The Battlefords North Stars dropped a heartbreaker on the road to Nipawin Hawks Friday night.
The Hawks beat the Stars 2-1 in a shootout. The game had been tight the entire way, with no scoring until Brodie Girod scored in the second period for Nipawin.
The North Stars managed to force overtime in the dying minutes as Austin Becker scored from Brett Gammer and Dylan Esau with 1:36 left to tie the game at 1-1.
But three-on-three overtime solved nothing, and in the shootout Eric Sorenson's goal that beat Chad Duran in the Stars net, to win the game 2-1.
It had been Duran's first start for the North Stars, after being acquired Thursday by the club; he previously played for La Ronge Ice Wolves. The same day that he was acquired, the North Stars released another American, defenceman Adam Weiner of Brookfield, Wisconsin, who moves to the London Nationals of the GOJHL.
Duran had a good night in net for the North Stars, stopping 23 of 24 shots. But Nipawin's Declan Hobbs stopped 34 of 35 at his end to earn the win.
The North Stars return home Saturday night to take on their division rivals the Kindersley Klippers, both of them currently locked in a battle for second place behind Humboldt.
