The Battlefords Midget Stars had to expect a high paced game as the potentially dangerous Beardy's Blackhawks were at the Civic Centre Thursday night, but for the first time in a long time they earned a shutout win.
There was a good pace to the game early, as both team had their legs going and created some good scoring chances. Regan Santoro made two big saves for the Stars, one on a breakaway and the other on a pass across to keep the game tied 0-0.
The Stars tried to build on the momentum generated by their goalie. Jesse Gerbig moved off the boards and hit the crossbar on the powerplay. Beardy's responded with a good chance of their own, but couldn't convert on a wide-open net during a scramble in the crease while playing shorthanded.
After the first 20 minutes, the game was scoreless while the Stars were outshot 9-5 and were 0/3 on the powerplay.
Beardy's earned 20 seconds of five-on-three powerplay time nearly six minutes into the second, but couldn't convert.
Again the Stars traded chances with Beardy's and Justin Lund came within an inch of scoring when he fired a shot just over the top corner. That was the Stars' best scoring chance of the period.
After two periods, neither team found the back of the net despite the 21 shots be Beardy's and 12 by the Stars.
Beardy's had another powerplay early in the third period and showed good puck control, which generated a few scoring opportunities, but Santoro was there again to deny the chances.
The Stars went on the powerplay with 4:37 gone in the period and five seconds later they had the game's first goal. On a faceoff in Beardy's end the Stars won the draw and moved the puck to a defenceman. He moved it along the blue line to Colby Daniels, the forward playing defence on the first powerplay unit. He wristed a laser to the top corner past Steven Glass. Dylan Fluter and Cody Theil drew the assists.
Beardy's had a several chances to tie the game including 1:10 of five-on-three powerplay time. A team's goalie needs to be their best penalty killer and Santoro was, making a beautiful pad save on a cross crease pass and a toe save on another good shot to help kill the penalty.
The Stars planned to keep their veteran lines out against Beardy's talented top line and it worked although it maybe put them in a difficult situation late in the game as penalty killers tired.
"We tend to tire out at the end of the game," said Stars coach Martin Smith.
Fortunately Santoro didn't tire out, as Beardy's couldn't buy a goal Thursday night and tired one last ditch effort with the goalie pulled, but couldn't make good on a cross crease pass with 12 seconds left. The Stars held on for the 1-0 win.
"We played well, but I think we gave up too many shots," said Smith adding "Regan Santoro played really well in net."
The Stars powerplay was the difference going 1/6 while the penalty kill was perfect at 7/7.
"We should be good (at penalty killing), we get a lot of practice - we take too many penalties," said Smith. "I said this before, Blair Mahon was our best penalty killer in the win against Regina and Regan was our best tonight. We played desperate today, and it has been a long time since the Midget Stars had a shutout."
In fact Smith was right. The last Midget Stars shutout came Oct. 20 of 2007 by Coleman Young. To not allow a goal in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League is a rarity and last season the Stars gave up just one goal twice and two goals four times. Could this be the turn around season for the Stars' goaltending duo?
The 2-2-1-0 Stars have seven days between games and were back practising Tuesday before heading to Prince Albert Thursday and Tisdale Saturday and Sunday.
