Coming off their first back-to-back losses of the season over the weekend, the Battlefords North Stars responded in a big way Tuesday, putting up nine goals in their win over second-place, La Ronge. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Back in the win column

North Stars bounce back with 9-3 win over La Ronge

Jan 25, 2023 | 2:02 AM

The ACC was rocking Tuesday night, as the Battlefords North Stars topped La Ronge 9-3, in an all-hands-on-deck performance for the hometown crowd.

Six different North Stars scored for the team in the victory, while goalie Josh Kotai stopped 33/36 on the night for the win.

Alex Izyk notched his first two goals as a North Star, and Brad Blake and Kian Bell also added a pair apiece, while Tanner Gold scored in his return to the lineup, and Jake Southgate and Keiton Klein added a power play goal each to round out the scoring.

Stars forward Brad Blake scored a pair in Tuesday night’s victory, and now has four goals and six points over his last six games. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

All total, 14 different players picked up at least a single point in the win for the Stars, as Riley Girod and Colby Bear picked up three assists each, while Tynan Ewart, Steven Kesslering, and Zane Florence had a pair of helpers for the team.

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A 6-1 North Stars lead at the end of the first, Izyk (twice), Blake, Gold, Southgate and Klein each got on the scoresheet in the opening frame to hit the ground running. The Stars’ explosive start chased La Ronge goaltender Dawson Smith (8/13), who was replaced after the fifth goal by Topher Chirico, who stopped 25/29 on the night.

A 6-2 advantage at the end of the second, despite the lack of scoring in the middle frame, there was no shortage of competitive fire between the two teams.

The animosity would boil to a head at the 8:33 mark of the middle frame, when Steven Kesslering and La Ronge defenceman Liam McInnis dropped the gloves for a spirited bout of the fisticuffs, ending a multi-point game for each player (as each had picked up a pair of assists prior, in the contest).

In the third, Thomas Wright’s second of the game for La Ronge cut his team’s deficit to 6-3, before the Battlefords again responded with another three straight of their own to end the night 9-3 on Blake’s second, and Bell’s pair.

The victory snaps the Stars’ two-game skid, and extends their league-leading record to 35-3-2-1 this season. With 73 points, the North Stars now sit 19 points up on the field for top spot overall.

The Stars will now get a couple of nights off to rest and regroup, before returning to play this weekend for back-to-backs on the road in Yorkton, Friday and Melville, Saturday.

Both games will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m. and puck drop to follow at 7 p.m. both nights.

Scoring summary

First period:

4:36 BAT Alex Izyk (1) ASST: Riley Girod, Colby Bear 1-0 BAT

7:17 BAT Brad Blake (6) ASST: Steven Kesslering, Zane Florence 2-0 BAT

9:38 BAT Tanner Gold (5) ASST: Keiton Klein, Riley Girod 3-0 BAT

12:35 BAT Jake Southgate (15) ASST: Steven Kesslering, Tynan Ewart (PP) 4-0 BAT

13:38 BAT Alex Izyk (2) ASST: Riley Girod 5-0 BAT

15:41 BAT Keiton Klein (16) ASST: Colby Bear, Jordan Gibbs (PP) 6-0 BAT

17:28 LAR Thomas Wright (10) ASST: Liam McInnis, Walker Jarome (PP) 6-1 BAT

Second period:

2:43 LAR Walker Jarome (17) ASST: Trenton Curtis, Liam McInnis (PP) 6-2 BAT

Third period:

2:11 LAR Thomas Wright (11) ASST: Walker Jarome (PP) 6-3 BAT

13:00 BAT Bradley Blake (7) ASST: Tynan Ewart, Emmett Wurst (PP) 7-3 BAT

15:02 BAT Kian Bell (34) ASST: Zane Florence (SH) 8-3 BAT

19:33 BAT Kian Bell (35) ASST: Colby Bear, Holden Doell 9-3 BAT

9-3 Battlefords, the final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1