With two one-goal games, and two two-goal games through the first four meetings of the series, the Battlefords North Stars and Portage Terriers have gone down to the wire each game so far, with the biggest game yet upcoming Thursday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Thriller to the end

Terriers hold off Stars in wild Game 4 contest for 3-1 Anavet Cup lead

May 1, 2019 | 11:11 PM

The Battlefords North Stars fell 7-5 to the Portage Terriers in Game 4 of the Anavet Cup Wednesday, held at the NB Civic Centre.

With the loss, the Stars now trail the best-of-seven championship series 3-games-to-1, with Game 5 tomorrow – for the third time in three nights – in the Battlefords.

Quintin Loon-Stewardson opened the scoring Wednesday, notching his first of the series to make it 1-0 Stars just 1:16 into the first period.

Scoring off the rush on a wrister from the high-slot, Loon-Stewardson’s tally served as the forward’s ninth goal at Civic Centre since the playoffs began.

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More importantly yet, however, the goal also served as the Battlefords’ first, first-period goal of the series, and first time scoring first in the series. Just like that, it was 1-0 North Stars just after puck drop.

Not done there, the Stars then proceeded to add to their lead further, just about five minutes later while shorthanded, courtesy of Regan Doig.

Doig’s partner on the kill, MacGregor Sinclair started the play when he leveled Terriers’ forward, Reilly Funk in open ice just outside the Stars’ blue line, before then speeding away on the attack with the puck.

Showing no signs of hesitation, upon crossing over the attacking line, Sinclair then let-rip a slap shot right on goal, that while stopped initially, forced a rebound off the Portage goalie’s pad for Doig to deposit cleanly.

His first of the series and second since the playoffs began, Doig’s goal at 2-0 gave the Stars their first two-goal lead of the series.

The Terriers would ultimately answer back, however, with two of their own. The first came off a Reilly Funk rush-chance, still before the intermission, and the second, a Caelan McPhee seeing-eye wrister from the blue line in the second frame.

Entering the third, the teams were all tied up, 2-2 with the game at stake.

Scoring two quick goals in the final period, from Scott Mickoski and Funk (his second), just 6:26 into the third, the Stars suddenly found themselves trailing by two, with about 13:34 to go in regulation time.

Rather than worry about the deficit, the team opted to just keep chipping away, which would pay off as the right choice quickly, as Sinclair picked up a gorgeous stretch-pass from defenseman Matthew Fletcher to cut through in solo on Portage’s Ethan Peterson, snapping a shot high to get his team back to within one, at 4-3.

Then, just three-or-so minutes after Sinclair got on the board, the Battlefords would cash in for their hard-work once again, as Fletcher, who set up Sinclair’s tally potted one of his own to nearly blow the roof off the building, pulling his team even at 4-4.

Despite the heroic effort, Portage again pulled through to take the lead just two minutes later, as Terriers’ rearguard, Caelan McPhee notched his second of the night, on another seeing-eye puck.

Following his teammate’s lead, Scott Mickoski drained his second of the game as well just two minutes later to again, reestablish a two-goal cushion at 6-4.

Despite the setback, the North Stars refused to quit on the game, coming back – again – with one of their own, this time off the blade of rookie, Brett Gammer, who picked up his first of the series in just his second game, after missing the first two due to illness.

At 6-5, the crowd was hopeful, and rightfully so. The North Stars continued to push right to the end, until Kolton Shindle finally established an advantage that would stick for good, scoring an empty net goal with just a minute-and-a-half to go in the third to ice the proverbial cake at 7-5.

Stars’ goalie Joel Grzybowski stopped 21/27, while Ethan Petterson made 29/34 saves for the Terriers.

Game 5 of the series will be played tomorrow night at the Civic Centre. The NAPA North Stars Hockey Broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. on 1050 CJNB.

Scoring summary

First period:

1:16 BAT Quintin Loon-Stewardson (1) ASST: Ryan Gil (2)

6:22 BAT Regan Doig (1) ASST: MacGregor Sinclair (3) (SH)

11:19 POR Reilly Funk (1) ASST: Peyton Gorski (2), Lane Taylor (1)

Second period:

12:11 POR Caelan McPhee (1) ASST: Ocean Weisblatt (3)

Third period:

3:10 POR Scott Mickoski (3) ASST: Jay Buchholtz (1), Reilly Funk (3)

6:26 POR Reilly Funk (2) ASST: Jay Buchholtz (2), Sam Huston (1)

6:46 BAT MacGregor Sinclair (2) ASST: Matthew Fletcher (2)

9:15 BAT Matthew Fletcher (1) ASST: MacGregor Sinclair (4), Owen Lamb (2)

11:05 POR Caelan McPhee (2) ASST: Ocean Weisblatt (4), Reece Henry (2)

13:26 POR Scott Mickoski (4) ASST: Jay Buchholtz (3)

14:36 BAT Brett Gammer (1) ASST: Dayton Heino (1), Austin Becker (3)

18:38 POR Kolton Shindle (2) ASST: Reece Henry (3) (EN)

7-5 Terriers, the Final.

–

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1