With four assists Friday, North Stars forward Jake Southgate now leads the SJHL with 29 points in 18 games this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW)

By Martin Martinson

Stars extend streak

Southgate caps birthday with four-point night to top Bruins

Nov 5, 2022 | 1:24 AM

It may have been North Stars’ captain, Jake Southgate’s 20^th birthday Friday, but he was the one in the gift-giving mood, dishing out four assists to lead the Stars to a 7-4 win in Estevan.

Six different Stars cashed in for goals on the night, including three from Southgate’s linemates, Holden Doell (one goal, two assists) and Kian Bell (two goals, one assist), who also chipped in with three points apiece as the line combined for 10 points on the night.

Forward Jackson Allan, and defencemen Wilson Steele, Jordan Gibbs, and Tynan Ewart also chipped in with goals in the victory, while goalie Josh Kotai stopped 35 of 39 Bruins’ shots to backstop the team in the win.

After Bruins’ forward Salvatore Collora opened the scoring with his second of the season just two minutes into the first, Steele’s third came on a seeing-eye shot from the left point through traffic to make it a 1-1 hockey game.

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Just three minutes later, Southgate then bulled his way into the zone following a Stars’ penalty kill, to feed Doell in the right corner, who then found Bell on a bang-bang play in front to make it 2-1 Battlefords.

With another two goals Friday, Kian Bell now leads the Stars and sits tied for second in the SJHL with 13 on the season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Bell’s second of the night then stretched the lead to 3-1 Stars prior to the first intermission, on a quick puck-movement setup again, this time by Gibbs to Southgate then to Bell to the right of the net.

With the goalie sprawling across the crease, Bell danced around him, moving the puck below the goal-line then back out front to tuck it home on the quick wraparound chance.

In the second period, Allan’s fourth came as a follow-up to a strong Kesslering net-drive on the power play, to knock the puck home from just outside the crease and make it a 4-1 game.

North Stars forward, Jackson Allan scored his fourth of the year on a power play Friday, to keep the team’s man advantage rolling. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Following a second Bruins’ goal, this time from forward Logan Zeigler converting on a laser pass from Kohner to cut the home team’s deficit to 4-2, the Stars again answered back on a rocket-shot from the point by Gibbs, once again set up by Southgate.

In the third, the Bruins pushed early with a goal from Cody Davis just 47 seconds into the frame, though it wouldn’t be enough. Doell’s 10^th of the year made it 6-3, and after another by the persistent Bruins late from Jagjeevan Phangura, Ewart capped the night’s scoring into the empty net to seal the contest at 7-4 Stars.

With the victory the North Stars extend their league-best record to 16-0-1-1, and now sit eight points up on second place Flin Flon, with 34 points on the year.

The Stars will return to action Saturday night in Weyburn, against a Red Wings team fresh off a 5-4 victory over Humboldt. Saturday’s game will be available 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:

1:59 EST Salvatore Collora (2) ASST: Evan Forrest (5), Logan Walker (2) 1-0 Bruins

12:31 BAT Wilson Steele (3) ASST: Holden Doell (16) 1-1 Tie

15:06 BAT Kian Bell (12) ASST: Holden Doell (17), Jake Southgate (19) 2-1 Stars

18:41 BAT Kian Bell (13) ASST: Jake Southgate (20), Jordan Gibbs (9) 3-1 Stars

Second period:

6:57 BAT Jackson Allan (4) ASST: Steven Kesslering ( ), Evan Waldie (8) (PP) 4-1 Stars

7:37 EST Logan Ziegler (5) ASST: Mitch Kohner (7), Owen Miley (8) 4-2 Stars

9:03 BAT Jordan Gibbs (5) ASST: Jake Southgate (21) 5-2 Stars

Third period:

0:47 EST Cody Davis (9) ASST: Alex Blanchard (11), Mitch Kohner (8) 5-3 Stars

10:01 Holden Doell (10) ASST: Easton Rask (2), Jake Southgate (21) 6-3 Stars

14:40 EST Jagjeevan Phanguara (6) ASST: Logan Ziegler (12) 6-4 Stars

18:56 BAT Tynan Ewart (3) ASST: None (EN) 7-4 Stars

7-4 North Stars, the final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1