The Battlefords North Stars salute the hometown crowd after staying hot in their return to the Civic Centre following a lengthy road swing. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Rolling like a stone

Stars clip Hawks in comeback win, improve to 14-1

Oct 18, 2019 | 11:06 PM

Following a successful 12-game stint on the road that saw the team go 11-1 in the process, the Battlefords North Stars returned to the Civic Centre Friday night and gave the fans what they came to see, a hard-earned 3-2 victory over the visiting Nipawin Hawks.

With the win, the Battlefords improve to 14-1 on the season, and with 28 points on the campaign, edge themselves to an impressive seven-point lead over second-place Melfort.

With the loss, meanwhile, the Hawks dip to 9-4 on the season.

Nipawin opened the scoring in the first, making it 2-0 by the midway mark of period one, thanks to back-to-back goals by forwards Austen Flaman and Carson Erhardt.

Rather than break, however, the Stars merely bent, before bouncing back with three consecutive markers of their own.

Early Game Struggles

North Stars almost complete comeback in Kindersley

9h ago

Honouring a neighbour

'He's smiling down at us': Wes Petterson Memorial Park opens in Weldon with special ceremony

13h ago

Investigation

RCMP investigating death on Sweetgrass First Nation

Sep 21, 2024

Austin Becker led the comeback for the Stars, capitalizing on a steaming wrist shot on the power play late in the opening frame, to cut the homeside’s deficit in half at 2-1.

His team-leading 10^th of the season, for Becker, the goal also served as the forward’s third in as many games. A model of consistency, the Wisconsin Wonder has now registered at least a single point in all but one game this season.

In the second, fellow star sophomore, Brett Gammer made it a new game at 2-2, as the 19-year-old riffled home his fifth of the season to knot the contest.

Serving as the lone goal of the period, Gammer’s contribution would also set up a dramatic finish to the night’s action, as the Stars and Hawks were headed to the third period in a tie game.

In the third, it was again a familiar face getting the crowd fired up with the go-ahead goal just under four and-a-half minutes in.

Stars’ captain, Matthew Fletcher delivered what turned out to be the game-winner for the Battlefords on the power play, notching his fourth of the season at the 4:25 mark of the third.

Fletcher, who entered the evening as the leading defenceman point-producer, now has a league best 17 points as a rearguard, and appears to only be heating up as of late.

The tally gives the defenceman three goals and eight points over his last five games.

Goaltender Adam Dmyterko stopped 24 of 26 shots against on the night, as the 19-year-old improves to a perfect 10-0 with the victory.

Nipawin’s Ethan Slobodzian made 24 saves in the loss.

The North Stars and Hawks will now each have a brief moment’s rest before the two sides return to action for the back-half of their home-and-home series this weekend.

The two sides will battle it out in round two Saturday night at Centennial Arena in Nipawin.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast on 1050 CJNB-CJNS. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. on NAPA North Stars Hockey.

Scoring summary

First period:

6:06 NIP Austen Flaman (4) ASST: Luke Penner (3)

9:29 NIP Carson Erhardt (4) ASST: Michael Makarenko (5)

18:10 BAT Austin Becker (10) ASST: Seth Summers (9), Brett Gammer (8)

Second period:

12:38 BAT Brett Gammer (5) ASST: Austin Becker (11), Noah Form (6)

Third period:

4:25 BAT Matthew Fletcher (4) ASST: Quintin Loon-Stewardson (7), Kaden Boser (4) (PP)

3-2 North Stars, the Final.

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1