Stars Come Back To Beat the Wolves 4-3

It was a playoff atmosphere at the N.B. Civic Center.

Saturday night at the Civic Center, the Battlefords North Stars and La Ronge Ice Wolves gave the local fans something to remember for a long time.

The Stars came back from a 3-1 defecit and defeated the Ice Wolves 4-3 in a shoot-out.

The game did not start well for the Stars. They fell down 2-0 early in the first (goals by DeCorby and Conacher) and seemed slow, sloppy and un-inspired.

Things quickly changed at the start of the second. Dane Muench (8) scored one of the prettiest goals I have ever seen when he dragged the puck through the Wolve's D-man, and then roofed one by Joel Danyluk to make it 2-1.

The Stars nearly tied it on the next shift when Blake Tatchell had a point-blank chance and just missed on a low wrist shot.The Stars had their legs going again, and seemed poised to tie the score.

But then The Wolves scored a 'funny' one late in the second. Dayton Fossum took a wrist-shot off a faceoff which careened off Kyle Birch, off the back-glass, then back off Birch again and into the net.

Five minutes into the third, the Stars bridged the gap.Again it was Blake Tatchell, Dane Muench and Brody Malek who did the dirty-work and Woody Klassen (4) finished off the play with a gorgeous point-shot that found it's way through.

The Stars would rely on the Muench, Tatchell, Malek line once more in the late stages of the third period.

Dominic Perrault threw a timely body-check in his own zone which forced a turnover, which brought the Stars back in the other direction.

After a great sequence of passing, Brody Malek found himself all alone in front of the net and buried his second chance on Danyluk to tie the game at 3.

The Stars were then given a power-play late in the game but were unable to take advantage. Tempers were starting to flare as Tony Oak and Dustin Stevenson were getting in each others face. Fans were loud, and helped push the Stars over the edge.

Overtime solved nothing and the shootout was needed.

In round two Brett Miller scored for the Stars, but Fustin Stevenson scored immediately afterwards for La Ronge.

Rounds three, four and five solved nothing. Then Shay Nuefeld took the ice for the Stars. On his first shoot-out attempt of the year, Nuefeld buried one over the left shoulder of Danyluk.

Kyle Birch made an impressive pad save on the following Ice Wolve attempt, and the victory was sealed.

The win gives the Stars 24 on the year and moves them within two points of the Wolves in the Bauer Conference standings.

Up next for the Stars, a battle with the Melfort Mustangs on Tuesday night at 7:30 from the Civic Center.

*** Pictures will be posted later. ***