Stars’ forward Ben Hiltz facing off with the Millionaires’ Jonathan Krahn. Hiltz has been a force of late, with goals in three straight for the Battlefords, adding seven points over the span. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Final meeting

Stars welcome Melville to town, hoping to pick Millionaires’ pocket

Feb 8, 2020 | 2:00 PM

As teams around the league hit the final stretch drive of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season, it’s been a tale of two drastically different seasons for the Battlefords North Stars and Melville Millionaires.

The teams enter their final matchup of the season-series Saturday at opposite ends of the league’s standings.

Sitting in first place overall thanks to a 40-8-2 record, the North Stars’ 82 points offer the team an 11-point cushion over second place, with just eight games left to go on the schedule.

Especially hot of late, the Battlefords head into Saturday night the winners of six-straight at home, and 13 of their last 15 overall.

Melville, meanwhile, have experienced a bit of a rebuilding year. With 11 games left to play, the Millionaires sit 12^th of the 12 teams in the Saskatchewan League, as the team’s 15-26-6 record put them 14 points back of the final playoff spot.

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While the two sides may be separated by a staggering 46-point spread heading into their final showdown of the year, Saturday’s game at the Civic Centre should be another battle between two clubs looking to close out the season strong.

While Melville may be experiencing a tough year overall, likely the brightest story of the team’s season to this point has been the play of their starting netminder, Berk Bereliev.

Berkeliev has been nothing short of spectacular this season for the Millionaires. Despite playing on the last place team, the 19-year-old has somehow managed to make himself a key front runner for SJHL Goaltender of the Year.

Although he has just 11 wins in 28 games, Berkeliev’s .932 save percentage is tops amongst active netminders, while his 2.64 goals-against average is fifth-best in the league this season.

The North Stars will look to get to Berkeliev early and often, with shots and traffic in front being a key point of emphasis.

The North Stars’ offence is led by a dynamic 1-2 punch down the middle.

Quintin Loon-Stewardson leads the Stars with 28 goals and 52 points this season, while Ben Hiltz sits third in team goals (18) and fourth in points (46), with 24 in 21 since being acquired by the Battlefords.

Stars’ defenceman, Noah Form is another threat for the Millionaires to be leery of Saturday. Form has picked up three goals, seven points over his last five games, and now sits 5th in blue line scoring with 10 goals, 33 points this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Both players have been especially hot of late, with Hiltz’ having picked up seven points over his last three games, while Loon-Stewardson has collected two goals of his own.

Adding an additional spark to the Stars’ offense, Quintin will also see a return to action from brother Elijah Loon-Stewardson Saturday, after missing two of the last four games with a lower body injury.

Despite his missed time, Elijah Loon-Stewardson sits sixth in team scoring with 44 points in 42 games this season.

In goal, Kristian Lyon will get the start for the Battlefords for the second consecutive night.

Through five games with the North Stars, Lyon has posted a perfect 5-0 record to go along with a sparkling 1.80 goals-against average and .946 save percentage.

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

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1