Goalie Justen Maric is surrounded by teammates following Saturday's win. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Sweep weekend trip

Stars take third straight with 6-2 win in Melville

Jan 29, 2023 | 1:17 AM

The Battlefords North Stars took home a 6-2 victory Saturday night in Melville, to sweep their weekend road trip, and win their third straight.

Holden Doell and Steven Kesslering led the way with a pair of goals each on the night, while goalie Justen Maric stopped 29/31, and Kian Bell and Keiton Klein also scored for the team.

Bell’s league-leading 38^th opened the scoring late in the first, serving as his fifth in his last three games, on a quick release from the slot to make it 1-0 Battlefords.

In the second, after Millionaires’ forward Caden Drury knotted the score 1-1 six minutes into the frame, Klein put the Stars ahead for good, making it 2-1 on a lightning release from the left circle.

From there, Melville goalie Ethan Rau kept his team in the contest, within a single goal to the final frame. The 18-year-old made 39 stops through the opening 40 minutes, on his way to a 50 save performance on the night.

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In the third, Doell’s first of the game and 23^rd of the season made it 3-1 just over a minute in, on a breakaway tally for the Stars’ first of four in the period to put the game out of reach.

Flying in on goal with a burst of speed to break away from the pack, Doell then slid the puck on a deke to the backhand, through the five-hole to give the team an insurance marker.

Kesslering’s 23^rd stretched the lead to 4-1 Battlefords, before Breckin Den Hartog answered back for the Millionaires, to get his team back to within two; though that is as close as the Mills would get on the night.

Both Doell and Kesslering scored once again, each for their 24^th of the year, to seal the contest as a 6-2 final.

With the win, the North Stars extend their league-leading record to 37-3-2-1 through 43 games, and remain 19 points up on the field atop the league standings.

With the SJHL/MJHL Showcase to take place Jan 31-Feb. 1, the North Stars will now be off until Thursday, when the team travel to Wilcox to play the division-rival Notre Dame Hounds. (More on the Stars attending the Showcase can be found here).

Thursday’s game at Notre Dame will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast a slightly later start than usual. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7:30 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 8 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

14:00 BAT Kian Bell (38) ASST: Jake Southgate, Jordan Grill 1-0 BAT

Second period:

6:02 MLV Caden Drury (2) ASST: None 1-1 Tie

7:05 BAT Keiton Klein (17) ASST: Colby Bear 2-1 BAT

Third period:

1:06 BAT Holden Doell (23) ASST: Jake Southgate, Tynan Ewart 3-1 BAT

4:30 BAT Steven Kesslering (23) ASST: Tynan Ewart 4-1 BAT

5:31 MLV Breckin Den Hartog (2) ASST: None 4-2 BAT

15:20 BAT Holden Doell (24) ASST: Wilson Steele 5-2 BAT

18:50 BAT Steven Kesslering (24) ASST: Marshall Light, Zane Florence 6-2 BAT

6-2 BAT, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1