The Battlefords North Stars are off to a three game losing streak to begin this season in 2020-21.
The latest two losses came in La Ronge to the Ice Wolves by scores of 5-3 and 7-4. They try and turn it around this Friday at home against the Flin Flon Bombers, which would be their first home game of the season after their home opener against Kindersley was postponed due to bad weather.
La Ronge 5 North Stars 3
The North Stars stayed competitive with La Ronge throughout most of the game Friday night, but got off to a bad start right away when Spencer Kennedy scored 18 seconds into the game for a 1-0 Ice Solves lead.
The game marked the first goals of the season for Connor Gabruch, Jaxon Steele and Jake Southgate. Gabruch tied the game on assists from Timon Prexler and Breydon Berthold at the 14:32 mark of the first period, and Steele scored 11 seconds into period 2 for a 2-1 lead.
But the Ice Wolfes then scored three unanswered from Matthieu Belanger, Brandon Della Paolero and Holden Knights before Southgate’s goal a minute before the end of the second.
Nolan Doell completed the scoring midway through the third period for a 5-3 final score. Shots favoured La Ronge 41-32; Kristian Lyon took the loss while Xavier Cannon got the win.
La Ronge 7 North Stars 4
It was another fast start to scoring Saturday night, this time with the North Stars scoring first. Mason Richey scored from Jake Southgate nine seconds into the game for a 1-0 lead.
But Spencer Kennedy tied it up at 5:53 and then William Smith scored on a power play at the 16:36 mark to take a 2-1 lead.
The Ice Wolves then added three more goals unanswered from Kaiden Collumb, Holden Knights, and Beau Larson for a 5-1 lead. Connor Gabruch got one back for the North Stars with Riley Little assisting, but Kennedy’s second of the game made it 6-2 La Ronge.
Ryland McNinch’s first of the season at 4:42 on the power play at 4:42 and Connor Gabruch’s shorthanded goal at 14:55 brought the North Stars back, but Chad McIlwain’s goal shorthanded into an empty net with 1:18 on the clock sealed the 7-4 win.
Austin Schwab was driven out of the North Stars net after letting in five goals on 20 shots; Kristian Lyon stopped 14 of 15. Xavier Cannon got the win stopping 32 of 36 shots.
