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Barron gets game-winner for Northstars' fifth victory

Brendan Barron scored two goals, including the game-winner and Jordie Valentino added a goal and an assist as the Norman Northstars closed their second road trip of the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League season with a 3-2 win over the Pembina Valley H
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Norman Northstars forward and second-leading scorer Brendan Barron, seen here Nov. 2 against the Yellowhead Chiefs in Thompson, had two goals to lead his team to their fifth win on of the season Nov. 11, as they defeated the Pembina Valley Hawks 3-2 to finish up a three-game road trip.

Brendan Barron scored two goals, including the game-winner and Jordie Valentino added a goal and an assist as the Norman Northstars closed their second road trip of the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League season with a 3-2 win over the Pembina Valley Hawks Nov. 11, giving them their fifth win of the season and third on the road.

Barron, the Northstars' second-leading scorer this season, evened the score 1-1 with his first tally late in the first period on Sunday, after Colin Grenier had given the Hawks an early lead with a goal less than halfway through the opening frame.

Valentino scored on a power play 9:56 into the second period to put the Northstars ahead and Barron got his second just 26 seconds later, extending the lead to two.

Scott Gall added one for the Hawks early in the third period but Northstars goaltender Luke Penner shut the door the rest of the way for his third win of the season, which lifted the Northstars into fourth place in the league's East Division, one point ahead of the Interlake Lighnting and four ahead of the sixth-place Eastman Selects, who hold two and three games in hand on the Northstars, respectively.

Evan Akkerman had two assists for the Northstars, who were outshot 34-25 on the game, while Lodie Ipeelie had one assist to keep himself tied with Ryley Lindgren of the Winnipeg Thrashers for second overall in league scoring, with 22 points, though Ipeelie holds the advantage in goals, with a league-leading 12 to Lindgren's 10. Brandon Switzer of the Brandon Wheat Kings leads the league with 25 points, including a league-best 15 assists.

Two of Ipeelie's goals came Nov. 10, when it was the Hawks who prevailed 3-2. He scored once in the second period and once in the third, both times assisted by Barron and both times temporarily tying the game, at 1-1 in the middle frame and at 2-2 with 3:24 left in the third, but a goal by Tristan Mullin with 37 seconds left in the game gave Pembina Valley the two points on Saturday.

Akkerman also had an assist in the loss, in which the Northstars were outshot 32-27 and Aaron Vallance was in net, making 29 saves.

Vallance and Penner split duties on Friday in an 8-0 loss to the Winnipeg Thrashers, with Vallance giving way with 6:10 left to play after surrendering seven goals on 30 shots. Penner stopped five of six in relief.

Eight different Winnipeg players scored in the game, in which the Thrashers outshot the Northstars 36-23 and went 2-for-6 on the power play. Five players had two points each for the Thrashers, while only five did not register at least one point. The Thrashers lead the East Division with a 12-3 record and 24 points, one ahead of the Winnipeg Wild, who are 11-1-1 for 23 points.

The Northstars return to action on home ice Nov. 16-17, when they host the Central Plains Capitals.

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