The Moose Jaw Generals couldn’t find the win column over the weekend in the Battlefords, dropping a pair of tight games to the Stars as they’re losing streak stretched to four games.

Moose Jaw lost to the Stars, 7-5, on Saturday and then dropped a 5-2 game on Sunday at the North Battleford Civic Centre.

“I didn’t think we were very good at all on Saturday, we didn’t start off well and then got ourselves back into it, but shot ourselves in the foot and the work ethic just wasn’t there.  (Sunday), I thought we worked extremely hard, but very bounce seems to be going the other way, we deserved a better fate, but we did get it,” said Generals head coach Ray Wareham.

The Generals’ record sits at 5-12-0-3 this season. They’ve been in most games this season, but just can’t seem to find that extra bit needed to break through for wins.

Wareham said they need to find a way to bring the same effort every time that they step on the ice.

“The other night in Saskatoon, we had one of our most consistent 60-minute efforts of the year, but unfortunately lost in a shootout.  We took a step back (Saturday), but the guys rebounded (Sunday) and had a good effort,” he said.  “You’ve got to make your breaks too and if we bring that effort (Saturday), we might have had a different outcome and got a split.”

Wareham added that they knew that there was going to be growing pains this season with such a large turnover and the team is showing the progress that he hoped he’d see, now it’s about getting rewards for their work.

“We’ve got 18 new guys, so that’s a big adjustment and this is a good league,” he said. “We have seen a lot of growth and improvement in kids and that’s what it’s all about, I’ve always said this is a developmental league, we want to win just as much as the next guy, but if we’re developing these kids and getting them better by the end of the year than we’re doing our job and so far we’re on the right track that way.”

The Generals will return to the road this weekend when they head to Saskatoon to face the Blazers on Saturday and then make the short trip to Wilcox to square off with the Notre Dame Hounds on Sunday.

Saturday: Stars 7 Generals 5

On Saturday, the Generals gave up two goals in the opening three minutes and had to chase the Stars for the rest of the game.

After giving up the pair of opening goals, the Generals battled back with goals from Nolan Jones and Jake Palmer to tie the game. The Stars scored late in the frame and took a 3-2 lead into the first intermission.

Moose Jaw started slow in the second period as well, giving up a goal to the Stars just 18 seconds into the frame to fall behind 4-2.  The Generals again fought back with Jones’ second of the game and another from Jaxsen Wiebe to tie the game just before the midway point of the second.

The Battlefords scored late in the second to take the lead heading into the third, but Casey McDonald answered for Moose Jaw to tie the game up at 5-5.

The Stars picked up a pair of goals in the final four minutes, including one into an empty net, to skate to the win.

15-year-old goalie Ethan Hein made 30 saves in the loss for Moose Jaw.

Sunday: Stars 5 Generals 2

Four unanswered goals from the Stars helped power them to the win in Sunday’s contest.

Evan Sare scored on the power play midway through the first period to make it a 1-1 game after one.  Jaxson Georget put Moose Jaw in front just 17 seconds into the second period, but it was all Battlefords after that.

They scored twice in the second to move in front 3-2 and then picked up some insurance with six minutes to go in the game.  They added an empty net goal with 16 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Generals goalie Jake Davidson turned away 29 shots in the loss.