The Battlefords Stars were hoping to extend their record to three wins in a row Thursday night when they took on the Saskatoon Contacts at home at the Civic Centre.
But it was not to be, as the Stars wound up on the wrong end of a 3-2 shootout defeat to the Contacts.
It was the Contacts who got on the board first. About six minutes into the first period, Colby Haugren's shot beat Jake Taylor in the Battlefords net to make it 1-0. Carson Albrecht and Chance Adrian got the assists.
Mason Mullaney tied it at 1-1 with six minutes left in the first, with Rett Taggart and Kenzie Arnold assisting.
Soon after, a great opportunity by Arnold hit the right post, but it didn't go in. That was all the scoring through one.
Despite some good chances there was no scoring in the second period. Shots after two periods favoured the Stars 20-14.
In the third, the Stars continued to outshoot the Contacts, but got unlucky at the 5:43 mark with 14:17 left. Six seconds into a power play opportunity with JC Dubecky in the box, Quinton Ong scored for Saskatoon from Albrecht and Adrian.
But the Stars tied it up again soon after on a goal by Karstin McDonald assisted by Owen Lamb and Keelan Saworski.
With three minutes left the Contacts' Tyler Heidt was called for boarding, and that gave the Stars a golden opportunity to possibly win the game on a power play.
But the Stars couldn't capitalize, and the two teams ended regulation still deadlocked at 2-2. Both teams had nine shots apiece in the third period.
At the 2:04 mark of overtime, the Stars' Luke Reid was called for tripping, giving the Contacts' their opportunity to win on the power play. But they, too, came away empty.
Overtime ended and the game went to a shootout with the Stars shooting first.
Dawson Bacon missed on his shot, then the Contacts' Haugen was stuffed by Taylor.
After Jayden Nachtegaele was stopped, the Contacts' Chance Adrian fired the puck past Taylor to give the Contacts the lead in the shootout.
The Stars' Mason Mullaney then missed, to seal up the 3-2 Contacts victory.
Total shots on goal in the game were 30-25 Stars, but Isaac LaBelle stopped 28 shots and allowed no goals in the shootout to earn the victory.
The Stars drop to two wins and one shootout defeat on the season. The team heads to Beardy's next Thursday, and their next action at home is against the Yorkton RawTec Maulers Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.
