It took until mid-January, but the Battlefords North Stars have found themselves back in a familiar spot: first place in the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division.
Wins over the Kindersley Klippers 3-1 on Friday and then against the Notre Dame Hounds 3-2 in overtime in Gull Lake allowed the North Stars to leap over the Klippers into first place by one point. They have 56 points compared to 55 for the Klippers, who have a game in hand over the North Stars.
Another crucial contest was scheduled for Tuesday night against the Klippers in another first-place showdown; that will be the first home game for the North Stars after their long road stretch due to curling at the Civic Centre.
North Stars 3 Klippers 1
The North Stars got on the board first as Matthias Urbanski got his 17th of the season from Seth Summers and Quintin Loon-Stewardson at the 16:43 mark, for a 1-0 lead after one.
Kindersley tied it in the second with Noah Bankowskis seventh of the season. But Quintin Loon-Stewardson gave the North Stars the lead at the 8:27 mark of period 3, with Dylan Esau and Brett Gammer assisting. Then Braydon Buziak scored with 20 seconds remaining from MacGregor Sinclair and Matthew Fletcher for a 3-1 final score.
Netminder Joel Grzybowski got the win, stopping 30 of 31. His Kindersley counterpart Justen Close had the far busier night, however, stopping 40 out of 43 North Stars shots fired his way.
North Stars 3 Notre Dame 2 (OT)
The game against Notre Dame was played in Gull Lake on Hockey Day in Saskatchewan, one of three SJHL games played there that day.
The North Stars took the lead with a first-period power play goal by Sinclair, his 19th of the season, Brett Gammer and Owen Lamb assisting.
In the second, Lamb got his 19th from Sinclair and Spagrud. But two third period goals by Notre Dame tied it: Jarrett Penner and Jakob Breaults goals sent the game into overtime.
It was Braydon Buziaks unassisted goal at the 1:32 mark of overtime that gave the North Stars the win. Chad Duran got the win, stopping 20 of 22 shots. Riley Kohonick took the loss, stopping 32 of 35.
