Not only did the Battlefords Midget Stars suffer a loss on the scoreboard Sunday against Swift Current, but they suffered a big loss to their roster as well.
The Stars split their weekend series with Swift Current at the Civic Centre, but defenceman and captain Robin Yew left Sunday's game with an injury that could keep him on the sidelines for some time.
Yew, joins the Stars' injury list which includes Troy Gerein and Terrin Belosowsky, who was also injured on the weekend.
Sunday the Stars came flying out of the gate. Kent Walchuk scored 28 seconds into the game as he centred a pass that hit a Swift Current Legionnaires stick and went in behind Kyle Zinger.
Swift Current responded a minute later when Josh Stang scored and in the second half of the period, Jordan Wittman scored on the power play for Swift Current to make it a 2-1 game.
In the final minute of the period, some bad blood between the two teams boiled over, as a fight broke out leaving both teams a player short. The other eight skaters on the ice received 12 minutes each in penalties filling up the penalty box.
In the second period, Swift Current added to their lead when Morgan Greve beat Rylan Toth.
Before the second period ended defenceman Maxim Powiada scored on a point shot from Josh Bly and Spencer Bast making it a 3-2 game.
The Stars tied the game with 14 minutes to play. Bast deflected in a Eric Pfeifer point shot.
Just when it appeared the game was destined for overtime, Greve was alone in the slot and beat Toth with 36 seconds left to play.
The Stars pulled their goalie, called a timeout and created a great scoring chance, but Zinger made a great blocker save in the final seconds to preserve the win for Swift Current.
Toth made 27 saves while Zinger stopped 25 shots.
Saturday, the Stars trailed 1-0 after the first period, as Connor Odelein scored a buzzer beater for Swift Current.
Brian Hillis started the Stars' offence in the second period, as Bly and Pfeifer earned the assists.
Austin Duzan put the Stars in front later in the second period when he was set up on the power play by Yew and Ryan Frehlick.
Three minutes into the third period, the Stars increased their lead on a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play. The Stars broke out on a three-on-one and Duzan moved the puck to Regan Yew, he moved it back to Duzan who slid the puck across for Ashton Clark to finish off.
Evan Patrick gave Swift Current some life with less than two minutes to play, but Bast hit the empty net to secure the 4-2 wn.
Luke Grassl surrendered three goals on 34 shots while Ryan Rewerts made 32 saves for the win.
The Stars sit in fifth place in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League standings with a 16-10-5-1 record. This weekend they will travel to Regina for two games against the Pat Canadians, who are second in the standings and just one point up on the Stars.
