

With the win, the North Stars (4-0-1-0) now advance to the Centennial Cup Final, where they will play the Brooks Bandits (5-0-0-0), who beat the Ottawa Jr. Senators 3-0 in their semi-finals game earlier in the day.

The winner will be crowned National Champions.

Sunday’s game will be an afternoon start, available on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 1:30 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 2 p.m. Saskatchewan time, on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

Scoring summary

First period:

5:28 BAT Alex Izyk (1) ASST: Jordan Grill, Colby Bear 1-0 Stars

8:21 BAT Steven Kesslering (6) ASST: Kian Bell, Jake Southgate (PP) 2-0 Stars

11:10 BAT Holden Doell (1) ASST: Tynan Ewart, Kian Bell (PP) 3-0 Stars

18:55 BAT Holden Doell (2) ASST: Jake Southgate, Kian Bell 4-0 Stars

Second period:

6:54 BAT Jake Southgate (2) ASST: Holden Doell, Kian Bell (PP) 5-0 Stars

14:12 BAT Brad Blake (2) ASST: Kian Bell, Tanner Gold 6-0 Stars

18:56 Matt Wisener (3) ASST: Austin Peters, Mike Stubbs 6-1 Stars

Third period:

10:22 BAT Riley Girod ASST: Colby Bear, Jordan Grill 7-1 Stars

7-1 North Stars, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1