Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League

STARS, HAWKS PICK UP TUESDAY WINS

By Craig Stein

(Flin Flon / Nipawin picture – Courtesy Clark Stork)

Layne Young scored twice and added one assist for his fifth straight multi-point game (5g-8a) and the Battlefords North Stars doubled up the visiting La Ronge Ice Wolves 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Young, who’s had a sizeable league lead in assists and points for much of the season, also took over the lead in goals Tuesday, notching his 29th and 30th, putting him one ahead of teammate MacGregor Sinclair, and three up on Estevan’s Zach Goberis.  His 89 points are now 21 ahead of Humboldt’s Logan Schatz who sits second.

Garan Magnes also had a three point night Tuesday with a goal and two assists.  Brad Girard also scored and Joel Gryzbowski made 23/25 saves.

The Stars (35-9-2-0) have opened up a 13-point lead over Humboldt at the top of the Global Ag Risk Solutions Division.

Connor Smith and Mitch Zambon scored a pair of quick third period goals for the Ice Wolves (8-35-0-3), and Merek Pipes made 31/35 saves.

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It’s now 29 games without a regulation loss for the Nipawin Hawks, after they held off the Flin Flon Bombers 2-1 on Tuesday.

The Hawks (37-5-2-4) led 2-0 early in the second period, as Grant Baetsen opened the scoring and Brett Harasymuk (1g-1a) scored the eventual winner early in the second.  Nipawin is 13 points up on Melfort for the Sherwood Division lead, and eight up on Battlefords for the top seed overall.

Daylan Marchi got the Bombers (18-21-3-4) on the board with a second period powerplay goal.  A Bomber win would have leapfrogged them past Kindersley and into 8th overall.  They remain a point back and the idle Klippers now hold three games in hand.

Both goaltenders were solid on Tuesday, as Declan Hobbs made 27/28 saves in the win.  Brenden Newton stopped 29/31 at the other end.

The Hawks will push their regulation unbeaten streak to over three months, as they now have 10 days off.  They’ll finish off a four game home stand next Friday and Saturday when they host Humboldt and Melfort.  They then face Flin Flon again, three times in a row in six nights, including twice at the Whitney Forum.  Their last regulation loss was November 10th.

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