North Stars win fifth straight

Hello everyone,

I has been a long time since I have updated my blog and I apologized, but here are some photos from the North Stars game Tuesday night, as they beat Flin Flon 2-1 and reeled off their fifth straight win.

Things are coming together. It really looks the like the younger players on the team are comfortable and accepting their roles and key players on the team and everyone is buying into coach Kevin Hasselberg’s system.

Austin Evans helps the 7th man (woman) with her helmet after O Canada.

Luke McColgan with a body check in the first period.

Moving up the wall with the puck.

Keenan Martens chases Flin Flon’s Spencer Mault in the North Stars’ zone.

Josh Betinol looks to pass to Jake McMillen on the North Stars’ first goal.

Jake McMillen beats Devin Buffalo glove side to make it 1-0.

Brandon Long looks to make a pass in the first period.

Kyle Hall in the Flin Flon zone.

Braeden Johnson looks to make a pass on the power play in the first period.

Blake Young flies into the Bombers’ zone.

Jake McMillen delivers a body check.

Brody Luhning moves the puck, as played forward in the first period on a line with Hall and Johnson.

Braeden Johnson with a drop pass.

Austin Evans protecting the puck.

Jake McMillen finding some open ice.

The North Stars attempted to block a shot by Flin Flon’s Brandt Weldon.

Devin Buffalo robs Ben Greenaway with pad save, his best of the game, late in the second period.

Connor Creech turns away Dylan Balaski on a partial breakaway in the second period.

Brody Luhning rushes the puck.

Ryne Keller used his speed in the third period and set up the game-winning goal from this spot. Keller did the same thing the next shift, but the North Stars’ came within inches of scoring an insurance goal.

Dillon Forbes dekes to his backhand in the slot and scores the game-winning goal.

North Stars’ celebrate Forbes’ first goal of the season.

THe North Stars look for an insurance goal with Devin Buffalo out of position, but they couldn’t capitalize.

Dillon Forbes with a strong defensive effort against Flin Flon’s Dylan Balaski.

Blake Young protects the puck in the third period.

The Battlefords North Stars tried to eat up time in the final minute of the game, as they pinned the puck in Flin Flon’s zone for nearly 15 seconds.

Connor Creech makes his final save of the game to preserve the 2-1 win.

North Stars celebrate their fifth straight win.

A salute to the large crowd of North Stars supporters Tuesday at the Civic Centre.

After the game in an interview with Connor Creech he commending the team play in front of him and talked about the team moral after a five-game winning streak and spoke about the game winning goal: ‘That is the Dillon Forbes specialty. He has some touch.”

Photos from Saturday night

In the final home pre-season game of the season, the Battlefords North Stars hosted a beat the Humboldt Broncos. Here are some photos from the game which the North Stars won 7-3. The North Stars lost in Humboldt the next night a ended the regular season 2-3. The North Stars were 2-0 at home and 0-3 on the road during their five exhibition games.

Robbie Newton played on a line Saturday with veterans Ryne Keller and Tanner Quinn.

Local product Carter Danczak, who picked up an assist in the game Saturday.

Goaltender Connor Creech waits in his crease while the lights power back up in the first period at the Civic Centre. There was about a 10 minute delay due to a power outage Saturday.

The Battlefords North Stars celebrate one of their seven goals against the Broncos.

Not mentioned in he list of players still at the camp was 1994-born forward Luke McColgan.

Defenceman Matt Sheeran makes a in the second period.

Ryne Keller circles behind the Humboldt net in the second period.

Kyler Wilklinson in a footrace for a loose puck in the North Stars’ zone.

Kyler Wilkinson and Connor Creech watch the play in the second period.

Goaltender Michael Gudmandson looks through traffic as Zak Kindya and Scott McCluskey patrol the front of the net.

Matt Sheeran moves to the middle of the ice a second before scoring on a point shot on the power play.

The Battlefords North Stars opening day roster will be announced Wednesday at the Civic Centre during the annual kickoff breakfast from 7 to 8:15 a.m.

Battlefords North Stars go down fighting in game six

“They believed in each other, the crowd believed in them and we believed in our crowd,” commented Battlefords North Stars coach Kevin Hasselberg after the overtime loss Sunday. “Tonight was a storybook ending. There is nothing to hang our heads about. If anything we are so proud of these kids and so proud of the fact that we have a community that rallied around us and gave us the support that they had.”

The Battlefords North Stars had a bit of a depleted lineup Sunday night, but that didn’t hinder the effort from the North Stars. The Battlefords were knocked out of the SJHL playoffs Sunday in overtime after losing the for the first time in six games when they faced elimination.

Dealings are done

The trade deadline has come and gone and the Battlefords North Stars tried to improve their defence and get older and tougher with their acquisitions.

The North Stars started the moves Monday, as they traded defenceman Zach MacLellan, forward Jake Daughtry and futures to Melfort. In return the North Stars received the Mustangs’ captain, 20-year-old defenceman Mitch Berg.

The next day, it was understood MacLellan choose not to report to Melfort and was heading home. The North Stars fortunately found him a new home, as Nathan Zimbaluk was reassign from the WHL’s Regina Pats to the North Stars.

The North Stars flipped Zimbaluk to Melfort and were returned MacLellan’s rights. From there, the North Stars moved MacLellan to Estevan for future considerations.

The other move made Monday and completed Tuesday for the North Stars saw the team acquire another 20-year-old defenceman, Klay Kachur, from the Westside Warriors of the BCHL.

Tuesday, the report was the futures for Kachur were defenceman Curtis Toneff.

Added two defenceman and this is what the Battlefords North Stars’ lineup looks like heading into the final stretch of the regular season:

Defence – Travis Sparrow, Woody Klassen, Brody Luhning, Dillon Forbes, Matthew Sheeran, Mitch Berg, Klay Kachur and Grayden Turner, who can also play forward if need be.

Forward – Blake Tatchell, Brett Miller, Jordan Ethier, Boyd Wakelin, Braeden Johnson, Tanner Schwab, Kyle Hall, Tim Rollins, Roger Tagoona, Robbie Newton, Tanner Quinn, Jared Samborski and Ryne Keller.

Goaltenders – Graham Hildebrand and Connor Creech.

 

 

BNS battle Kindersley – photos

Dillon Forbes with one of the best Movember mustaches on the North Stars’ roster. Go to northstars.ca to find out how you can donate and support the cause.

A first period scramble around Graham Hildebrand’s net.

Local product and rookie Jared Samborski.

Brett Blatz fights Ryne Keller in his first hockey fight. Mismatch? Blatz 1993- 6’3″ 200 lbs, Keller 1994 5’8″ 153 lbs.

Braeden Johnson had a big night with a hat trick and an assist giving him 32 points in 22 games this season.

Defenceman Curtis Toneff controls the puck in the offensive zone.

Graham Hildebrand wasn’t busy Tuesday night facing only 18 shots, but he was there when the North Stars needed him, as he earn his ninth win of the season.

Johnson strikes from the slot on a beautiful pass from Blake Tatchell.

Tanner Quinn had one of his better games of the season Tuesday, playing physical and creating scoring chances with linemates Samborski and Keller.

Blake Tatchell makes a move on former Battlefords Midget Stars Jordan Hoffman in the corner.

Brody Luhning holds the puck in the offensive zone in the second period.

Blake Tatchell finding some open space in the second period.

Sweet redemption, Ryne Keller scored his second of the season and celebrates with his linemates.

After being clipped with a high stick in the third period, under the visor and near the eye, Blake Tatchell is looked at by Dale Jackson. Tatchell returned to the game and sniped his team leading 21st goal of the season.

Looking to put the dagger into the Klippers, coach Kevin Hasselberg calls a timeout, as the North Stars prepare for a power play in the third period.

Defenceman Woody Klassen fires a point shot at the Kindersley net.

Graham Hildebrand looks like a deer in the headlights, but is able to find the loose puck and keep it out of the net in the third period.

After Brett Miller received a game misconduct in the first period for checking from behind Tim Rollins was on of the players to fill in on the top line with Tatchell and Johnson Tuesday night.

Photos from Nipawin vs. Battlefords game Sept. 30

The North Stars have two players with 10 points this season, one being Braeden Johnson who takes to the ice against Nipawin.

Assistant captain Robbie Newton.

The youngest North Star Ryne Keller has one goal in the teams first eight games.

Connor Creech didn’t play Friday, Sept. 30 against Nipawin, but started the next two games earning a shutout in Melfort Saturday and a 4-3 shootout lose in Nipawin Tuesday.

Brody Luhning has been a welcomed addition to the North Stars as he has three assists and and two fights in his five games since returning from the WHL.

Dallas Jorgensen has been a steady addition to the defence core this season.

Jace Krammer also hit the ice with the North Stars Friday night, as the seventh man.

Sam Prpich, Boyd Wakelin, Robbie Newton, Travis Sparrow, Jace Kramer and Dillon Forbes are introduced as the North Stars starting line and seventh man.

The North Stars encourage anyone who wants to join the team on the ice to register to be the seventh man like Jace Kramer did.

Boyd Wakelin skated over to accept his September North Star player of the month award.

Braeden Johnson controls the puck in the offensive zone.

Graham Hildebrand with a glove save in the second period.

Blake Tatchell and Brett Miller move towards the Nipawin net.

Brett Miller jumps on rebound around Nipawin’s Davis Jones’ net.

Brody Luhning with a point shot.

The newest North Stars Lucas Recknagle.

Graham Hildebrand makes a paddles save against the Nipawin’s Tad Kozun.