PINDER SCORES THREE, NORTH STARS END LONG LOSING STREAK WITH OPENING WIN

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Matt Pinder scored a hat trick, including two in a four-goal first period, as the host Sault Ste. Marie North Stars opened the 2013 TELUS Cup with a 6-2 win over the Valley Wildcats on Monday night.

It is the first win for the North Stars at the National Midget Championship since an 8-3 victory over the Kitchener Greenshirts in the preliminary round finale at the 1993 Air Canada Cup – a span of 17 games.

Sault Ste. Marie (1-0) lost its semifinal to Yorkton at the ’93 tournament before going 0-5 in appearances in 1999, 2003 and 2007. The 2003 tournament was the last time the city hosted the national championship.

Jaron Rowe, Ryan Cooke and Anthony Stefano had the other goals for the North Stars, who scored more goals in the first period on Monday (four) than they did in five games in their last TELUS Cup appearance, in 2007 (three).

Nic Blanchard and John Deacon scored for Valley (0-1); both goals came at the end of a wild 82-second stretch just why of the midway mark of the first period.

Rowe opened the scoring at 8:04, snapping a shot past Wildcats netminder Justin Ritcey, followed just 45 seconds later by Pinder, who took a picture-perfect bank pass from Kaelan O’Flynn and beat Ritcey on the backhand.

Not to be outdone, Valley replied 16 seconds after Pinder’s goal, Nic Blanchard scoring on the power play with Pinder in the penalty box, and pulled even 21 seconds after that off the stick of John Deacon.

In total, the teams combined for four goals in 1:22.

The craziness wasn’t done, though. With the game seemingly headed for the intermission tied, the North Stars struck for two goals in the last 23 seconds of the opening frame – Pinder with 23.2 to go and Cooke with 0.6 seconds left on the clock.

After a scoreless second period, Stefano padded the Sault Ste. Marie lead four minutes into the third period and Pinder completed his hat trick at 6:51 to provide the final margin of victory.

Stefano finished with a goal and an assist, while Devin Shell and Jaren Bellini had two helpers apiece.

Jacob Kment got the win in the North Stars goal with 33 saves, while Ritcey gave up four goals before giving way to Michael Pettet, who allowed two, early in the second period.

Sault Ste. Marie faces a tough test as it tries to move to 2-0, taking on the defending national champions, the Red Deer Chiefs, on Tuesday night (7:30 p.m. ET), while the Wildcats will look to rebound against Ottawa in a battle of winless teams on Tuesday afternoon (4 p.m. ET).