NORTH BATTLEFORD - The Battlefords North Stars were hoping to push their SJHL winning streak to five in a row against the La Ronge Ice Wolves on Saturday night.
Instead, the Ice Wolves came in and spoiled the show. The North Stars fell to the Ice Wolves 4-2 at Access Communications Centre on the last night of Parent-Billet Weekend.
For the Ice Wolves it was a much-needed win as they continue to battle for a playoff position, holding on to seventh spot in the standings two points ahead of Notre Dame and three ahead of Kindersley.
Meanwhile the North Stars remain mired in fifth overall, now two points behind fourth-place Melfort after the Mustangs picked up a point on the road in a 4-3 shootout loss to Kindersley.
Early on, it looked like it would be another good night for the North Stars. It was Zane Florence who opened the scoring for the North Stars, with Ty Bahm assisting at 2:35. But Gavin Mattey soon tied it up with an unassisted goal to knot the game up.
But late in the frame, Jake Â鶹ÊÓƵgate got his 19th of the season from Jordan Grill at 16:26, and that was all the scoring through one period.
At the 5:57 mark of period two, the Ice Wolves' Tye Evans fired one past Austin Schwab to tie the game at 2-2. Aaron Greyeyes and Holden Knights got the assist, and that would be all the scoring in the second.
In the third period, the North Stars ended up taking a costly penalty. Ty Bahm went off for boarding at the 11:57 mark, and the Ice Wolves swarmed around Schwab in the North Stars end, desperate to get the go-ahead goal. Finally, a long shot from Nate Looft went past Schwab into the net, with Brandon Della Paolera and Gavin Mattey assisting, to give La Ronge the lead at the 13:40 mark.
With 1:49 left the Ice Wolves got the insurance marker from Holden Knights, with Bryan Gilman assisting, sealing the 4-2 win.
Final shots favored the Ice Wolves 33-29, with Xavier Cannon getting the win.
Next for the Ice Wolves is a game Sunday in Kindersley. The North Stars are back in actionTuesday versus Yorkton.
