Stars go for broke against Millionaires

With 20 goals, 30 assists and 50 points, MacGregor Sinclair leads the North Stars in every major offensive statistic, and sits tenth in league scoring.

Matthias Urbanski, who sits second in team scoring suffered an upper body injury Jan. 25 against Flin Flon and remains out long term.

Fortunately for the Stars, forwards Owen Lamb, Ryan Gil and Braydon Buziak who round out the top five point producers for the team highlight the Battlefords’ offensive depth, with each player having scored at least 14 goals and 31 points.

The Millionaires on the other hand, enter play having won two-in-a-row, outscoring their opposition 11-6 in the process.

At 15-24-6 though their first 45 games, Melville is in the midst of fighting for a playoff spot.

The Millionaires’ 36 points are just two ahead of the Weyburn Red Wings for the tenth and final playoff spot. The Red Wings also hold a game in-hand on the Millionaires, making Melville’s final 13 games of the season of utmost importance.

Rookie Luke Spadafora, leads the Millionaires offensively, having produced 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points in 43 games.

After starting the year playing his first 17 games with Humboldt, Spadafora was dealt to Melville in late October, and has since produced 24 points in 26 games wearing a Millionaires’ jersey. The 18-year-old ranks second amongst freshmen scorers in the league this season, just two points back of the rookie lead.

Melville forward Josh Borynec has also scored 13 goals, and with 36 points on the year, sits just two points back of Spadafora in the team’s scoring hierarchy.

Along with Spadafora and Borynec, the third, and hottest, member of the Millionaires’ top line is recently-turned 21-year-old, Damian Bentz.

Bentz is coming off a performance against Kindersley Wednesday, that saw the third-year-veteran score a hattrick and five points. Those moves contributed directly on all but one of his team’s goals, en route to a 6-3 victory over the Klippers.

Bentz’ five-point night followed up a three-point effort the game prior against La Ronge. The points were part of a stretch that has seen the Punnichy, Sask., product having scored a total five goals, nine points, over his last three games.

Standing in the way of the Millionaires’ top unit is Stars’ goalie, Chad Duran.

Friday will mark Duran’s first start since Jan. 19, when the 20-year-old Littleton, CO., product backstopped the team to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Notre Dame Hounds.

In five starts with the North Stars, Duran has three wins, with a 1.56 goals against average and .938 save percentage.

For the Millionaires, Colby Entz is expected to get the start, with the 20-year-old netminder coming off back-to-back wins over Kindersley and La Ronge respectively, stopping 60 of 66 shots faced sent his way over the two wins.

Fans can catch tonight’s action on 1050 CJNB beginning with the pregame show at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

North Stars lineup at a glance

Forwards:

B. Buziak, M. Sinclair, O. Lamb

E. Loon-Stewardson, Q. Loon-Stewardson, R. Gil

A. Becker, D. Heino, R. Doig

K. Boser, B. Gammer, D. Esau

Defencemen:

T. Scott, C. Spagrud

S. Summers, M. Fletcher

A. Shumanski, N. Form

Goaltenders:

C. Duran

J. Grzybowski

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

Stars go for broke against Millionaires

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