The new-look Battlefords Stars opened their Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League campaign at home this weekend against the Regina Pat Canadians.
Despite a drastically-changed lineup and a host of new faces compared to last season, the home team did get off to a good start Friday night, winning their home opener at the Civic Centre 4-2.
Keifer Hintz opened the scoring from Kaelan Holt at 8:59 of the first, and a short time later Dawson Bacon scored from Layne Young on the power play to make it 2-0.
Regina's Owen Sillinger scored a power play marker from Riley Woods and Jake Tesarowski late in the period, and it was 2-1 after one.
In the second, Hintz scored again, this time shorthanded, with Jared Hillis providing the assist for the only goal of that period.
Regina cut the margin to one midway through the third with Arthur Miller scoring from Tyler Adams. But Brandon Lesko scored into the empty net to seal the win for the Stars.
Brett Pongracz stopped 20 of 22 shots for the win for the Battlefords.
The rematch the following afternoon at the Civic Centre proved a different story, however, as the Pat Canadians stomped the Stars 6-0.
Goals in the first by Tesarowski (on the power play) and Conner Chaulk made it 2-0 after one, and then goals by Ty Barnstable (power play), Chaulk again and Miller blew the game open in the second. Mathew Chekay's shorthanded marker from Curtis Meger early in the third period added a final insult to injury on the day.
A telling statistic for the afternoon was the power-play situation. The Pat Canadians were 2 for 5 on the power play, but the Stars were a dismal zero for 12.
The scoreboard also didn't reflect the shot count in the game. The Stars had also outshot the Pat Canadians 36-21, but didn't register a single goal on Regina netminder Curtis Meger.
Pongracz stopped 9 of 14 shots while backup Talen King stopped 6 of 7 on the afternoon for the Stars.
Next action for the Stars is next Saturday and Sunday in Yorkton against the RawTec Maulers.
