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North Stars explode against Melville at Civic Centre

The Battlefords North Stars were hoping the struggling Melville Millionaires would prove the tonic they needed to return to their winning ways early in the SJHL season.
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The North Stars react after Jake McMillen's goal gives the team the early lead in the first period, as the team exploded for seven goals and a 7-3 win over Melville. Photo by John Cairns

The Battlefords North Stars were hoping the struggling Melville Millionaires would prove the tonic they needed to return to their winning ways early in the SJHL season.

The Mills were winless at 0-3 entering the night's action against the 4-1 North Stars. As it turned out, the North Stars ran Melville out of the Civic Centre with a seven-goal offensive explosion, for a blowout 7-3 win.

The North Stars got going early, thanks to early power play goals.

Just 6:46 into the game, Jake McMillen scored from Layne Young to give the North Stars the early lead.

With 2:50 left in the first, Young got a power play goal from Conor Jensen and Connor Sych to give the North Stars a 2-0 lead.

Then with 1:13 left, Young got the rebound off an Igor Leonenko shot, and fired it past David Anderson to make it 3-0. Leonenko and Sych were credited with the assists.

That was all the scoring in period one. Shots in the first period favoured the North Stars overwhelmingly, 15-5.

It was a better start for the second period for Melville as they rattled off six shots in a row before the North Stars answered back.

Unfortunately for Melville, the goal onslaught resumed. League-leading scorer Dustin Gorgi put one in the net unassisted, for his third goal of the season. That made it 4-0 North Stars.

Soon after came another goal. Connor Sych scored this time, from Leonenko and Young, to make it 5-0, and the second period was not yet half over. It was the fourth point of the night for Young.

Melville made a goaltending change as Anderson was pulled out of the Melville net and Josh Bykowski replaced him.

Young had a golden opportunity midway through the period with a shorthanded breakaway looking for the hat trick, but his shot missed the net.

Finally, Melville's Tyler Kreklewich put one past Ryan Rewerts to get Melville on the board late in the second from Ben Mack and Tyson Predinchuk. Shots on goal narrowed to 24-21 in favour of the North Stars through two periods.

In the third, Melville got another goal back on a power play with Predinchuk getting his second of the season.

But the North Stars restored their four-goal lead with a goal from Jake McMillen from Leonenko with 6:23 left in the game.

Just 41 seconds later, Brennen Miller found the back of the net. But Coby Downs finished the scoring from Gorgi and Braydon Buziak for their third power play goal of the game.

The final was 7-3 North Stars, moving the team to a 5-1 record. Shots in the game were 42-28 for the North Stars.

The North Stars now hit the road again. The team heads to Nipawin for another tilt with their nemesis, the Hawks, Friday, followed by a long road trip to Flin Flon for Saturday night.

Then it is on to the Showcase in Warman. The first game for the North Stars is Monday at 10 a.m. versus Estevan and they play again against Humboldt on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

The next home game for the North Stars will not be until Oct. 16, against the Humboldt Broncos.