North Stars’ teammates line up to congratulate goaltender Parker Rey following the 19-year-old’s first career SJHL shutout Saturday night in the Battlefords. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Predator becomes prey

North Stars ‘pack’ on the offense vs. Ice Wolves, take Saturday matchup 7-0

Oct 27, 2019 | 12:18 AM

The Battlefords North Stars got on the board early and often Saturday night, as the team put up a touchdown on the La Ronge Ice Wolves and put on a show for the hometown crowd, 7-0 the final.

With the win, the Stars stay hot and take each of their two games against La Ronge this weekend, to improve to 17-1 on the season in the process.

Six different players scored for the Battlefords in the win. Matthew Fletcher, Austin Becker, Elijah Loon-Stewardson, Brett Gammer and Kaden Boser each chipped in with a goal through the first forty minutes, before rookie Carson Reagan potted two of his own, to cap the night’s contest.

Pictured left to right: Austin Becker (#16), Steven Kesslering (#24), Kaden Boser (#6), and Matthew Fletcher (#4) celebrate a goal on the night. Becker, Boser and Fletcher each scored Saturday, while Kesslering picked up three assists in the win. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Likely the biggest highlight of the night, however came between the pipes. Goaltender Parker Rey stopped all 32 shots he faced in the victory to earn his first career SJHL shutout, with family in attendance, no less.

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Staying calm, cool and collected throughout the night, the win improves the Michigan product’s already impressive record to 4-1 on the season, with a shining 1.80 goals-against average and .934 save percentage on the year.

With the win Saturday, Parker Rey improves to 2-0 against La Ronge this season, having stopped a combined 64 of 65 Ice Wolves’ shots-against in the process. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Stars’ captain, Matthew Fletcher opened the scoring on the night for the Battlefords.

Cashing in for his fifth of the season just 3:24 into the opening period, Fletcher’s goal came off a tip play in front that saw the blue liner redirect a Seth Summers’ shot in the mid-slot to make it 1-0 Stars early.

Just under three minutes later, Austin Becker made it 2-0 on the Stars’ first power play of the game.

This time set up by the captain, Becker received Fletcher’s pass just inside the right-side faceoff dot, before picking his spot and wiring home his team-leading 11^th goal of the season. Like that, it was 2-0 Stars.

Elijah Loon-Stewardson made it 3-0 for the home side just under a minute later, joining the scoring parade with his sixth of the season.

Also serving as his 17^th point on the campaign, the tally brings the elder Loon-Stewardson to point-per-game standing on the year.

For the second-straight night, the Stars carried a 3-0 lead to the dressing room at the end of the first, outshooting their opposition 20-11 in the process.

Also for the second-straight night, forward Brett Gammer scored early in the second period to make it 4-0 Battlefords.

Notching his seventh of the season and fourth in his last six games, Gammer’s goal was the team’s second power play strike of the evening. The Edmonton, AB., product snapped home a Quintin Loon-Stewardson feed from the bumper position in the slot for the goal.

Unlike Friday night, however, upon going up by four, rather than let the Ice Wolves respond with three unanswered of their own, the Stars added three more.

Kaden Boser’s goal at the 12:22 mark of the second made it 5-0 Battlefords.

Coming on a gorgeous deke move on a partial break, Boser faked a shot, before reaching around the goalie to tuck the puck home for his fifth of the season.

In the third, Carson Reagan’s two goals came in quick succession to jump the lead to 7-0.

His first, at the 8:59 mark, came off a centering feed from Steven Kesslering, which the forward deposited with a Grade A wrister.

While the shot was nice, so was the feed to find Reagan, which served as Kesslering’s third assist on the night.

Reagan’s second also came off a nice passing play, as Hunter Rambow blazed in on a two-on-one with Reagan driving the goal. Waiting until the defenceman had left his skates, Rambow then dished a feed around the sprawled defender to Reagan who lifted it over the desperate goalie’s pad for the 7-0 marker.

La Ronge goaltender, Liam McGarva stayed in for all seven goals-against, stopping 32 of 39 Battlefords’ shots in the loss.

The North Stars will now get the remainder of the weekend off, before returning to action Tuesday, once again at the Civic Centre.

Tuesday’s game 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 Auto Parts North Stars Hockey.

Scoring summary

First period:

3:24 BAT Matthew Fletcher (5) ASST: Seth Summers (10)

6:15 BAT Austin Becker (11) ASST: Matthew Fletcher (15), Steven Kesslering (4) (PP)

7:01 BAT Elijah Loon-Stewardson (6) ASST: Quintin Loon-Stewardson (10), Rylan Nivon (15)

Second period:

5:12 BAT Brett Gammer (7) ASST: Quintin Loon-Stewardson (11) (PP)

12:22 BAT Kaden Boser (5) ASST: Steven Kesslering (5), Austin Becker (12)

Third period:

8:59 BAT Carson Reagan (3) ASST: Steven Kesslering (6), Seth Summers (11)

12:56 BAT Carson Reagan (4) ASST: Hunter Rambow (2)

7-0 North Stars, the Final.

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1