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Wednesday night’s matchup between the North Stars and Mustangs will be the first meeting between the two sides since last year’s Canalta Cup Final playoff series. A series that ended in heartbreak for the Mustangs and jubilation for the Stars, it shouldn’t take long for the two sides to renew the rivalry this evening. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)
renewing acquaintances

Stars head to Melfort to meet Mustangs in replay of last year’s league final

Oct 9, 2019 | 1:56 PM

Following a busy schedule that saw the team play four games in five nights on the road last week, the Battlefords North Stars will return to action Wednesday night in Melfort.

Heading back on the road for their eighth and final game away from the Battlefords before playing seven of their next eight at home, the Stars will travel to Northern Lights Palace in Melfort to take on the Mustangs for the first time this season.

A clash of the titans, Wednesday’s game will pit the top-seeded Stars at 10-1 through their opening 11 games, against a Mustangs’ club that has gone 7-2-2 through their first 11.

Adding to the drama further, the night’s action will be the first meeting between the Stars and Mustangs since the teams’ Canalta Cup Finals series last spring. The Stars bested the Mustangs in five games to claim the league championship. That means the home side will likely bring their best this evening, in an effort to enact some retribution after a summer spent wondering what could have been.

The North Stars have scored the most goals in the league (31), and average the highest goals per-game (4.82) of any team in the league. Even more impressive, in addition to their offensive punch, the Stars have also allowed the fewest goals against, having given up just 22 goals through 11 games for a 2.0 goals-against per contest.

In their own right, the Mustangs have also shown some impressive offensive production, sitting second in goals for (42) and third in goals per-game (3.82). Defensively the Mustangs are also a top five billing, ranking fourth in goals-against. The team has sacrificed just 30 goals thus far, or just-under three goals-against per-game.

Much like the overall standings, both ends of the ice considered, the Stars and Mustangs sit first and second in goal differential as well. The Battlefords’ plus-31 differential is the toast of the league, followed by Melfort’s plus-12.

Offensively, Quintin Loon-Stewardson leads the North Stars in goals with eight, while Matthias Urbanski heads the pack with 15 points on the campaign through 11 games.

Melfort’s Kenzie Arnold and rookie Marco Lopez are tied for the team lead in goals with seven apiece for the Mustangs, while Arnold alone fronts the horses with 13 points on the year.

While both teams bring the potential for offensive fireworks, one of the premier matchups on the evening will feature two of the top blue liners in the league facing off head-to-head.

North Stars’ captain, Matthew Fletcher and Melfort rearguard, Jake Hobson are tied atop the defenceman scoring leaderboard with 12 points apiece.

A couple of elite two-way blue liners, each of the two factor in as a primary force for their respective sides. In addition to their offensive contribution, the pair are each also counted on to log big minutes on both special teams’ units and critical matchup situations against the opposition’s best.

Fletcher has been named the SJHL Defenceman of the Week each of the last two weeks, while Hobson served as runner-up this past week. The pair are also the only two returning defenceman to have won Defenceman of the Week honours twice consecutively and three times overall last season.

Behind the defensive stalwarts are goaltenders of a similar ilk as well.

Defending SJHL Goaltender of the Week, Adam Dmyterko will get the start in goal for the Stars. Dmyterko sits at or near the top of the league in nearly every goaltending statistic with a sterling 7-0 record to go along with a shimmering 1.86 goals-against average and .944 save percentage.

At the other end, 20-year-old Shawn Parkinson has won five of his eight starts for the Mustangs this season, while posting a 2.62 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.

Wednesday’s game will be broadcast on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. on the NAPA North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

North Stars lineup

Forwards:

M. Urbanski, Q. Loon-Stewardson, E. Loon-Stewardson

A. Becker, D. Prymak, R. Nivon

K. Boser, B. Gammer, D. Esau

S. Kesslering, C. Reagan, L. Spence

Defencemen:

N. Form, D. McCabe

S. Summers, M. Fletcher

L. Antoniuk, W. Somers

Goaltenders:

A. Dmyterko

A. Schwab

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1

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