The last two SJHL champions faced off Wednesday night for the first game of a home and home series.
The Battlefords North Stars played host to the Nipawin Hawks, with the North Stars coming into the game riding a three game winning streak. Perhaps fittingly, Wednesday’s game against the 2018 champs was played the same night the North Stars were clearing out their 2017 championship merchandise from their store at 30 to 50 per cent off.
It was also a night in which goaltenders Joel Grzybowski of the North Stars and Patrick Pugliese of the Hawks were clearing pucks away from their nets. Grzybowski stopped 34 of 35 Hawks shots and Pugliese 37 of 38 from the North Stars during regulation time and a three-on-three overtime period.
Unfortunately, one shot went past Grzybowski in the shootout, and that was enough for a 2-1 victory for Nipawin.
“It was a hard-fought shootout loss,” said coach Brayden Klimosko. “In the first we struggled a little bit but in the second and third we were pretty strong.”
It was a brisk first period that saw no scoring until the very end of the frame. Austin Flaman put one past Joel Grzybowski with only three seconds remaining to make it 1-0 Nipawin, and that would be the score through one period. Shots on goal favoured the North Stars 9-6.
In the second, the North Stars controlled the play and an Owen Lamb shot just whistled over the Nipawin net about five minutes into the period. Late in the period the North Stars had some chances on Hawks goaltender Patrick Pugliese, who had to make a juggling save at one point to keep the puck out of the net.
With the Hawks’ Cole Beamin in the box for hooking, the North Stars had a power play chance in the final two minutes. With 42 seconds left, the North Stars’ tied it on Matthew Fletcher’s first of the season, with Ryan Gil and Seth Summers assisting. The period ended with the teams knotted at 1-1. Shots on goal through two periods favoured the North Stars 25-15.
The third period was a fast one. The North Stars continued to maintain a shots advantage, but an interference penalty to Owen Lamb at 8:20 put Nipawin on the man advantage. Grzybowski managed to hold off some incredible pressure from the Hawks to kill the penalty and keep the game tied.
The North Stars had some great opportunities late in the third in front of Pugliese, but could not put the puck in. A late flurry by Nipawin in front of the North Stars net was to no avail, and the game went to overtime.
Nipawin outshot the North Stars in the overtime 7-2, but the North Stars did have a golden opportunity late in the frame. A wraparound attempt by Braydon Buziak did not go in, and the North Stars found themselves in their first shootout game of the season.
It was Nipawin’s Eric Sorensen who had their only goal in the shootout, and that was all the Hawks would need. The North Stars’ MacGregor Sinclair, Matthias Urbanski and Ryan Gil could not put any of their shots into the Hawks net, and Nipawin prevailed 2-1.
Sorensen was named the game’s first star for his shootout-winning goal. Pugliese and Grzybowski rounded out the three stars.
The result snapped a three game winning streak for the North Stars, though they did get a point in the standings. Despite the final outcome, the head coach saw positives.
“They’re the top team in the league and we stuck with them the whole time,” said Klimosko. “There’s definitely some positives but tomorrow’s a new day and we’ll go from there.”
The North Stars were set to play the Hawks again Friday night on the road. Klimosko said for the rematch he wanted to see the North Stars “do more to frustrate the other team. We’re going to have to break down the film to really see what it’s going to take.”
