The Battlefords North Stars continue to earn the nickname "Cardiac North Stars" this season.
The North Stars went to overtime, and to shootouts, twice on the weekend against Melfort and Humboldt, earning three of a possible four points as they continue to climb their way back up the SJHL standings. In fact, the North Stars have gone to shootouts now in four of the past six games, with a fifth game decided in overtime.
Their game against the Mustangs Friday night at the Civic Centre was a rematch against a team that had swept them in the playoffs this past spring. It was Toque and Mitten Toss night at the Civic Centre, with the fans tossing their donations onto the ice upon the scoring of the North Stars' first goal. The items were donated to the Battlefords and District Food and Resource Centre to be distributed to those in need as part of the Share the Warmth Campaign.
It didn't take long for that toss to happen, as the North Stars opened the scoring at the 8:19 mark with Luke McColgan's sixth of the year from Jake McMillen and Jake Erickson assisting.
But David Heath tied it up late in the first and goals by Regan Wilton and Brandon Sloan in the second put the North Stars in a 3-1 hole after two. That was enough for coach Kevin Hasselberg, who pulled starting goaltender Darren Martin, putting in Casey Parker for the rest of the game.
In the third, Blake Young's sixth of the season from Igor Leonenko narrowed the gap to 3-2 before Bryden Serafini made it 4-2 Melfort at the 5:55 mark. Two goals late in the period sent the game to a shootout: McColgan's seventh from Austin Evans and Jake Erickson, and then Robin Yew's first from Taylor Reich moments later at 18:06, and that sent the game to overtime.
Overtime solved nothing and the North Stars and Mustangs were forced to decide things in a shootout. Travis Mayan got the first shootout goal for Melfort but Igor Leonenko, on the North Stars' third shot, tied the shootout at 1-1. On the sixth shot Latrell Charleson scored the winner. The North Stars beat Melfort 5-4 in a shootout, for their fourth win in five games.
The next night it was on the road for a match with the Kramer Division rivals the Humboldt Broncos.
The Broncos took the lead on a David Stumborg goal late in period one, making it 1-0 after one. But the North Stars scored twice in the second with Jake McMillen and Ryne Keller both scoring to make it 2-1.
Midway through the third Thomas Stanislavski scored to tie the game at 2-2, and that would be the way it would remain for the rest of regulation time and through overtime.
That meant another shootout for the North Stars and this time Cody Pongracz got the only goal to beat Casey Parker, and the Broncos prevailed 3-2.
The North Stars, who are now 8-13-1-1 on the season, have no time to relax, as they return to the Civic Centre Tuesday night against the Kindersley Klippers.
