Stars Fall 4-3 in O.T. - Their Season On the Line Friday.

The La Ronge Ice Wolves tied it up with 1:20 remaining and then grabbed a 3-1 series lead with Dustin Stevenson's overtime winner. The Stars fell 4-3 and now return home with their season hanging in the balance.

The Wolves drew first blood when Dan Conacher buried a Dustin Stevenson rebound mid-way through the first period.

The Stars tied it on the power-play in the second on Ward Szucki's first of the game.

A scary moment for the Stars mid-way through the second when Dustin Stevenson hit Brett Miller open-ice. Miller's helmet flew off, and he hit the ground hard. Miller shook it off, got up on his own power, but didn't take another shift.

Mike Alexander left the game as well in the second with an injury and did not return.

Early in the third, Szucki struck again for the Stars on a power-play to give them a 2-1 lead.

The Wolves tied it at 11:10 when Travis Eggum beat Graham Hildebrand with a wrister from the right-wing boards.

The tandem of Shay and Calder Neufeld regained the lead for the Stars when Calder slid a dandy pass through the defense, and Shay tipped it home. The Stars led 3-2 with less than five minutes to play.

Cody Folstad took a penalty late which gave the Wolves a power-play with 2:20 left in the game. Ben Findlay made the Stars pay, scoring his sicth of the playoffs with 1:20 reamining.

The Stars had a few chances late in the third, but Adam Bartko stood his ground and made saves off Blake Tatchell and Ward Szucki.

Early in OT, Szucki had another opportunity but shot a puck wide on Bartko from the slot.

Dustin Stevenson ended the game 3:38 into overtime with a nice individual effort from his own zone. Stevenson carried the puck through center, gained the blue-line and then buried a wrister by Graham Hildebrand's glove to cement the victory and a 3-1 strangle-hold on the series.

"The pressure is now on the Ice Wolves," said Ken Pearson afterwards. The Wolves will no doubt be in tough on Friday at the N.B. Civic Center that could be flirting with 2000 fans.

It's do-or-die for the Stars Friday night. Game Five will be a game for the ages and one that nobody will want to miss.

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After the game, Ken Pearson brought up the fact that a shift prior to the game winner, the Wolves got away with too many men on the ice.

I didn't see it, but in my defence, I have ZERO view of the Wolve's bench from my broadcast location in La Ronge.

I'm not going to dwell (too much) on non-calls, The Ice Wolves are such a talented team and have truely and rightfully earned the right to be up 3-1 in the series.

What I will say 'matter-of-factly' is that the Stars have been on the short-end of a lot of debatable calls.throughout the playoffs.Hockey is a cruel game in that way. Some teams just seem to get all the breaks, and right now it just seems like the Stars aren't getting too many. Even when they do, the Ice Wolves have found an answer.

Again, I can only go on what I'm told from the coach, but a non-icing call (Game One) a disallowed goal because of the goalie not being close enough to the bench on a delayed penalty (Game Three) and a non-call on an 'alleged' Too Any Men on the Ice infraction have impacted these games. Do the Stars win the game if any of those three calls are different? Who knows.

The fact is, that the first four games of this series are done and now the Stars face their toughest challenge to date. If anyone can pull this off, it is the 09-10 version of the Battlefords North Stars.

I know that fans are upset right now, and I know that remaining positive right now is a tall order.

But right now it is CRUCIAL that you stay supportive, stay positive and pack the hell out of the Civic Center on Friday night.

The Stars are brilliant at home and aren't going to lie down and let the Wolves stomp all over them. The Wolves have already won once in North Battleford, and to do so again on Friday night will be a tall order.

Teams come back from 3-1 defecits all the time. It takes four games to win a series, and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit here on a quiet bus and start naking other plans for April and May.

My plan still involves a seven game series with the La Ronge Ice Wolves in the SJHL's Bauer Conference Final.

As a professional broadcaster for CJNB I am told to do a job and to call the games for the North Stars on the radio. On a nightly basis I try to be objective, and honest.And speaking honestly we have not seen the best from the Stars yet. But as long as there is still a game to play, there is a chance.

I will NEVER lose faith in this team. I can proudly say that I bleed Black, White and Silver and so do the other 26 people on this bus.

These men don't deserve negativity and they don't deserve to have they 'naysayers' count them out just yet.Anybody deciding to share their negativity with me will be greeted coldly.

If you must, take tonight to be sad, get mad, blame refs, and wallow In your frustration - Do whatever you have to do. Do so tomorrow to if need be.

But come Friday, it's go time. No negativity. No criticism. It's time to rally around this team stronger than ever.

All of the die-hard, loyal, optomistic, confident members of North Star Nation know where to find me on Friday night. I'll be in the lobby drinking my pre-game coke, and I'll be socializing with the many great parents and fans in the Battlefords.

Friday night I am going to call the game of my life. These players are going to play the game of their lives. And God willing, Sunday night we'll do it all again.

Thanks for reading.