Tempers flared as the Battlefords North Stars did battle against the Melfort Mustangs in a contentious game Friday at the Civic Centre.
The final score was 4-2 North Stars as the Mustangs staged a late rally in the third period to make it close.
In the end, the undisciplined Mustangs simply couldn’t overcome a rash of penalties on this night. A parade of Mustangs went to the penalty box, with the North Stars having a brief five-on-three advantage at one point In the second period. The low point for Melfort came when a heated Mustangs coach Trevor Blevins lost his cool and was thrown out of the game in the second period, with a bench minor and game misconduct penalties.
In the end the North Stars held onto their composure long enough to earn win number 40 on the season, with eight games left to go.
There was no scoring through the first period, but the game turned in period 2 when the North Stars’ Logan Spence was nailed by a high stick from Seth McCulloch. He was assessed a five minute major, and the North Stars capitalized with a goal from Jaxon Steele at 13:17 to make it 1-0.
Soon after Alex Rondeau was called for cross checking, giving the North Stars a two man advantage.
The Mustangs were fortunate to kill off both the two-man advantage and the rest of the five-minute major, only for Noah Form to score on even-strength almost immediately after the penalty expired, at 18:12 of period 2, for a 2-0 lead through two. It was immediately after that the bench minor was called on Melfort, putting the North Stars right back on the power play.
Ben Hiltz’s goal at 8:12 of the third made it 3-0. But the Mustangs got two back from Tyson Meyers and Kenzie Arnold to make a game of it in the third period.
Quintin Loon-Stewardson’s empty net goal sealed up the game with 1:06 left, after which Melfort tempers boiled over again. Ryan MacLean was sent off with a ten-minute misconduct, and then all heck broke loose with 15 seconds left in the game as Nolan Kadachuk and Alex Rondeau tangled with the North Stars, with the Stars’ Carson Reagan involved in it.
Final shots favoured Melfort 27-26 but Kristian Lyon got the win stopping 25 shots.
The North Stars are back in action again Saturday night, at home against the Melville Millionaires.
