The season is over for the Weyburn Red Wings. They fell 3-2 in overtime Wednesday night to the Battlefords North Stars, losing the best-of-seven SJHL quarterfinal series 4-0.

“There’s a lot of heart and soul in that locker room,” said Red Wings head coach Wes Rudy after the game. “I feel for those kids.”

For seven members of the Red Wings, the game Wednesday would be their last in junior A hockey. Captain Mike Eskra, who played four seasons with the team, forwards Cole Woodliffe, Landon Walters, Dexter Robinson, and Dryden Wust, defenseman Erik Olson, and netminder Arik Weersink are off to post-secondary or other options, as they have reached the age limit for the SJHL.

“I told some of the guys, it’s a celebration. Four years is a long time, and it’s got to be a celebration of what’s been accomplished,” Eskra said after the game.

The Red Wings, who had scored four power-play goals in the first two games of the series, were stymied by the Stars over the last two games. Weyburn went 0-for-12 with the man advantage at home against the Battlefords. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, either. Weyburn threw everything they had at the North Stars net, but the play of Joel Grzybowski was a key factor in the series win.

The penultimate game of the series was a goaltenders’ battle, through and through. Both Grzybowski, and Wings netminder Arik Weersink, was lights out in goal. Weersink was by far the busier of the two, turning away 52 of the 55 shots he faced in the game. Despite the Stars putting up 14 shots in the first period, it would be the Wings who were the first to get on the board.

In the first period, Cade Kowalski made a move at the blue line to get past the defenseman and brought the puck into the Battlefords zone. He had Cole Woodliffe and Ben Hiltz crossing with him, and Kowalski passed through to Hiltz, who was slightly trailing. Battlefords goaltender Joel Grzybowski didn’t pick up which player the pass was going to in time, and the puck was wired in by Hiltz over his left shoulder.

The Stars would respond with a goal from Brad Girard just before the period’s halfway mark. The score would remain tied through the rest of the first, and then the second.

In the third, the Wings would again take the lead. With 10:40 remaining in the period, Cade Kowalski tipped a shot by Cole Woodliffe in past Grzybowski for his fourth of the playoffs. The lead wouldn’t last too long, though. Layne Young was credited with the goal after a scramble sent the puck floating up and over Arik Weersink. With the game tied, the two teams were off to overtime.

In the extra period, the North Stars would be the ones to find the back of the net. Elijah Loon-Stewardson tipped a shot from Cole Johnson in past Weersink, giving the Battlefords the 3-2 victory, and a berth in the SJHL semi-finals.

The North Stars will now prepare for the Estevan Bruins, who also advanced finishing their sweep of the Kindersley Klippers.