North Stars' forward Brayden Sinclair, seen here tangling with Wings' captain Max Monette, scored a pair of goals and added an assist to help lead the team to victory Saturday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Second straight victory

North Stars cap southern swing with 9-2 win in Weyburn

Oct 29, 2023 | 12:47 AM

The Battlefords North Stars took home a 9-2 win in Weyburn Saturday night, to close out their three-game road swing on a winning note at 2-1-0 on the weekend.

Six different players cashed in with at least a single goal in the victory, as Brad Blake, Kian Bell, and Brayden Sinclair each notched a pair in a three-point effort, while Tanner Gold, Ben Portner, and Rylan Williams added three assists apiece, and Hunter Burgeson, and Carson Olsen both had a goal and a helper and Riley Girod added his fourth.

After Wings’ forward Jaxson Ruthven opened the scoring with his fifth, just passed the midway mark of the opening period, Burgeson’s fourth of the season knotted the score at a goal apiece, making it 1-1 on a one-timer in tight set up by Wlliams on a won board battle down low.

Bell’s first of two on the night – and fifth in his last two games – then made it 2-1 North Stars on the rebound of a Tanner Gold shot, set up on a clean faceoff win by Ben Portner to give the Battlefords a one-goal lead into the first intermission.

Midway through the second, Olsen scored on a one-timer in tight, off a set-up from behind the net from Brad Blake to make it 3-1; followed by Sinclair’s first of two on the power play at the side of the net.

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A 4-1 North Stars’ lead after 40 minutes, in the third, Blake’s first of the night stretched the advantage to 5-1, off a dish from Portner to mark his sixth of the season just 57 seconds into the final frame, ultimately marking a sign of things to come.

After Blake Betson made it 5-2 with the Wings’ final goal of the night, Blake’s second of the night – and sixth of the season – from Gold and Olsen marked a quick response for the Battlefords; followed by Bell’s second of the game off a slick outside-inside move from Ben Porter to set him up.

Riley Girod scored his fourth of the season Saturday night, cashing in on a breakaway late in the game while providing a physical presence throughout. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Girod’s fourth of the season stretched the lead to 8-2 on a nice play from Sinclair to win a puck battle down low in the defensive zone, rag the puck up through centre, and then hit Williams with a pass on the tape that he then one-touched to send in Girod on a breakaway, ending with a shot off-the-post and in.

Sinclair’s second power play goal of the night capped the scoring at 9-2, on another slick passing play, finished by #16 in tight.

In goal, Justen Maric stopped 27/29 to backstop the North Stars to victory, while Eric Kahl was 29/37 at the other end.

With the win, the North Stars improve to 8-6-0-1 through their first 15 games, and now sit tied in points with fourth-place Weyburn, though the Wings do still hold a game in hand.

Following their road trip the North Stars will now get a much-deserved rest before returning to play for their first of back-to-back games against the Yorkton Terriers Thursday and Friday in North Battleford.

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.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In a scary moment during Saturday’s game, forward Marshall Light was cut in the neck area by a skate, though he was quickly tended to with a quick response by training staff from both teams and driven to hospital where he received further care to get stitched up. Light was fixed up and smiling on the ride home to the Battlefords. The North Stars offered the following update postgame as well:

Scoring summary

First period:

11:51 WEY Jaxson Ruthven (5) ASST: Max Monette 1-0 WEY

12:52 BAT Hunter Burgeson (4) ASST: Rylan Williams 1-1 Tie

13:41 BAT Kian Bell (5) ASST: Tanner Gold, Ben Portner 2-1 BAT

Second period:

12:09 BAT Carson Olsen (5) ASST: Brad Blake, Tanner Gold 3-1 BAT

18:02 Brayden Sinclair (4) ASST: Alex Izyk, Kian Bell 4-1 BAT

Third period:

0:57 BAT Brad Blake (6) ASST: Ben Portner 5-1 BAT

7:21 WEY Blake Betson (5) ASST: Jaxson Ruthven, Nicholas Kovacs 5-2 BAT

9:03 BAT Brad Blake (7) ASST: Carson Olsen, Tanner Gold 6-2 BAT

12:25 BAT Kian Bell ASST: Ben Portner, Hunter Burgeson 7-2 BAT

14:03 BAT Riley Girod (4) ASST: Rylan Williams, Brayden Sinclair 8-2 BAT

19:15 BAT Brayden Sinclair (5) ASST: Rylan Williams, Gavin Granger 9-2 BAT

9-2 BAT, the final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1