Grondin Leads Stars By Hounds.

Keith Grondin picked the perfect time to break out of a slump.

Grondin hadn't scored since the SJHL Showcase in early December, but with 60 seconds remaining in regulation, he one-timed a Cade Kimery pass by Matt Smidt to tie the score at three. He wasn't done. Grondin scored the first goal in the shootout for the Stars who managed a 4-3 victory on home-ice against Notre Dame. It was the first time the Stars have beaten Notre Dame this season.

The game did not start well for the North Stars. Trevor Milner opened the scoring 1:42 into the contest after he converted on a Ben Morgan pass.

The Stars tied it at 7:53 when Mitch Galbraith raced down the right-wing and lifted a back-hand over the shoulder of Smidt. Colin Phaneuf and Cris Neurauter picked up assists on Galbraith's second of the year.

The Hounds then went to their only power-play of the game, and made the Stars pay. Richard Cameron banged home a rebound from a Todd Christian shot, and the former North Star gave his team their second lead. It's the third time Cameron has scored against his old team this season.

Christian then padded the Hound's lead with his 17th of the year. It was scored unassisted at 15:15. The first period ended with the Hounds up 3-1.

The Stars appeared sluggish to start the second as well. Passes weren't connecting and the Hounds really clamped down defensively. Fortunately the Stars improved as the period progressed. Tanner Schwab bridged the gap for the Stars at the 15:03 mark with his ninth of the year. Blake Tatchell made a nice-play through the neutral-zone, flipping the puck off the glass brilliantly to the stick of Schwab, who made no mistake
through the legs of Smidt.

Late in the second period Matt Smidt made a tremendous save off of Mitch Galbraith to keep the lead at 3-2 after 40 minutes.

The Matt Smidt show continued in the third period. The Stars threw everything at him, and he kept making saves. The Stars had 16 shots in the third period, and finally converted on their final shot of the period.

With the net empty, Cris Neurauter held the puck in at the left point, slid it across to Cade Kimery who made a dandy back-door pass to Keith Grondin who made no mistake on the game-tying-goal.

Overtime solved nothing and for a third-time this season a shootout was needed.

Keith Grondin converted on his opportunity, while Todd Christian was denied.

Blake Tatchell raced in and fired a wrister over the blocker of Smidt to give the Stars a 2-0 shootout lead, and when Birch stopped Ben Morgan the game was over.

With the win, the Stars improve to 18-20-1-1 and increase their lead on Nipawin to six points in the Bauer Conference. The Stars are next in action Friday night, at home against Melville. The puck drops at 7:30 at the Civic Center.