The Battlefords North Stars became the first team to beat Nipawin in their home barn this year, improving to 15-1 on the season with the victory. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Play it again

Stars repeat Friday’s performance, post second comeback in two nights against Hawks

Oct 20, 2019 | 12:22 AM

Just like a classic movie, or favorite song from a hit playlist, the Battlefords North Stars pressed the replay button on Friday’s 3-2 win over the Nipawin Hawks at the Civic Centre, to play it again Saturday at Centennial Arena in Nipawin.

For the second night in a row, Nipawin scored each of the first two goals on the night, before the Stars stormed back with three-straight of their own, to earn a 3-2 victory.

Forward, Elijah Loon-Stewardson and blue liner, Noah Form led the way for the team Saturday, picking up a goal and assist each, while Quintin Loon-Stewardson pitched the winner late.

Rylan Nivon also had a stellar evening with a pair of assists, while goaltender Parker Rey stopped 22 of 24 shots against in the win.

Nipawin’s Austen Flaman and Michael Makarenko cashed in for the Hawks in the losing effort, while goalie Ross Hawryluk stopped 33 of 36 in the defeat.

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

With the win, the North Stars improve to 15-1 on the season. Nipawin, on the other hand, fall to 9-5 with the loss.

Flaman opened the scoring for the Hawks just 3:46 into the first period, making it 1-0 directly off a faceoff deep in the Battlefords’ zone.

The goal came off a clean faceoff win by Hawks’ captain Jake Tremblay, who snapped the puck back, right on the tape for Flaman to fire home. In a blink, it was 1-0 Nipawin.

About three minutes later, the Hawks extended their lead further, making it 2-0 on a two-on-one rush chance, once again engineered by the captain.

Breaking in on the odd-man rush, Tremblay delivered a pass right on the tape for winger Michael Makarenko to whistle home. For Makarenko, the insurance marker served as the forward’s fourth of the season.

A 2-0 game after the first, the night remained a two-goal contest through the entirety of the second. The Stars would need to score two goals in the final 20 minutes against the league’s stingiest defensive team, just to force overtime on the night.

But the Stars did better than that. Instead, the team wired off three-straight in the final frame, to snatch the game from the Hawks outright, in front of the Nipawin faithful.

Elijah Loon-Stewardson, who drew back into the lineup on the night for the team, got the party started with his fifth of the season just passed the midway mark of the third.

Coming off sustained pressure deep in the Nipawin zone, the goal brought with it a collective sigh of relief for the Stars and added energy for the team to build on.

The marker essentially burst the seal on any pent-up frustrations the team may have been feeling offensively, to give them an added spark to build on.

Following the goal, the Stars cranked up the pressure even more so, buzzing around the Hawks’ zone with great fervor, only to capitalize on the tying tally just over two minutes later.

Noah Form delivered the team the tying goal to make it 2-2 at the 14:11 mark of the final period for his third of the season. Just like that, it was a brand-new game.

Although Nipawin tried to push back, at that point, the Stars were rolling like a runaway train; A runaway train that was still far from calling it a night and heading back to the station.

Forward Quintin Loon-Stewardson cashed in with just two minutes to go in the third to give the Stars their first lead of the night, and ultimately cap off the comeback; 3-2 North Stars, the final.

Loon-Stewardson’s 10^th of the season pulls him into a tie for the team-lead in goals.

The North Stars will now get nearly a full week off before returning to action next weekend with back-to-backs at home against La Ronge.

Friday’s game against the Ice Wolves will be broadcast on 1050 CJNB. 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:

3:46 NIP Austen Flaman (5) ASST: Jake Tremblay (6)

9:27 NIP Michael Makarenko (4) ASST: Jake Tremblay (7), Cole Beamin (1)

Second period:

No scoring.

Third period:

11:55 BAT Elijah Loon-Stewardson (5) ASST: Rylan Nivon (13), Quintin Loon-Stewardson (8)

14:11 BAT Noah Form (3) ASST: Elijah Loon-Stewardson (12), Dylan McCabe (6)

18:00 BAT Quintin Loon-Stewardson (10) ASST: Noah Form (7), Rylan Nivon (14)

3-2 North Stars, the Final.

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1