The Battlefords North Stars have another chance to close out the series with the Melfort Mustangs in game five on Saturday. (Image Credit: Byron Hildebrand Photography/Facebook)

By Ryan Lambert

SJHL Playoffs

North Stars back at home for Game 5 with Melfort Mustangs

Mar 27, 2026 | 2:26 PM

After a tough 9-4 loss to the Melfort Mustangs in Game 4 of the first round, the Battlefords North Stars will be back at the Access Communications Centre on Saturday for Game 5.

The North Stars are up 3-1 in the series with another chance to close it out. 

In the fourth game, Alessio Nardelli scored a pair of goals for the North Stars, while Kaleb Dewar and Owen Nelson also had goals. For the Mustangs, Kaleb Binner and Bo Eisner had two goals each, and Nolan Patterson, Luke Mackenzie, Connor Ewasuk and Noel Englot all scored their first playoff goals in the win. 

While it was far from their best performance, North Stars head coach Connor Logan thinks a young team like the North Stars facing adversity like that isn’t the end of the world. 

“I think it was a good thing for us and a really important moment for us to learn how to conduct ourselves the right way when the momentum starts going the other way,” said Logan. “I think in the future, we now know the feeling that you have on the road in our tough buildings…I think it’s going to pay dividends down the stretch here.” 

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The North Stars will be missing forward Carter Geysen from Game 5. After the league reviewed a play near the end of Game 4, Geysen was suspended for one-game for a major crosscheck and a game misconduct. 

Each of the top three point-getters in the playoffs are all North Stars players. Anthony Campbell (2G-6A) leads the league in points with eight in four games, while Alessio Nardelli (4G-3A) and Josh Knittig (2G-5A) have seven points each. Nardelli’s four goals is also tied for the league lead in playoffs. 

In the season and playoffs combined, the North Stars have a 4-3-0-1 record against the Mustangs and are 2-1-0-1 against them at home. 

During the regular season, the North Stars had a record of 14-5-2-0 in the game after a loss. Like they have all season, the North Stars are ready to channel the feeling from the last game and use it as fuel heading into Game 5. 

“We’re excited to get back at it. Use some of that competitive spirit and some of that uneasiness, that anger that you have leaving that game to go direct it into positive energy and go out there and try to come up big,” said Logan. 

Game 5 goes at the Access Communications Centre in North Battleford on Saturday. Napa Auto Parts North Stars hockey at 7:30, the Ultra Print pregame show is half hour before puck drop. 

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Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com