Josh Knittig scored the game winning goal for the Battlefords North Stars with 12 seconds left to go in the third period in a 6-5 win over the Nipawin Hawks. (Byron Hildebrand Photography/Facebook)

By Ryan Lambert

North stars comeback victory

Knittig’s shorthanded goal in dying seconds caps off North Stars 6-5 comeback win vs Nipawin Hawks

Jan 7, 2026 | 1:01 AM

After being down 4-1 then 5-2 at points in the second period, the Battlefords North Stars stormed all the way back to take down the Nipawin Hawks 6-5. Josh Knittig scored the game winning goal for the North Stars on the penalty kill with 12 seconds left to go in the third period.

“That’s why we play this game or coach this game. It’s just those moments like that. They don’t happen very often, and when they do it’s something you’ll never forget,” said North Stars assistant coach Owen Lamb postgame.

The Hawks made it a 1-0 game less than four minutes into the period when Ashton Tait brought the puck out from behind the net and shot it short side over the shoulder of North Stars goaltender Kaeden Serpa.

It took just six seconds for the North Stars to respond when Owen Nelson grabbed the puck off the draw, brought it into the Hawks zone on the right side and scored a similar shot past Gage Roberts.

Tait scored his second goal of the game with five minutes left to go with a one-timer in tight on the powerplay to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead. A couple minutes later, Braeden Jockims finished off a passing play to make it 3-1 Hawks heading into the second period.

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A few minutes into the frame, Eric Hoiness received a pass in front and fired the puck past Serpa’s blocker to make it 4-1 Hawks. It remained a 4-1 game until just over halfway through the period when Anthony Campbell put it over a sprawling Roberts to make it 4-2.

With less than five minutes in the period, Will Whitter lost the puck in front before Carter Anderson grabbed it and scored to regain the three-goal lead for the Hawks.

Carter Geysen got it back a few minutes later, getting a pass in tight from Nelson and going far side to make it 5-3 heading into the third period.

The third period was all North Stars. Over halfway through the frame after Granger was robbed by Roberts, Linken Fisher grabbed the rebound and found Drew Williamson who scored to make it a one-goal game.

Campbell tied it up at five with less than three minutes to go with his second goal of the game. The puck trickled in front and the North Stars captain slid it past Roberts on the backhand.

The North Stars went to the penalty kill with 28 seconds left to go in the third. After the Hawks won the faceoff, Campbell intercepted a pass at the point and brought it the other way. He fanned on the shot but swung it around the net before finding Knittig who put it into the empty net for the game winning goal with 12 seconds left in regulation and the North Stars held on to take it 6-5.

“That was something special tonight. Our guys dug in and pulled it out when things were starting to look pretty glim there, so really proud of our group,” said Lamb.

The North Stars third straight win and 11th in their last 15 games put them ahead of the Estevan Bruins to move to fourth place in the SJHL standings. The North Stars will have a chance to surpass Nipawin and move into third place when they face the Weyburn Red Wings on Jan. 8.

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Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com