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North Stars earn a point on the road

The Battlefords North Stars are in the middle of a five-game road stretch and entering Tuesday's game in Nipawin they were 3-0 on the road. They are perfect on the road no more.
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The Battlefords North Stars are in the middle of a five-game road stretch and entering Tuesday's game in Nipawin they were 3-0 on the road.

They are perfect on the road no more. The North Stars lost 4-3 in a shootout to Nipawin and fell 4-2 to the La Ronge Ice Wolves Wednesday.

Tuesday, former North Star Justin Waskewitch burned the Battlefords after scoring the Hawks' first and third goals and the lone goal in the shootout.

Waskewitch starting the scoring in the first period with a power play goal, but by the end of the period, the North Stars had a 2-1 lead. Kyle Hall scored his first of the season from Brody Luhning and minutes later Braden Johnson netted his third of the season from Sam Prpich and Blake Tatchell.

Nipawin responded with two goals on Connor Creech in the second period, as Eric Peterson and Waskewitch bulged the twine.

The score would stay 3-2 in favour of the Hawks until the final second of the game. Captain clutch, Boyd Wakelin, scored his third of the season on a made scramble around the Nipawin goal to force overtime with one second on the clock.

Curtis Toneff and Hall assisted Wakelin's second game-tying goal of the season.

Overtime saw a scoring chance by each team, but nothing was solved.

Waskewitch was the first shooter and deked to his backhand to score on Creech in the shootout. The North Stars' Tatchell, Wakelin and Johnson all failed to beat Stephen Klein and Nipawin grabbed the 4-3 win.

The North Stars were back on the ice 24 hours later looking to get back in the win column and keep their streak of earning at least a point in every road game alive.

In La Ronge the North Stars had Graham Hildebrand back in net and the North Stars gave him some support in the first period. Luhning scored his first of the season from Brett Miller and Connor Quinn, who was back in the lineup against Nipawin a night earlier and earned his first SJHL point in La Ronge Wednesday.

Johney Cormier scored to tie the game for the Ice Wolves, but with 18 seconds left in the first period, Miller scored his third of the season from Quinn and Tatchell.

La Ronge, who was the lowest scoring team heading into Wednesday's game, busted out with second period goals by Graham Smerek and Jared Iron and a late third period goal by Aaron Enns to seal the 4-2 win.

A positive note for the North Stars was that they were 2/5 on the power play, but La Ronge finished 2/3.

Hildebrand faced 37 shots in the loss, his first since losing 6-4 to Nipawin Sept. 30.

The North Stars will look to avoid their third straight loss, as they play in Humboldt Friday night.

The road span ends Tuesday in Nipawin.

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