Steven Kesslering postgame, after scoring four goals Friday night at Notre Dame. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

One for the books

Kesslering scores four to lead Stars to victory on milestone night

Feb 11, 2023 | 1:01 AM

It was a night that couldn’t have been scripted better if it was a movie, and one Battlefords North Stars forward Steven Kesslering will never forget.

Suiting up for his 150^th career SJHL game with the North Stars Friday, the veteran of Viceroy, SK., scored not one… not two… not three… but four goals on the night, to lead the Stars to a 7-2 win over the Notre Dame Hounds.

Now in sole possession of third in league goals (29), and up to seventh in points (48), the performance marks his second hat-trick of the season, and the third of his career, all three coming against Notre Dame.

“I couldn’t have asked for the game to go any better, and I wasn’t expecting that, but things just seemed to go my way tonight,” Kesslering said postgame, letting out a smile.

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

“I thought tonight it was just a matter of getting to the net. One was a tap in at the back door, two were kind of greasy [in front] but they all count the same, and then the fourth was a nice backhand, but just going to the net and good things happen.”

In addition to Kesslering’s show-stopping performance, Stars’ forwards Jake Southgate (1G, 1A), Holden Doell (1G, 1A), Kian Bell (2A) and Tynan Ewart (2A) also pitched in multi-point games, Evan Waldie added his eighth, and goalie Justen Maric stopped 38/40 between the pipes for the win.

A 2-0 Hounds lead early in the second period, the North Stars scored three unanswered from Kesslering (x2) and Doell to reverse the lead entirely within the span of a minute.

Suddenly a 3-2 Battlefords advantage into the third, the Stars then added four more in the final frame, including another two from Kesslering, and one from each of Waldie and Southgate.

The win marks the North Stars’ sixth straight, and 40^th of the season through 46 games. Now 40-3-2-1 on the year, the Stars’ 83 points are 22 ahead of second-place La Ronge who lead the field with 61.

The North Stars will now get a week off to rest up and regroup before returning to action next weekend for back-to-backs with their arch rivals, the Flin Flon Bombers, in Flin Flon.

Both Friday and Saturday’s games next weekend will be available on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin both nights at 7 p.m., with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1