Coming off a four-assist performance Friday, Jake Southgate enters play Saturday night in Weyburn with a league-leading 29 points this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Saturday night Showdown

Surging Stars look to stay hot as road trip continues in Weyburn

Nov 5, 2022 | 2:00 PM

Coming off a 7-4 victory over the Estevan Bruins Friday, the Battlefords North Stars return to play Saturday night in Weyburn, for night two of their three-in-three southern swing this weekend.

The Stars enter play red-hot with a league-best 16-0-2 record, against a Weyburn Red Wings team that sits second in the Viterra Division and seventh overall at 8-10-1 this year.

Just as the Stars are rolling, Weyburn have also played some of their best hockey of late, with two wins in their last three games, including a big 5-4 victory just a night ago over the third-place Humboldt Broncos.

The North Stars are led into play Saturday by their top line of Jake Southgate, Holden Doell and Kian Bell, who combined for another 10 points as a line in Friday night’s win in Estevan.

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With four assists last night to cap his 20^th birthday, Southgate now leads the SJHL in scoring, sitting atop the league leaderboard with 29 points in 18 games this season.

Doell, who scored a goal and two helpers, is now tied with Estevan’s Kade Runke and Melville’s Zach Cain for second overall with 27 points in just 14 games, while Kian Bell, fresh of a two-goal one-assist performance, is fifth with 27 points in 14 games.

Additionally, the Stars also saw a real surge off offense from their blue line last night as defensemen Wilson Steele, Jordan Gibbs and Tynan Ewart also pitched in with a goal apiece on the night.

Ewart leads all defenceman with 18 points in 18 games this year, while Gibbs is now just a goal back of Estevan’s Alex Blanchard and Notre Dame’s Jaryd Sych for tops amongst defenceman in goal scoring, after picking up his fifth of the year to open the trip.

Weyburn counter with an offense led by forward, Ethan Whillans who paces the club with 13 points through 19 games this year, and scored his fifth in last night’s 5-4 win over the Broncos.

Fellow Wings’ vet, Ty Mason sits second in Weyburn scoring with 11 points and is coming off likely his best performance yet this year with a pair of goals – including the eventual game winner – in last night’s decision over Humboldt as well.

On special teams, the Stars do hold the edge heading into play, with a 26 percent power play (second overall), and 84 percent penalty kill (fifth), to Weyburn’s 12 percent on the man advantage (12^th), and 78 percent on the kill (ninth).

In net, Stars’ goalie Josh Kotai will make his fourth straight start, after stopping 35/39 in Friday’s win. Kotai is 12-0-2 on the year with a league-best 1.78 goals against average and .945 save percentage.

At the other end, Weyburn are likely to go with one of Boston Gelowitz or Eric Kahl. Gelowitz stopped 33/37 last night for the victory and is 1-3 this season with a 5.78 goals against average and .855 save percentage.

Kahl is 0-1-1 with a 3.75 goals against average and .898 save percentage.

Saturday’s game will be available on 1050 CJNB. A bit earlier than usual, the Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop at 7 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Broadcast.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1