Despite coming from behind in the third period, the Battlefords Stars dropped game one of the SMAAAHL final 5-4 in overtime to the Notre Dame Argos Saturday night in Wilcox.
The Stars trail the best-of-five series 1-0. It was their first loss of the playoffs.
Notre Dame opened the scoring with 11:15 left in the first period. Evan Werle beat Stars goalie Rylan Toth to make it a 1-0 game. Jordan Berger and Keegan Milligan drew assists on the goal.
The Argos made it a 2-0 game early in the second with a power-play goal. Kaden Elder found the back of the net 1:12 into the period from Taylor Ross and Elijah Francis.
Battlefords got on the board shortly after on a power play of their own. Mason Benning scored 2:52 into the second from Alex Pernitsky and Josh LaFramboise to make it a one-goal game.
The highest scoring line of the playoffs tied the game for the Stars in the third. LaFramboise scored his seventh goal of the post-season 4:22 into the period to make it a 2-2 game. Linemates Josh Bly and Spencer Bast assisted on the goal.
The Argos scored two goals shortly after. Elder got his second of the game from Werle and Nolan Reid with 14:46 remaining. Two minutes later, Dillon Dube beat Toth to give the Argos a 4-2 lead with 12:23 left to play.
Battlefords used the power play to get back into the game. First, Bly beat Argos goaltender Dylan Ferguson with 8:42 to play. LaFramboise and Pernitsky assisted on Bly's goal. Three minutes later, Bast tied the game at four with an assist from Dawson Bacon, sending the game into overtime.
Jack Flaman was the hero for the Argos when he scored with 7:22 to play in the first overtime period. Colin Burston and Cole Williams assisted on the game-winning goal.
Toth made 34 saves while picking up his first loss of the playoffs. Ferguson stopped 28 shots for the Argos in the win.
Game two of the series is Monday night at the Civic Centre. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
