The hot start to the season for the Battlefords North Stars continued in La Ronge this weekend.
The La Ronge Ice Wolves became the latest victims as they were swept by the North Stars by final scores of 4-1 on Friday and 4-3 on Saturday at Mel Hegland Uniplex. That moves the North Stars to 7-0 to start the season.
Once again, it was an overwhelming offensive output that helped the North Stars to the wins. The Stars fired 48 shots at the La Ronge net on Friday night and 50 on Saturday night.聽
With the Nipawin Hawks losing for the first time this season in a 6-2 defeat to Flin Flon, the North Stars now are on top of the entire SJHL standings; they also have a five-point lead over Humboldt in the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division. The North Stars' lengthy road stretch continues Tuesday in Yorkton against the Terriers.
North Stars 4 La Ronge 1聽
While the scoreboard indicated otherwise, the Ice Wolves didn't go down without a fight in this game. The home team scored first in the game, with Logan Holm scoring from Daylon Mannon and Kyle Ford at 4:51 of period one.
But the North Stars scored four unanswered, starting midway in period two when Noah Form scored from Matthias Urbanski and Quintin Loon-Stewardson.
In the third, the North Stars took the lead 13 seconds into the period with Urbanski scoring from Quintin Loon-Stewardson. With Samson Mouland in the boc for unsportsmanlike conduct, Quintin then got a power play goal at 2:37 of the period from Kaden Boser.
Austin Becker got an empty net goal at the 18:54 mark with Rylan Nivon assisting to finish out the scoring.
Parker Rey got the win in net for the North Stars, stopping 32 of 33. The North Stars fired 48 shots at the Ice Wolves net; Ice Wolves goaltender Liam McGarva stopped 44 of 47.聽
North Stars 4 La Ronge 3
It was a similar story in the Saturday game as La Ronge once again faced a barrage of shots. The North Stars outshot the Ice Wolves 50-40, with Adam Dmyterko coming through with a 37-save performance.
The North Stars opened the scoring with a power play goal from Elijah Loon-Stewardson, his first of the season, from Quintin Loon-Stewardson at 14:55 of period one.
Quintin extended the lead in the second period with his eighth of the season from Matthew Fletcher and Walter Somers.
Daylon Mannon then tied the game for La Ronge with two goals, one at the 8:20 mark from Kalem Hanlon and the second one shorthanded at 11:07.
Dyan Esau then restored the lead for the North Stars with a power play goal from Austin Becker, and Rylan Nivon scored what would prove to be the game winner at 16:47 from Kaden Boser.
Zach Bannister's goal at the 2:38 mark of period three made things interesting, but the North Stars held on for the 4-3 win to secure their seventh straight win of the season.
