The four-game losing streak is history as the Battlefords North Stars scored an important 3-2 win over the team chasing them in the overall SJHL standings, the Flin Flon Bombers.
The North Stars and Bombers are one-two in the overall standings, and played like it Friday in a tough, fast-paced hockey game.
Slow starts have been an issue for the North Stars lately, but for a change they got on the board first. Dylan McCabe's goal from Elijah Loon-Stewardson at 6:08 of period one made it 1-0.
Tristan Lemyre scored his first of two goals on the evening at 11:51 of period two, which was immediately followed up by a scrap between the Bombers' Cole Rafuse and McCabe. Both went off for roughing.
With less than six seconds on the clock Jaxon Steele got his first North Stars goal from Matthias Urbanski and Ben Hiltz to restore the lead as the second period ended.
In the third Lemyre scored again at 5:42, but a penalty to Chase Haygarth for cross checking put the North Stars back on the power play later in the period. Four seconds into it, at 13:33, Steele got his second of the game from Urbanski and Hiltz to give the Stars the lead to stay.
The North Stars prevailed despite being outshot by Flin Flon 37-34, but Austin Schwab's 35 saves proved to be the difference.
The same two teams go at it again tonight at 7:30 pm at the Civic Centre, for what is surely going to be a highlight game for fans as it is Teddy Bear Toss night at the Civic Centre. Follow our Twitter feed @TheNewsOptimist for live game updates.
