Urgency is setting in for the Battlefords North Stars.
The North Stars fell behind 3-1 in the series after losing 5-3 in Nipawin Tuesday and now are one game away from elimination.
"Certainly we will utilize whatever we can to motivate these kids," said North Stars head coach and general manager Kevin Hasselberg in his post-game interview Tuesday.
The Nipawin Hawks won three straight games during the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Bauer Conference semifinal series and Friday they will try to finish the North Stars off.
Through the first 40 minutes in Nipawin in game four, the North Stars were the second best team on the ice. Mitch Doell scored for Nipawin in the first period, as they outshot the North Stars 16-6.
Ryne Keller got the North Stars on the board with his first goal of the playoffs coming shorthanded to tie the game. After that, the North Stars managed more shots, but it was Nipawin finding the back of the net.
Keenan Martens and Darius Cole scored three minutes apart for the Hawks in the second period. Cole's goal chased Graham Hildebrand from the game and Connor Creech took over between the pipes. After Creech entered the game, the Hawks added another goal. This time Garrett Lockeridge capitalized on a North Stars' mistake to make it 4-1 going into the third period.
"That was a wake up call," said Hasselberg. "We will never know why we came out flat like we did tonight we are going to focus on what we accomplished in the third period."
The North Stars came out much stronger in the final 20 minutes and controlled the play and created scoring chances. The Battlefords started the period on the power play and gained some more momentum, as Nipawin had a delayed penalty and the North Stars kept pressure on while skating six-on-four.
Eventually the North Stars found the back of the net and made Nipawin pay for their penalty. Brody Luhning and Blake Tatchell set up Boyd Wakelin for his first of the playoffs to pull the North Stars to within two goals.
Nearly 10 minutes later, Woody Klassen found Tatchell near the net and he scored to make it 4-3 Nipawin with more than six minutes to play.
The North Stars pressed to tie the game and, with the goalie pulled, had a glorious chance similar to the one they had in game three Monday on home ice, but again failed to tie the game.
Nipawin's Dustin Skilliter sealed the Hawks' win with an empty net goal.
Nipawin were 1/4 on the power play while the North Stars were 1/5.
Davis Jones made 30 saves for the win while Hildebrand stopped 16 shots and Creech made 10 saves.
Hasselberg said it isn't as much of a situation that the North Stars' backs are against the wall, but a matter of the team buying into the game plan and believing they can extend this series.
"We are going to be ready to go for game five back in the Battlefords," said Hasselberg.
With a win Friday night, the North Stars will force game six in Nipawin Sunday. If necessary, game seven will be played Tuesday at the Civic Centre.
