North Stars forward Steven Kesslering and Alex Johnson of the Nipawin Hawks faceoff Saturday night in Nipawin. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Sweep weekend series

Bell, Kotai lead Stars to eighth straight in Nipawin

Dec 11, 2022 | 12:54 AM

The Battlefords North Stars took home a 4-1 victory Saturday night in Nipawin, to extend their winning streak to eight straight.

Kian Bell scored a pair of goals for the second straight night to lead the way offensively, while Colby Bear and Owen Underhill added a single apiece, and Josh Kotai stopped 40/41 to backstop the team to victory.

With another 40-save win Saturday, Josh Kotai is now 18-0-2-1 this season with a 1.94 goals against average and .945 save percentage. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Nipawin’s Chase Visser opened the scoring just over six minutes into the first, to make it 1-0 Hawks on a shot from the slot, off the crossbar-and-in.

However, the lead would last all of just 18 seconds before Bell’s first of the game on a backhand in-tight knotted things up 1-1.

Made in Saskatchewan

Find My Plus One: The Canadian App for Getting Out and Living Your Best Life

Mar 09, 2026

Riderville

Ask Not for Whom the Ed Hervey Tampering Window Opens!

Feb 02, 2026

Seniors Scene

New Year - New Habits

Feb 02, 2026

The lone goals of the opening frame, Bear’s ninth made it 2-1 in the second, blazing into the zone down the right-wing side to snap a shot high to the short-side for the eventual game winner.

Underhill’s second of the year added an insurance marker in the opening minutes of the third, to stretch the lead to 3-1, before Bell’s second of the night and league-leading 25^th into the empty net sealed the night’s action to make it a 4-1 Stars final.

With back-to-back two-goal outings this weekend versus Nipawin, Kian Bell extends his league-leading goal total to 25 in just 25 games this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

With the win, the Stars extend their league-leading record to 25-0-2-1 this year. The team will now get the better part of a week off, before returning to action for three games in three nights Thursday, Friday and Saturday to wrap the calendar year heading into the Christmas break.

The road trip will begin Thursday night in Yorkton with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 6:30 and puck drop to follow at 7 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast on 1050 CJNB.

Scoring summary

First period:

6:11 NIP Chase Visser (2) ASST: Reid Mackay, Jackson Fellner 1-0 Hawks

6:29 BAT Kian Bell (24) ASST: Holden Doell 1-1 tie

Second period:

7:37 BAT Colby Bear (9) ASST: Riley Girod, Tanner Gold 2-1 Stars

Third period:

1:41 BAT Owen Underhill (2) ASST: Steven Kesslering 3-1 Stars

19:31 BAT Kian Bell (25) ASST: None (EN) 4-1 Stars

4-1 North Stars, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1