After a 4-4 draw against Swift Current the previous weekend, the Battlefords AAA Stars have resumed their winning ways in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League.
It began with a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Saskatoon Contacts last Thursday and continued on with a weekend sweep of the Tisdale Trojans to move the Stars record to 11-2-2-1 on the season - still good for first place in the entire league with 25 points, three points ahead of the Notre Dame Argos.
The contest last Thursday proved to be a defensive duel throughout, with the game highlighted by solid goaltending and low scoring.
A second-period goal by Spencer Bast got things rolling in the contest against the Contacts, with Josh LaFramboise notching the assist.
Kade Kehoe tied it midway through the third period but Bryce Neufeld scored the winner from Layne Young and Keifer Hintz with 1:08 remaining on the clock, to give the Stars the victory at home. Shots on goal were 35 to 25 in favour of the Stars and goaltender Ryan Rewarts was named Home Star of the Game for the Stars for stopping 24 of 25 shots. Brock Hamm took the loss for Saskatoon but was still named Away Star of the Game.
The Stars were on the road Saturday and Sunday at the Tisdale Recplex and ended up dominating both games with the Trojans.
Two Josh LaFramboise goals put the Stars up 2-0 after one on Saturday night. Rylan Freed's goal in the second narrowed things to 2-1, but goals by Josh Bly, LaFramoise, again with the hat trick, and Corbin Schmidt put things pretty much out of reach.
Drew Litwin's goal and LaFramboise's fourth of the night, shorthanded, from Bast and Mason Benning rounded out a 6-2 win. Not surprisingly, LaFramboise's four-goal outburst earned him Away Star honours while Tristen Elder was Home Star for Tisdale.
The afternoon contest Sunday saw the Stars dominate again, this time thanks to a four-goal outburst in the second that erased a 2-1 Tisdale lead.
Josh Bly scored twice and goals by Schmidt, LaFramoise and Logan Nachtegaele gave the Battlefords a 5-2 victory, despite being outshot on the day 35-27. Again, Ryan Rewerts was solid in goal stopping 33 of 35 shots. Bly earned Away Star of the Game honours for the Battlefords in the win.
The Stars remain in the middle of a lengthy stretch away from home. They are on the road again Thursday night for a game against Beardy's Blackhawks, and are in Prince Albert against the Mintos Nov. 21. Their next home game is Saturday, Nov. 23 against Notre Dame Argos.
