The Battlefords North Stars set out for their southern road trip Friday morning with hopes of returning with six points and moving up the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Bauer Conference standings.
Friday and Saturday went according to plan as far as earning victories, but Sunday afternoon the streak stopped thanks to the Notre Dame Hounds.
Sunday, the North Stars were outshot 30-22 and fell 3-0 in Wilcox to Notre Dame. The Hounds had a goal a period, those coming from Dion Antisin, Dillon Schwartzenberger and Tory Murray.
Notre Dame also capitalized on two of three power plays while the North Stars were 0/5.
Connor Creech made his second start of the weekend and faced 30 shots while Ty Reichenbach earned the shutout.
Saturday in Estevan proved to be a big game for three North Stars' forwards - Kyle Hall, Josh Betinol and Braden Johnson - as they combined for eight points.
In the first period, Johnson scored his 11th of the season from Hall and Betinol. Five minutes later, rookie Austin Evans scored his 10th of the season from Johnson.
Estevan scored early in the second period, but the North Stars stayed composed and reclaimed their two-goal lead minutes later. Hall scored from Robbie Newton and Betinol and the North Stars led 3-1 heading into the third period.
Hall increased the lead with his team leading 16th goal of the season from Johnson and Dillon Forbes.
Alex Cote was the lone Bruin to beat Casey Parker on the night, as he made 22 saves for his sixth win of the season.
Friday, the North Stars started their road trip in Weyburn Friday and there they just held on for the 5-4 win.
In the first period, Evans scored from Jake McMillen and Brody Luhning and Brandon Long scored from Joren Johnson and Evans. Both were power play goals.
In the second period, McMIllen scored his 12th of the season from Luhning and Luke McColgan to give the North Stars a three-goal lead.
In the third period, the North Stars saw their three-goal lead evaporate to just one, as Weyburn's Shain Scheshcuk and Ty McLean scored power play goals at the 5:00 and 15:12 mark of the third period.
Long responded for the North Stars with his second of the game and ninth of the season from Blake Young and Betinol the next shift after Weyburn scored their second goal.
Nearly a minute later, Weyburn scored again to keep their comeback hopes alive, as Ryan Cooper found the back of the net.
The North Stars answered that the next shift when Travis Marit scored his first goal as a North Star from Newton. That goal would stand as the game winner, as Ryan Ostertag scored for the Red Wings with the goalie pulled to make it a 5-4 game.
Creech was in net for the 28-save performance while Nate Ferris was the losing goaltender.
The two wins on the weekend helped the North Stars leapfrog Nipawin in the standings, as the Battlefords are now 23-16-2-3 on the season.
The North Stars have 10 games remaining and will be back in action against Melville Friday and Flin Flon Saturday, both at the Civic Centre.
