Shhhhh.
Don't wake the sleeping giant. That must have been the strategy against the Battlefords North Stars in their two games on the road. The Battlefords North Stars' offence was quiet, as they lost 4-2 and 2-1 to Sherwood Conference teams.
Tuesday, the North Stars were in Yorkton and after taking a 1-0 lead they fell 4-2 to the Terriers.
In the first period, Kyle Hall capitalized on a turnover in the Terriers' zone and scored his 12th of the season from Robbie Newton.
In the second period, Yorkon's Brady Norrish got his team on the board and four minutes later Ryon Sookro scored on the power play to put the Terriers in the lead.
The North Stars answered in the second, as Travis Sparrow blasted a point shot that beat Warren Shymko for his first goal of the season and first goal as a North Star. Sparrow broke his 97-game streak, spanning two seasons in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, without a goal. Dillon Forbes drew the lone assist on Sparrow's goal.
Yorkton's Zak Majkowski scored on a late power play for the Terriers in the second period, as the home team took a 3-2 lead into the third period.
Jeremy Johnson added some insurance for Yorkton with an empty net goal to seal the win. Both teams had 27 shots and it was Shymko earning the win and Graham Hildebrand being saddled with the loss.
A win would have tied the North Stars with the SJHL leading Humboldt Broncos, but that wasn't the chase and, heading into action, on the weekend the North Stars trail the Broncos by three points.
The next night in Melville, the teams made it through the first period scoreless, but the North Stars played well, firing 18 shots at former North Stars' property Blake Voth. Voth's play was great all game, as he made 43 saves in the win and was ultimately the reason for Melville's 2-1 win.
The Millionaires drew first blood with a goal 48 seconds into the second period when Jesse Mireau put his team in front.
The North Stars responded with a power play goal with five minutes remaining in the second period. Klay Kachur scored his second of the season, and second goal in three games, from Hall and Mitch Berg.
In the third period, Bob Pond broke the tie scoring 1:28 into the final period and that held up to be the game-winning goal.
Connor Creech was in net for the North Stars and made 24 saves in the loss.
The North Stars will look to put the two losses behind them, as they play in Flin Flon Friday and Saturday. The North Stars have lost more than two games in a row only once this season. Besides that four-game stretch in December the North Stars have out scored their opponents 14-9 in the games following two losses.
Tuesday, the North Stars will be back on home ice, as they host the Melfort Mustangs at the Civic Centre.
