Late-game heroics lead North Stars past Hawks for weekend sweep

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Hrabovetskyi would re-establish his team’s insurance marker at 3-1 before the end of the second, though rather than roll over, the North Stars answered back with a flurry as the third period wore on.

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Firing the puck from all angles, and crashing the net hard, the ramped-up intensity paid off for the team with Bell’s 15^th of the season, converting on a cross-crease pass assisted by Brad Blake and Ben Portner, who had won the initial board battle.

Late in the game, still trailing by a single, the North Stars pulled the goalie for the extra attacker culminating with a Bell shot from the point, picked up and deposited in front of the goal on the rebound by Rylan Williams for the tying goal.

With another three points Saturday (one goal, two assists), Kian Bell is now tied for third in SJHL scoring with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in just 13 games. No other player in the top five in points has played less than 20 games. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

With just 1:08 to go, it was Josh Medernach who fired the puck to the front of the net from the corner, deflected home by Sinclair for the game-winner on the Battlefords’ first lead of the night.

North Stars’ goalie Joey Hawco stopped 26/29 shots to backstop the team to victory, making some big saves as the game went along to keep his team within striking distance. Nipawin’s Damon Cunningham was also dynamic much of the night, making breakaway saves on Bell and Medernach through the first two periods on his way to stopping 34/38.

With the win, the North Stars are now 18-7-0-1 through 26 games. First in the Nutrien Division and second overall, the North Stars’ 37 points are now just three back of first-place Flin Flon.

The North Stars will now get a much-deserved four-day break, before returning to action Wednesday night on home ice against Notre Dame. The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Broadcast 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:

5:52 NIP Finley Radloff (7) ASST: Evan Forrest, Brynn MacLean 1-0 NIP

18:15 NIP Artem Hrabovetskyi (7) ASST: Cole Fox 2-0 NIP

Second period:

9:24 BAT Kian Bell (14) ASST: Alex Izyk, Ben Portner 2-1 NIP

11:21 NIP Artem Hrabovetskyi (8) ASST: Alex Bernauer, Chase Visser 3-1 NIP

Third period:

14:20 BAT Kian Bell (15) ASST: Brad Blake, Ben Portner 3-2 NIP

18:04 BAT Rylan Williams (9) ASST: Kian Bell, Tanner Gold 3-3 Tie

18:52 BAT Brayden Sinclair (9) ASST: Josh Medernach 4-3 BAT

4-3 BAT, the final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @MartyMartyPxP1