(Mat Barrett/Melfort Mustangs)

By Mat Barrett

Undefeated No More

Mustangs hand North Stars first loss of season in exciting affair

Oct 15, 2022 | 10:28 AM

It took a shootout, but the Melfort Mustangs are the first team to hand the Battlefords North Stars a loss this season by a 2-1 decision in Battlefords on Friday night.

Not only was it the Stars first loss of the year, but it broke a four-game losing skid for the Mustangs. Assistant Coach Dan Meyers said it was a huge win for the team.

“The boys needed this win tonight just to get that feeling back, get some swagger going,” he said. “This is a team that hasn’t lost this year, so it’s huge for our guys.”

It was billed as one of the games to watch and it lived up to expectations and more. Both teams skated back and forth throughout the whole game each earning their fair share of chances, but both goalies stood on their heads all night.

It was the Mustangs that opened the scoring late in the first period as a nice cycle play finished off with Ben Tkachuk feeding Aidyn Hutchinson in front for his fourth of the season.

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Melfort would hold the lead until the third period which included a number of penalty kills of which the Mustangs had five on the night. They would kill off four overall and the lone goal came early in the third period when Steven Kesslering knocked one home for the Stars.

“The forward group, the d-group, they played excellent, penalty killing,” Meyers said. “And [Joel] Favreau was just unbelievable back there tonight as well.”

Favreau stopped 35 of 36 shots he saw in the contest as well as all three he faced in the shootout.

Riley Ashe scored the lone goal in the shootout for the Mustangs who now improve to 4-5-4-0 on the season.

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matbarrett@melfortmustangs.com

On Twitter: @matbarrett6