Sunday, December 13, 2009

Stars Clip the Hawks in OT.

Sunday night at the North Battleford Civic Center, the Battlefords North Stars needed overtime to defeat the Nipawin Hawks 3-2, and in the process grabbed their 20th win of the season.

Josh Daley (16) opened the scoring for the Stars 1:15 into the game. After a great stop from Kyle Birch at one end, Blake Peake cleared the puck to center and Josh Daley did the rest. He lifted the stick of defenceman Scott Brkich and raced in alone on Brody Hoffman and roofed a backhand to make it 1-0.

Nipawin tied it late in the first with a nice two-on-one finish from former North Star Alex Leclerc.

Leclerc wasn't done. He scored again late in the second period to give his team a 2-1 lead.

Heading into the third period, it looked like familiar territory for the Stars - Not enough offence. It was evident that the Stars needed somebody to step up and make a play. Cue defenceman Woody Klassen.

Late in the third period, Klassen grabbed the puck at his own blue line, skated all the way into Nipawin territory, and roofed one over the left shoulder of Brody Hoffman to tie the game at two.

For a fourth straight game the Stars required overtime, and for the second straight game Dane Muench came up big. Muench pounced on a Woody Klassen rebound and roofed a back-hander over Brody Hoffman at 1:59 of overtime.

With the win, the Stars improve to 20-13-1-2 and are back within six points of the Flin Flon Bombers in the Bauer Conference standings.

The Stars and Bombers will meet Wednesday at the Civic Center at 7:30. That game will be the final game of 2009 for the North Stars.

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Daley Opens the Scoring.



Big Stop for Birch!



Muench Battling for Position.



Ugly, but they'll Take It.

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