Marshall Light leads the parade of North Stars teammates to celebrate Friday's win with new goaltender, Ben Dardis. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

6-3 North Stars, final

North Stars top Hawks in Dardis’ debut

Nov 25, 2023 | 12:05 AM

Five different players chipped in on the goal scoring, and goaltender Ben Dardis stopped 30-of-33 in his SJHL debut, to backstop the Battlefords North Stars to a 6-3 win over Nipawin Friday night at the Access Communications Centre.

A 2-0 Nipawin lead midway through the first, Riley Girod scored his ninth of the season to get the North Stars on the board, converting a Jackson Allan feed in tight to cut the deficit in half late in the opening period.

Kian Bell’s team-leading 13^th then brought the North Stars even at 2-2 early in the second, converting on a Ben Portner rebound for the first of three power play goals for the Battlefords on the night.

After Chase Visser re-upped the Hawks’ lead at the 8:37 mark, Brad Blake’s tying goal would serve as the turning point in the contest, knotting the score 3-3 with his first of two on the night.

The play developed following a huge back-to-back save sequence by Dardis to rob Nipawin’s Braeden Jockims on a shorthanded breakaway. Jumping on the puck after the second save, Bell then launched a stretch pass to spring Blake – who made no mistake – on a breakaway tally to all but lift the roof off the building.

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Carson Olsen’s sixth of the season followed to give the North Stars their first lead of the night, up 4-3 with just 2:30 to go in the middle frame, as the young defenceman fired home a blocked Evan Waldie shot in front, to put the Battlefords ahead for good.

In the third, Rylan Williams cashed in for a beauty on a two-on-one with Allan. Receiving the pass from his centreman, and dragging the puck across the crease, Williams then tucked it home for a highlight-reel marker for his eighth of the year.

Jackson Allan was a force for the North Stars Friday, flying up and down ice and setting up a pair of goals to lead the team to victory. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Blake’s second of the game then sealed the night’s contest on the Stars’ third power play goal, chopping home a Bell rebound for his 11^th of the season, already matching his previous career-high set last year in 51 games.

With the win, the North Stars are now 17-7-0-1 through 25 games, and sit just four points back of first place Flin Flon. The North Stars and Hawks will return to action for night two of their weekend home-and-home series Saturday night in Nipawin.

The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Broadcast will be available Saturday on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m. and puck drop to follow at 7 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

12:08 NIP Alex Bernauer (4) ASST: Braxton Buckberger 1-0 NIP

14:14 NIP Maguire Ratzlaff (7) ASST: None 2-0 NIP

17:08 BAT Riley Girod (9) ASST: Jackson Allan, Braden Nienaber 2-1 NIP

Second period:

4:00 BAT Kian Bell (13) ASST: Ben Portner, Hunter Burgeson (PP) 2-2 Tie

8:37 NIP Chase Visser (7) ASST: Landon Pappas 3-2 NIP

11:48 BAT Brad Blake (10) ASST: Kian Bell, Ben Dardis (PP) 3-3 Tie

17:30 BAT Carson Olsen (6) ASST: Evan Waldie, Tanner Gold 4-3 BAT

Third period:

1:21 BAT Rylan Williams (8) ASST: Jackson Allan 5-3 BAT

8:22 BAT Brad Blake (11) ASST: Kian Bell (PP) 6-3 BAT

6-3 BAT, the final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @MartyMartyPxP1