Stars’ forward, Ryland McNinch has played some of his best hockey of late for the Battlefords, and will be among those counted on heavily for the team Wednesday night, as the Stars will head into their matchup with Humboldt shorthanded due to a rash of injuries. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

All hands On Deck

Shorthanded Stars make final trip to Humboldt in likely playoff preview

Feb 26, 2020 | 2:00 PM

With the regular season schedule quickly winding to a close, the Battlefords North Stars will take to the ice Wednesday for their third-final game of the year, taking on the division rival Broncos in Humboldt.

Marking the sixth and final instalment of the season-series between the two nemesis’, Wednesday night’s matchup at the Elgar Petersen Arena will also serve as a likely playoff preview.

The North Stars (44-9-2) and Broncos (25-21-9) sit first and eighth overall, with just three games to go on the schedule.

With a North Stars’ victory and an Estevan win over Notre Dame, in the lone other game of the evening, the playoff matchup will be set.

The Stars are 4-1 against the Broncos through the teams’ opening five meetings, but the season-series has been anything but one-sided.

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A rough and wild ride each time the two come together, the Stars and Broncos have combined for 35 goals and 404 penalty minutes through the opening five matchups this season.

Both teams enter play looking to stay hot, as the Stars search for their third straight win, while the Broncos will aim for their fourth consecutive victory.

Together the two sides have combined for eight of the top twenty scorers in the league heading into Wednesday, but due to a mix of injuries and needed rest, the Stars will rely on their young players and prospect depth heading shorthanded into the midweek showdown.

The Stars will be without each of their top 10 scorers and 12 of their top 14 overall, Wednesday.

Austin Becker, Matthias Urbanski, Quintin Loon-Stewardson, Ben Hiltz, Elijah Loon-Stewardson, Rylan Nivon, Jaxon Steele and Steven Kesslering will be absent from the lineup up front, as will each of the team’s big four on the backend in Matthew Fletcher, Seth Summers, Noah Form and Dylan McCabe.

Kaden Boser, Dylan Esau and Logan Spence will make up the forward core up front, along with rookies Ryland McNinch, Carson Reagan and Hunter Partsch.

On the back end, Liam Antoniuk, Timon Prexler and Walter Somers will be counted on to do the heavy lifting, while the group as a whole will be supplemented by four ‘AP’ call-ups.

Wednesday night will mark the SJHL debut of forwards Holden Doell and Jake Southgate and blue liners Kai Joorisity and Hunter Weber.

Doell is coming off a season for the books with the Beardy’s Blackhawks that saw the 16-year-old lead the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League (SMHL) with 77 points in 42 games this year.

Southgate finished third on the Battlefords Stars with 28 points in 43 games this season, while Joorisity and Weber have been counted on for big minutes with the Yorkton Maulers, also of the Sask. AAA league.

The North Stars will be counting on key contributions from their youngsters, with a lethal Humboldt offence primed at the ready.

Logan Foster leads Humboldt with 73 points this season, and has been especially hot of late, riding a seven-game point streak into play that has seen the veteran pick up 13 points in the process.

In addition to Foster, Tristan Shewchuk paces all Broncos’ players with a team-high 29 goals; while rookie standouts Karter McNarland (48 points) and Logan Kurki (41) sit top five amongst first-year producers.

The North Stars will turn to 18-year-old, Austin Schwab in goal as the ultimate equalizer. Through 15 games this year, Schwab has posted a 13-2 record to go along with a shimmering 2.46 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.

While it has yet to be confirmed who will get the start for the Broncos, Humboldt is likely to hand the reigns to fellow first-year, Michael Harroch.

Harroch pitched a shutout in his last start Feb. 14 and has posted a 5-7 record through 19 games this season, along with a 3.20 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.

Wednesday’s game will be broadcast on NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will get underway at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m. on 1050 CJNB-CJNS and online at CJNB.ca.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1