The Battlefords North Stars (26-19-6-1) were looking to carry the momentum from their win in Weyburn on Family Day into their game against the Notre Dame Hounds (31-14-1-4) Tuesday.
Thanks to another strong effort in goal from Spencer Tremblay, they did just that.
The North Stars got goals from Igor Leonenko and Matthew Havens along with 31 saves from Tremblay en route to a 3-2 win.
The game didn’t start the way the North Stars would have liked, as they fell behind 2-0 in the first period.
Sam Aulie scored his 19th of the year 9:14 into the game from Ian Williams and Carter Hikichi, then five minutes later it was Cory Anderson doubling the lead with an unassisted goal.
Just seven seconds after Ryan Donovan was sent to the penalty box for tripping with two and a half minutes remaining in the period, Leonenko made him pay by scoring to cut the lead in half.
Jake McMillen and Brady O’Sullivan were credited with the assists.
The first period saw the Hounds outshoot the North Stars by a 9-6 margin.
The Hounds held the lead in a tight-checking second period until Havens scored his fifth of the year, and first since Jan. 17, to tie the game at two.
Leonenko and Jake Erickson picked up the assists.
With two minutes remaining in the period, it was Leonenko scoring his second of the game, seventh of the year, from Havens to give the North Stars the lead.
After missing the majority of the year with injuries, Leonenko now has 13 points in 17 games.
The North Stars leaned on Tremblay in the third period as they were outshot by a 13-4 margin but held on for the 3-2 win.
The win gives the North Stars 59 points on the season, seemingly guaranteeing them a seventh place finish in the standings.
They are 10 points ahead of eighth-place Humboldt (22-24-5-0) but seven points back of sixth place Flin Flon with six games remaining.
The Bombers (27-12-6-6) also have a game in hand on the North Stars.
Finishing in seventh would force the North Stars to play a five-game survivor series against the 10th place team, which as of Wednesday would be the Estevan Bruins (20-24-1-6).
If there’s a team the North Stars need momentum playing against, it’s the league-leading Melfort Mustangs (36-7-3-5) who visit the Civic Centre tomorrow.
Not only do the Mustangs boast SJHL scoring leader Travis Mayan, who has 34 goals and 41 assists, they also have Richard Palmer in goal who sports a 1.81 goals against average and a .931 save percentage on the season.
It’s the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two teams.
The North Stars picked up a 4-3 shootout win in Melfort Nov. 5, before dropping a 4-2 decision at home Nov. 28 and being shutout 3-0 in Melfort Jan. 9.
Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
