By Martin Martinson

North Star shines

Lamb recognized as SJHL Player of the Week

Feb 13, 2019 | 12:01 PM

Battlefords North Stars’ forward Owen Lamb has been named as the SJHL Player of the Week for Feb. 11.

Earning Lamb the honours was a week which saw the North Battleford product rack up three goals and five assists, for eight points in just three games played.

Lamb started the week with a multi-point performance against the Melfort Mustangs Wednesday, potting a goal and setting up another, for two points on his team’s three goals in a 5-3 defeat to the Mustangs.

Over the weekend, Lamb was again instrumental in spearheading his team’s offensive attack, picking up two helpers against Yorkton Friday in the Stars’ lone home game of the month before putting up a monster four-point outing with two goals and two assists against the league-leading Nipawin Hawks Sunday at Centennial Arena in Nipawin.

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Stars’ forward Owen Lamb has never been shy about battling it out in front of the opposition goal. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Lamb has now scored 22 goals, and 45 points in just 48 games played, good for the second-best total in each category on the team.

Now in his third full season with the North Stars, the 2018-19 campaign has been a breakout year for Lamb, as prior to the season, the soon-to-be 21-year-old had posted a combined 14 goals, 34 points in 109 games.

As far as the biggest contributing factor to his offensive leap forward this year, Lamb said it comes down to added opportunity this season, and trust from the coaching staff in his abilities as a core piece of the team.

“I think just getting the ice time I am, and just the confidence I’m playing with this year, it’s definitely helped me find the score sheet a bit more this season,” Lamb said.

Stars’ head coach, Brayden Klimosko, said Lamb has earned the additional ice time.

“He’s done all we could ask and more this year,” Klimosko said. “He’s our hardest working player – first guy on the forecheck, first guy on the backcheck. He’s your typical Battlefords North Star, and is certainly going to be someone we rely heavily on down the stretch and into the playoffs here.”

In addition to his offensive contribution, Lamb is also a prominent fixture on the team’s penalty kill, ranked second in the league at 86.9 per cent. Lamb is tied for the team lead in shorthanded goals, with three on the season.

From featuring in on the penalty kill to the power play, with a versatility that has seen Lamb line up at each forward position, Klimosko said the diverse range of skills the forward possesses make him a premier player to have on the bench.

“There might not be more of a complete player on our hockey club than Owen,” the coach said. “Defensively, offensively, he can do it all, [which is] kind of a coach’s dream.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1