The Norman Northstars won their fourth game of the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League season on a three-game road trip Dec. 14-16, beating the Kenora Thistles 3-2 in a shootout Friday night before losing the rematch the following day 5-3 and falling 5-2 to the Winnipeg Thrashers on Sunday.
Hunter Rambow scored the deciding goal for the Northstars in the shootout Dec. 14 after teammate Henry Muchikekwanape and Cooper Witherspoon of the Thistles had scored earlier. Jamie Valentino’s third period goal tied the game 2-2 to send it to overtime. Kadin Ilott scored on a power play in the opening frame to make it 2-1 after Ben Hackl of the Thistles and the Northstars’ Mikey Baron traded tallies earlier in the period.
Braedin Melsted made 39 saves in the Northstars’ net for the win as his team was outshout 44-41.
The Thistles got goals from Dylan Bertrand, Ethan Carlson-Jourdain and Witherspoon in the third period Dec. 15 for a come-from-behind win. Keistin Saunders scored early in the final frame to put the Northstars up 3-2 after Kadin Ross’s second period goal tied the contest 2-2. Bertrand and Witherspoon had scored earlier in the middle frame to put Kenora up 2-1 after Muchikekwanape of the Northstars had the only goal in the first 20 minutes.
Rylan Potkonjak made 38 saves in the loss as the Northstars were outshot 43-26.
A three-goal first period paced the Thrashers to a 5-2 win Dec. 16. Jaden Shumilak, Griffin Asham-Moroz and Brandon Ambrozik all scored at even strength in the opening 20 minutes of the contest. Magnus Einarson made it 4-0 in the second period before Rambow recorded the Northstars’ first goal. Muchikekwanape cut the Thrashers’ lead to two in the third period before Einarson’s second of the game made it 5-2 for Winnipeg.
Shots in the game were 58-44 for the Thrashers and Northstars’ goaltender Melsted made 53 saves in the loss.
The road trip concluded the 2018 portions of the Northstars’ season. They are currently 4-26, with one of the losses in overtime, for nine points, three points behind both the Parkland Rangers and the Interlake Lightning, who each have five wins so far.
