The Battlefords Stars probably deserved a better result than what they got Saturday against the Notre Dame Hounds.
They threw everything but the kitchen sink against the Hounds in the shots department, out shooting them 39-25. Yet you wouldn't have known it from the final score, which was 6-3 for the Hounds in midget AAA action.
Brandon Lesko did get the first goal of the game for the Stars from Spencer Bast and Layne Young, on the power play at 2:54.
But Lantz Hiebert tied it at 1-1 on another power play goal, and Rhett Kingston made it 2-1 at the end of one.
Lucas Fraulin's shorthanded goal made it 3-1 Hounds in the second, despite the Stars outshooting the Hounds 15-3 in the period.
In the third, Young scored from Bast just 17 seconds into the final period, but Chance Longjohn and Conor MacLean gave the Hounds a three-goal lead that they never looked back from. Lesko scored with 2:12 left to cut the margin, but an empty net goal by Kingston sealed the Stars’ fate with 23 seconds left for the 6-3 final score.
Sunday saw the Stars in action against the other Notre Dame squad, the struggling Argos. And the Argos struggled indeed as the Stars racked up a big lead early.
Kaelan Saworski opened the scoring for the Stars, and then after the Argos tied it, Kaelan Holt, Jared Hillis and Bast scored to give the Stars a 4-1 lead after one.
In the second, Saworski again, Kaleb Dahlgren and Troy Gerein extended the lead to 7-1 before Eric Soar responded late in the period, and it was 7-2 Stars after two periods.
In the third, Keifer Hintz scored to make it 8-2 midway through the period. After a goal by the Argos' CJ Walker, Kyle Salaway scored with 3:17 remaining to make it 9-3. Lesko's goal with just over a minute left wrapped up the scoring in a much-needed 10-3 Stars win.
The Stars continue their road trip Thursday as they take on the Saskatoon Contacts. Their final home game of the regular season is Saturday against the Argos.
