It was a high-intensity game in North Battleford Saturday, for the eighth and final matchup of the season series between the North Stars and Broncos. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Rivalry Night Recap

North Stars go down swinging in final game versus Broncos

Feb 27, 2022 | 12:58 AM

212 minutes in penalties is a lot for any game… never mind a period.

It was a wild finish Saturday night at the Access Communications Centre, as the Battlefords North Stars fell 7-1 to the division rival Humboldt Broncos, though they weren’t about to go quietly into the night.

Stars defenceman, Wilson Steele scored his team’s lone goal of the contest, while goalie Austin Schwab stopped 33 of 39 Broncos’ shots in the loss, in what was a 1-1 game after the first period and 3-1 Humboldt lead after two, prior to a wild third period of play.

Humboldt’s Matthew Perkins and Jerzy Orchard led the way for the Broncos each scoring a hat trick on the night, as part of a five-point outing for Perkins. Samuel Marburg also added a goal and Race Ramsay stopped 28 of 29 for the win between the pipes.

Steele’s second of the season opened the scoring for the Stars just with just over five minutes to go in the first period, coming off a wrist shot from the left point to make it 1-0 Battlefords.

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Less than two minutes later though, Orchard’s first of the night and sixth of the year tied the score just after a Broncos power play. Coming on a quick release from the slot to make it 1-1 at the first intermission, even the shots were all but even, at 10-9 Broncos.

In the second, Perkins scored his 20^th on a sharp-angle snipe for his first of the night, before Marburg added his eighth to make it 3-1 Humboldt at the end of 40 minutes.

Then the third period happened.

Opening with a chippy start to the frame, Stars’ forward, Keiton Klein and Broncos defenceman, Nicksha Eric got into a heated exchange just 10 seconds in. Eric was given a 2:00 minor penalty for Roughing, while Klein was assessed a minor for Slashing, as well as an extra 2:00 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

Perkins added his second of the game on the power play, just 29 seconds into the third for his 21^st, on the first of back-to-back power play goals for the Broncos. The second was Orchard’s second of the night, on another quick wrist shot to stretch the visitors’ lead to 5-1 just 6:10 into the third.

After Perkins’ third made it 6-1 on his hat trick marker, things began to pick up with the extra-curriculars.

Tyler Kutschinski (HUM) and Sam Witt (BAT) were assessed offsetting Roughing minors at the 14:33 mark, with further Roughing calls given out to each of Connor Casparie and Samuel Marburg (HUM) and Tanner Gold and Jake Southgate (BAT) just four minutes later.

Things then hit the boiling point with 40 seconds to go in the game, when Steele and Cage Newans came together hard to the end boards following a whistle in the Stars’ zone. With tempers flaring, the two then locked up in a shoving match that got all 10 skaters on the ice involved, in a true old-fashioned line brawl.

Penalty summary (from line-brawl at 19:20 mark of third):

HUM: Tyler Kutshinski was given 5:00 major-fighting and two 10-minute Game Misconducts. Reilly Mckinnon was given 5:00 Major-Fighting and two 10-minute Game Misconducts. Ethan Zielke was given 5:00 major-fighting and a 10-minute Game Misconduct. Nicksha Eric was given 2:00 roughing and a 10-minute misconduct. Cage Newans was given 2:00 roughing and a 10-minute Game Misconduct.

BAT: Ty Bahm was given 2:00 Check from Behind, 2:00 Roughing and two 10-minute Game Misconducts. Ethan Scriven was given 5:00 Major-fighting and two 10-minute Game Misconducts. Keiton Klein was given 5:00 Major-Fighting and a 10-minute Game Misconduct. Riley Little was given 5:00 Major-Fighting and a 10-minute Game Misconduct. Wilson Steele was given 2:00 Charging, 2:00 Roughing and a 10-minute Game Misconduct.

With just four seconds to go, Orchard capped his hat trick with his third of the night on a Broncos’ two-man advantage to make it 7-1 Humboldt, the final.

With the loss – and a Melfort win over La Ronge – the North Stars fall to fifth overall in the league standings with a 30-15-6 record. However, with 66 points the team sit just a single point back of both Melfort and Flin Flon (who lost to Notre Dame in regulation) at 67, while holding two games in-hand on the Mustangs and one in-hand on the Bombers.

The Stars will look to bounce back quickly, in action Sunday afternoon in Melville. The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast will be available on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 4 p.m., with puck drop at 4:30 p.m.

Scoring summary

First period:

14:22 BAT Wilson Steele (2) ASST: None

16:51 HUM Jerzy Orchard (6) ASST: Matthew Perkins (31)

Second period:

0:59 HUM Matthew Perkins (20) ASST: Kade Olsen (16)

18:29 HUM Samuel Marburg (8) ASST: Cody Hough (20), Ethan Zielke (27)

Third period:

0:29 HUM Matthew Perkins (21) ASST: Alex Morozoff (17) (PP)

6:10 HUM Jerzy Orchard (7) ASST: Matthew Perkins (32), Alex Morozoff (18)

12:42 HUM Matthew Perkins (22) ASST: Alec Saretzky (29), Lucas Ceccarelli (25)

19:56 HUM Jerzy Orchard (8) ASST: Alec Saretzky (30), Connor McGrath (48) (PP)

7-1 Broncos, the final

—

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1