After a long layoff due to the Christmas break and a pair of postponements last week, the Battlefords North Stars made up for lost time Wednesday night.
In their first Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League game since a 5-1 victory on Saturday, Dec. 16 over the Flin Flon Bombers at the Civic Centre, the North Stars picked up their third win in a row as they defeated the visiting Kindersley Klippers by a score of 4-2.
"I was pretty impressed with how we played overall," North Stars goaltender Taryn Kotchorek said. "Even though we were short-staffed, we played with a lot of emotion and our intensity level was up.
"I think having a couple of extra practices as a result of the two games with Kindersley being cancelled last week helped us out. Everyone was in the right frame of mind and it didn't take long to shake the rust off."
It didn't take long for the North Stars to strike on offence as Layne Young found the back of the net just 16 seconds into the game.
The top scorer in the SJHL rounded out the home side's offensive output with 26 seconds left in the third period, which came shortly after the Klippers were called for having too many men on the ice while looking for a game-tying marker.
Blueliner Connor Manegre scored in the second period, while affiliate player Dayden Dvernichuk notched his first career SJHL goal with a top-shelf snipe past Klippers netminder Justen Close.
"It was a pretty awesome feeling," said Dvernichuk, who has eight points in 16 games this season for the Delisle Chiefs of the Prairie Junior Hockey league.
"I blocked a shot and raced down the ice as fast I could. I just fired the puck at the net and I was pretty fortunate to have it go in."
With Connor McIntosh, Tre Doyon, Elijah Loon-Stewardson and Chaseton Braid all sidelined due to injuries, the North Stars called up Dvernichuk, Logan Spence of the Battlefords Stars and Kaden Boser of the Saskatoon Blazers to fill in on offence.
"I thought they did a pretty good job out there, especially Dayden as he scored what proved to be a critical goal for us," Kotchorek said.
"Whenever you have the affiliate players or guys on the third or fourth line chipping in on offence, it fires the entire team up."
Kotchorek made 26 saves in the victory, which improved his record to 11-4-2.
The Klippers, who have a 14-15-2-2 record and are in eighth place in the SJHL standings, received a 27-save performance from Close and got their goals from Eddie May and Nikolas Malencia.
Thanks to Wednesday's win, the North Stars now have a 25-5-2-0 mark this season and hold a six-point lead over the Notre Dame Hounds for first place in the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division.
They are also four points back of the Nipawin Hawks for the top spot in the league table, in addition to having three games in hand over their closest rival.
The North Stars will look to continue their winning ways Friday at 7:30 p.m. as they'll play host the Hounds at the Civic Centre.
"Notre Dame's a solid team with good goaltending and they move the puck well on offence," Kotchorek said.
"They always work hard, especially in their rink, so hopefully we have a different outcome this time around in our home."
