First, pint-sized goalie Nick Enegren got flattened Wednesday by the Aldergrove Kodiaks’ Chris Price in his debut with the Port Moody Black Panthers. Then Enegren got gut-punched by the Aldergrove three-star selector.

The five-foot-two Enegren bounced back after being run over late in the first period by the six-foot-two Price and sparkled with 54 saves as the Cats clipped the Kodiaks 5-3 for their third straight Pacific International Junior Hockey League win.

After, Black Panthers general manager Ron Luniw was incensed that Enegren, 16, was relegated to third-star status behind Kodiak players who somehow inherited the first two game-star awards.

“That’s absolute trash,” spat Luniw, the Black Panthers general manager who signed Enegren at practice Monday. “There was no doubt Nick was the first star.”

A New Westminster native, Enegren first came to the Cats last week as an affiliate player to back-up 18-year-old Nolan Bowker after veteran Evan Dauenhauer quit the team. Enegren was surprisingly handed the starting assignment Wednesday in just his second appearance in a Cats’ uniform.

“He was sensational,” Luniw said of Enegren’s effort in Aldergrove. “I think we’ve latched on to a very, very good young goalie. I’m not saying he’s going to be our No. 1 goalie from now on but he’s definitely going to push Nolan for playing time.”

The victory improved PoMo to 5-4-0-0, while Aldergrove slipped to 6-4-0-1. The first-year Kodiaks still sit atop the five-team Harold Brittain Conference with 13 points, three ahead of both the Cats and the Abbotsford Pilots.

Luniw added the three-star awards mean zip in comparison with the victory and paid tribute to all his players, not just Enegren, who helped the Cats kill three five-on-three powerplay attempts by the Kodiaks.

“It doesn’t matter [about the stars], we won the game,” Luniw said. “We haven’t had 10 points at this point of the season in four years.

“We’re in synch. Our guys come to play every night with heart and determination... regardless of the role they have with the hockey club, they’re bringing it.”

About the lone downer for the Cats came when newly acquired defenceman and tough guy Corey Braddick came to the aid of Enegren after his collision with Price, which resulted in the former Ridge Meadows Flame garnering a gross misconduct, meaning he’ll sit out the next three games with a suspension.

“I think we got a raw deal there... [Braddick] showed some character protecting our goaltender,” Luniw said.

The Cats built a 2-0 lead and, after the Kodiaks battled back to knot the score in the second period, pumped in three goals in a 2:29 span late in the frame to take a cozy 5-2 margin into the third.

Matt Bell sparked the Cats with two goals, while Declan Lau, Matthew Riley and Gary Rai also tallied for the victors.

Next, the Cats host the 6-2-0-0 Grandview Steelers on Saturday at PoMo Arena, 7:45 p.m.