The Weyburn Red Wings fell behind early to the Battlefords North Stars Friday night, and despite their best efforts, weren’t able to find a way to score the game tying goal late in the third, as the North Stars took game one of the best-of-seven quarterfinal series 4-3. Ben Allen would be the hero of the game for the North Stars, scoring twice, including the game winner.

The Battlefords scored the first of the game early in the first, on the power play. Carson Rose of the Wings was called for interference, and it took just seconds for the North Stars to solve Jake MacLennan, as Keaton Holinaty batted a bouncing puck past the 6’8” frame of the Wings netminder. Weyburn would reply just past the halfway mark of the period.

The puck went behind the Stars net, and came bouncing in the crease. More than a few Red Wings took swipes at it, before Aiden Wagner dove towards the puck, poking it in past Taryn Kotcharek. The handful of Weyburn fans who made the trip had their celebration cut short, though, when Allen scored his first of the game just over a minute later. The North Stars would carry the momentum from that goal into the next period.

Just 2:36 into the middle frame, Troy Gerein would score, putting the Stars up 3-1. It would become 4-1 just over five minutes later, as Allen scored his second of the game. The goal, the fourth allowed by MacLennan on 22 shots, would spell the end of his night, as Wings head coach Wes Rudy made the decision to put in Cody Levesque to change some of the momentum. The 16-year-old goalie would help spark the Wings to a comeback, as he played more than a period and a half of shutout hockey against one of the top offenses in the SJHL.

Before the second period would be over, Ty Brown scored his first of the post-season, with Connor Burk and Ian Parker assisting as their line added yet another goal to their total for the playoffs. Weyburn would use the momentum from that goal to really begin to put the pressure on the Stars in the third.

The Wings outshot the North Stars in the second and third periods, and the efforts would pay off with a power play goal from Burk in the first half of the third. Taking a feed from Brown at the point, Burk let go a howitzer of a slapshot that found its mark. The goal would be the last of the game, though, as Kotcharek continued to play outstanding for the remainder of the game, making several key saves.

The two teams will meet again Saturday night at the Civic Centre in the Battlefords for game two of the series. The puck drops in the game at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Red Wing Radio K106, starting with the pre-game show at 7:20 p.m.

Elsewhere in the SJHL Friday night, the other three quarterfinals got started. The Notre Dame Hounds, fresh off their survivor series victory over the Melfort Mustangs, found themselves in Flin Flon for game one of that series. The Bombers, though, would prove to be a formidable opponent, picking up a 4-1 win on home ice.

In Nipawin, the Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, and never looked back, as they topped the Humboldt Broncos 4-1. Kristian Stead, the top goalie in the SJHL this year, earned the win in goal.

One game went to overtime, as the Estevan Bruins edged by the Yorkton Terriers 2-1. The Bruins carried a 1-0 lead until late in the game, when Jared Legien would score to even things up. In overtime, though Zach Goberis would notch the game winner just 42 seconds into the extra frame.