(Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW)

By Ben Tompkins

Back and forth affair

Mustangs win wildest game of the season in North Battleford

Feb 19, 2025 | 9:40 AM

Tuesday night’s game between the Melfort Mustangs and the Battlefords North Stars was crazy, to say the least.

A game which saw multiple lead changes, multiple hat tricks, and 14 goals, six of which were on the special teams, just did not disappoint.

“That game was a bunch of whirlwind emotions. When the energy was going and the blood was flowing, it was awesome, and then when we got scored on, it seemed like the bench was down and we lost the energy,” explained Melfort assistant coach Tye Scherger.

“We had to tell the guys that when they got scored on, it doesn’t matter because they have to just go back out there and work for it again. We wanted them to have the attitude of not wanting to get scored on ever again, and that got us some energy in the third. The game was bouncing back and forth for sure, and it was something all right.”

After the North Stars opened the scoring, the Mustangs responded with four of their own, throughout the first half of the game.

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Seemingly in control at that point, up 4-1, the Stangs then gave up five straight in the next 20 minutes of gameplay to fall down 6-4.

As times became desperate though, the Blue and Green would respond with four of their own, including an empty netter, to take it 8-6.

“When we were down we just had to focus on competing and getting right back to it. We told the boys we had to play like dogs, go out there and want the puck, and get in there and get in the battles. The boys did just that and they found a way,” Scherger added.

Reilley Kotai had five points on the night, netting a hat trick, despite leaving the game early in the third after taking a dangerous hit from Jace Rask.

The play resulted in a five-minute powerplay, which Melfort scored on, before Kotai returned to the ice to score the game-tying and game-winning goals.

Also registering a hat trick was Kotai’s linemate Zayden Sadlemyer, who added a pair of assists, both coming on Kotai’s late, big goals.

The Mustangs will next hit the ice on Friday and Saturday with their out-of-division rivals, the Humboldt Broncos.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

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