Pictured here: Stars’ forward, Brett Gammer (#9) tangles with the Wings’ Nikolas Sombrowski (#81) in a prior season-series matchup. Friday night should be another hotly-contested game against two competitive clubs. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Stars battle WIngs

North Stars fly into Weyburn for dual with Red Wings

Nov 29, 2019 | 2:01 PM

As the Battlefords North Stars return to action Friday night to cap off their three-in-three road swing this week, the night’s action will also mark the midway checkpoint of the season.

Friday’s contest against the Weyburn Red Wings in Weyburn will serve as game 29 for the Battlefords, of their 58 on the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) schedule.

As they hit the midway mark, the Stars have enjoyed a season for the books as the team has won 18 of their last 20, while posting a league-best 25-3 record on the year.

Coming off a convincing 4-2 win over Notre Dame Thursday, the Stars will look to keep their momentum rolling against a Wings’ team that sit last in the SJHL at 10-17-1 on the year.

While the teams enter play with an eye-popping 29 points between them in the standings, Friday’s game should see a determined, and well-rested, Red Wings’ group.

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The Wings have not played since last Saturday (Nov. 23) – a game that just so happened to be a 4-2 loss to the North Stars. Now back in action, and on home ice no less, Weyburn will be hungry to claim some retribution in front of the hometown crowd.

The Wings will have a challenge ahead, however, to try and cool down the surging Stars.

The Battlefords are led into action by their sizzling top line of Elijah Loon-Stewardson, Quintin Loon-Stewardson and Rylan Nivon.

The trio combined for six points on the night Thursday in the Stars’ 4-2 win over Notre Dame.

Quintin Loon-Stewardson and Nivon sit atop the team scoring chart and tied for seventh in the league this season, with 34 points apiece. Elijah Loon-Stewardson would undoubtedly be right there too if not for missed time, as the forward has collected 23 points in 24 games played in his own right.

But it is not just the big three up front the Wings have to worry about. The Stars have a league-high, eight players with at least 20 points this season. Austin Becker (31 points), Matthias Urbanski (29) and Brett Gammer (23) make up the additional three forwards with top-line production on the year.

For context, only one other team has more than five (Flin Flon with six).

Backing up the onslaught up front, defencemen Seth Summers is coming off a three-point outing Thursday that now gives the blue liner 25 points on the season. Summers sits second in defencemen scoring this season, trailing only teammate, Matthew Fletcher in top spot with 28.

By contrast, Weyburn has scored fewer goals than any team this year, averaging just 2.0 per contest.

Just one Red Wing has eclipsed the 20-point mark, as team captain, Ben Hiltz leads the club in goals with 11 and points with 21.

If the Wings are to come away with success Friday night, the team will need a standout performance from between the pipes to keep things tight.

Rookie Joseph Young is perhaps most likely to get the nod for the Wings Friday.

Young played last Saturday when the team’s last met, stopping 33 of 37 shots on the night. He has posted a 2.36 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in nine games this year.

For the Stars, rookie standout, Parker Rey will get the start Friday. The 19-year-old has been a force this season for the team, posting a 2.12 goals-against average and .924 save percentage on the year.

North Stars lineup TBD

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1