Pictured left to right: Steven Kesslering (#24) celebrates with Stars teammate Zane Florence following his hat trick goal Tuesday, and Stars’ teammates swarm goalie Michael Harroch, following the win. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Second-Straight win

Kesslering’s hat trick leads way, as Stars top Hounds in shootout

Nov 3, 2021 | 1:55 AM

It was a night to remember for Steven Kesslering, Tuesday in Wilcox.

Kesslering notched his first career hat trick to lead the way, as the Battlefords North Stars topped the Notre Dame Hounds, 6-5 in a shootout.

Adding to the scoring was rookie forward, Keiton Klein who picked up his first SJHL goal and added the shootout winner, and veteran Ryland McNinch, who also scored his seventh of the year.

Michael Harroch stopped 34 of 39 Hounds’ shots in the win, to backstop the team to their second-straight victory.

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Notre Dame’s Austin Elliott also stopped 34 of 39 sent his way – as the shots were even to the end of the night – while Johno Hoins, Bobby Pokupec, Kevin Anderson, Elliot Dutil and Brendan Kerr scored for the Hounds in the loss.

A 3-1 Battlefords’ lead after the first, Notre Dame outscored the Stars 3-1 in the second, before the two teams each traded one more in the third, to make it 5-5 to end regulation.

After an eventful-but-scoreless five minutes of 3-on-3 overtime, the teams were bound for a shootout, with shots at the end of 65 minutes also deadlocked, 39-39.

Both goalies held court through the first three rounds of the shootout, as Harroch and Elliott stonewalled the first three shooters each. KT Walters was the first to score for either team, doing so on a quick snap-shot that was then answered on the following attempt by the Hounds’ Brendan Kerr who also scored.

After each of the next two shooters were again blanked, the Stars broke through courtesy of Dace Prymak – though again Notre Dame were quick to answer with a tally of their own by Bobby Pokupec.

Keiton Klein’s shootout winner came on a perfectly-placed shot, off-the-post-and-in far-side, as Harroch stopped the following bid to solidify the victory; 6-5 North Stars, the final.

With the win, the Stars have now won two-straight and improve to 10-5-2 on the year, moving them into fourth place overall with 22 points. Notre Dame are now 8-5-1, and sit sixth with 17 points through their opening 14 games.

The North Stars will return to action Friday at home versus Yorkton. The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m., and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

4:17 BAT Steven Kesslering (7) ASST: Matthew Henry (6), Dylan Esau (13)

6:47 ND Johno Hoins (4) ASST: Oliver Band (5), Bobby Pokupec (1)

9:49 BAT Steven Kesslering (8) ASST: Sam Witt (7), Dace Prymak (7)

16:19 BAT Ryland McNinch (7) ASST: Ethan Scriven (4), Easton Rask (2)

Second period:

2:16 ND Bobby Pokupec (1) ASST: Sam Kroon (7), Johno Hoins (4)

11:30 ND Kevin Anderson (3) ASST: Matthew Morgan (1)

16:03 ND Elliott Dutil (12) ASST: Connor Nolan (11), Jaryd Sych (7) (PP)

19:04 Keiton Klein (1) ASST: Ethan Scriven (5), Tynan Ewart (6)

Third period:

1:36 BAT Steven Kesslering (9) ASST: Dylan Esau (14), Matthew Henry (7)

3:14 ND Brendan Kerr (4) ASST: Blake Rasmuson (13), Johno Hoins (5) (PP)

Overtime:

No scoring

Shootout:

BAT Steven Kesslering – No goal

ND Elliot Dutil – No goal

BAT Dylan Esau – No goal

ND Kevin Anderson – No goal

BAT Jake Southgate – No goal

ND Johno Hoins – No goal

BAT KT Walters – Goal

ND Brendan Kerr – Goal

BAT Emmett Wurst – No goal

ND Oliver Band – No goal

BAT Dace Prymak – Goal

ND Bobby Pokupec – Goal

BAT Keiton Klein – Goal

ND Landon Peterson – No goal

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1