The North Stars 4-3 win over the Kindersley Klippers put them up three points in the Nutrien Division standings. (Byron Hildebrand Photography/Facebook)

By Ryan Lambert

North Stars take down Klippers

North Stars continue to climb SJHL standings with a 4-3 win vs Kindersley

Jan 2, 2026 | 12:42 AM

In the first SJHL game of 2026, the Battlefords North Stars (17-8-2-2, 1st in Nutrien Division) completed a weekend sweep over the division rival Kindersley Klippers (14-11-2-5, 2nd in Nutrien Division) with a 4-3 win in Kindersley. With the win, the North Stars jumped over the Estevan Bruins to move into fourth place in the SJHL.

The North Stars started off quick when Alessio Nardelli scored his second of the year, snapping the puck past Klippers goalie Mattias Radke to put the North Stars up 1-0 just 45 seconds into the game.

Kindersley responded a few minutes later when Kaegan Lowe picked up a rebound from a point shot and put the puck in to tie it up at 1-1.

Radke was forced to leave the game later in the first period after Finlay Klippenstein was hit into Radke, knocking down and injuring the Klippers goaltender. Brett O’Halloran entered the game in relief.

About three and a half minutes into the second period, Carter Geysen got the North Stars first goal past O’Halloran when Geysen intercepted the puck in his own end, brought it down he ice and scored right after a North Stars penalty kill came to an end giving them a 2-1 advantage.

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The game continued to be a back-and-forth affair. Roughly five minutes after the Geysen goal, Brock Evans took a pass in front from Ethan Sautner and scored top shelf past North Stars goaltender Kaeden Serpa to tie the game up at two.

Drew Williamson gave the North Stars the lead late in the period. One second after the North Stars powerplay ended, the Klippers gave Williamson time and space in the offensive zone and he made no mistake, firing the puck past O’Halloran to put the North Stars up 3-2.

In the third period, Finlay Klippenstein gave the North Stars a much-needed insurance goal, finding himself alone in front of the net on the powerplay and putting the puck in for his team leading 17th goal of the season.

That goal proved to be crucial when later, the Klippers got within a goal when Bryson Aikens scored on a scramble in front to make it 4-3. They were pressuring for the last few minutes, but the North Stars hung on for the 4-3 win.

The North Stars second straight win gave them a 4-1-0-0 record in the season series against Kindersley and a three-point lead in the Nutrien Division.

The North Stars have a heavy portion of the schedule coming up when they play four games in five days between Jan. 6-10, starting with a home game against the Nipawin Hawks. A Hawks loss to the La Ronge Ice Wolves on Saturday would give the North Stars an opportunity to overtake the Hawks in the SJHL standings.

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Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com