The Battlefords North Stars clinched a playoff spot with a Tuesday night win at the Civic Centre over the La Ronge Ice Wolves.
The 5-2 win also snapped a three-game losing streak for the North Stars.
It took the North Stars almost five minutes to record a shot in the first period, but eventually they struck first blood and beat La Ronge's Myles Hovdebo. After good board work in the offensive zone, Travis Marit pounced on a rebound and scored his third of the season. Robbie Newton and Evan Ripley drew the assists.
La Ronge evened the scored six minutes later when Brett McNevin put a rebound by the North Stars Casey Parker who was stuck too deep in his net with traffic in his crease.
In the second period, the North Stars tallied twice to take a 3-1 lead into the third period.
After Marit won an offensive zone faceoff, Joren Johnson fired a point shot that was deflected. It looked like the puck was tipped by Marit, but Tanner Quinn was given credit for his sixth goal of the season.
Eight minutes into the period, Blake Young streaked down the left wing and beat Hovdebo from a tough angle for his sixth of the season. Dillion Forbes had the lone assist on the goal.
The second period ended with a spirited fight between two 16-year-olds, as the North Stars Kendall Fransoo dropped the gloves with Braden Oleksyn, in the final minute of the second period. The fighting major was the North Stars first penalty of the game.
Early in the third period, the Ice Wolves were on a five-on-three power play and Cari-Philippe Ouimet scored with a shot along the ice and off the far post.
The North Stars responded with a power play goal of their own in the third period when Blake Young chipped a rebound over Hovdebo. Brody Luhning's point shot earned him and assist as well as a Luke McColgan.
The North Stars had a five-one-three power play of their own later in the third period and coach Kevin Hasselberg called a timeout to try to get another goal to put the game out of reach, but the North Stars couldn't capitalize.
Quinn did however hit the empty net with Kyle Hall earning the assist in the final minute.
Parker made 22 saves for his seventh win of the season. Hovdebo made 37 saves in the loss.
"It was step in the right direction," said Hasselberg after the game, as his team now heads out for a weekend trip to Flin Flon and La Ronge.
With two wins on the road trip this weekend and if Melfort beats Flin Flon Saturday, the North Stars would pull within a point of the Bombers, who are currently second in the SJHL's Bauer Conference.
The North Stars didn't dress a full roster Tuesday night, as Ryne Keller, Spencer Gosslin and Brandon Long were sidelined with injuries and should all be close to returning to the lineup. Matt Sheeran was out of the lineup after suffering an injury Saturday that will force him to likely miss the rest of the season.
