Making an impact: Forward Dace Prymak played the role of hero for the Stars Wednesday night, scoring the overtime winner against La Ronge. The forward will get a look on the team's top line tonight, after picking up three goals, seven points through his first 10 games this season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

titans collide

North Stars welcome Hawks to town in return to Civic Centre

Oct 18, 2019 | 1:14 PM

With a 13-1 record through their opening 14 games, the Battlefords North Stars are the toast of the SJHL heading into the weekend.

Looking to keep their hot streak in tact, the team will have their work cut out for them, missing a key piece of the offense heading into a matchup with another heavyweight team, in the 9-3 Nipawin Hawks.

The North Stars will be without Elijah Loon-Stewardson on the top line Friday.

The forward was given a one-game suspension for being involved in a second fight during the same stoppage in play, during a melee that ensued in the first period of Wednesday night’s game against La Ronge.

Filling in, rookie standout Dace Prymak will get a shot on the Stars’ top unit alongside Quintin Loon-Stewardson and Matthias Urbanski.

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Friday’s showdown will mark the Stars’ first game back at the Civic Centre since Sept. 21, twelve games ago. The game will be the front-half of a home-and-home series between the Stars and Hawks this weekend.

The North Stars enter the contest with the top offense in the league. With 66 goals through their first 14 games, the team has averaged just over 4.7 goals per-game. To put that in perspective, no other team has scored more than 50.

Leading the offensive charge for the team are a league-best six players with point-per-game billing or better.

Sophomore forward Austin Becker leads the team in scoring with nine goals and 19 points, while Becker’s primary linemate and two-way force, Rylan Nivon sits second on the Stars with 17 points.

Battlefords’ captain Matthew Fletcher and speedster Matthias Urabnski have each racked up 16 points respectively, while the dynamic duo of Elijah and Quintin Loon-Stewardson have each recorded 15 points.

The Hawks, by contrast, have just two players with double-digit point totals through 12 games.

Diminutive forward Brodie Girod leads the Hawks with 10 points, while third-year standout Jake Tremblay has collected 10 points.

While the Hawks may not pack the offensive punch of the Battlefords, having scored just under 3.2 goals per-game, Nipawin may be the best test yet defensively for the thrilling Stars’ attack.

The Hawks have allowed the fewest goals-against this season thanks to a stifling system that has limited the opposition to just 24 goals-against through 12 games thus far (2.0 goals-against per-game).

In addition to their strict commitment to team defence, the Hawks are also backed up by two of the league’s premier goaltenders.

Twenty-year-old, Ethan Slobodzian and 18-year-old, Ross Hawryluk are two of only three goalies in the league this season to have posted a sub-2.0 goals-against average.

Slobodzian has posted a 1.92 goals-against and .926 save percentage in seven games played with the team, while Hawryluk has registered a 1.56 goals-against and .952 save percentage in six appearances.

Regardless of which netminder gets the call for the visitors Friday, the night will feature a spectacular goaltending dual, with 19-year-old Adam Dmyterko tending goal at the other end for the Battlefords.

Dmyterko has been a force for the North Stars this season, having gone a perfect 9-0 through his first nine starts. His 2.19 goals-against average (fourth) and .934 save percentage (third) also place the 19-year-old amongst the league’s elite at the position.

Friday’s game will be broadcast on 93.3 The Rock. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. on NAPA North Stars Hockey.

North Stars lineup

Forwards:

M. Urbanski, Q. Loon-Stewardson, D. Prymak

A. Becker, B. Gammer, R. Nivon

K. Boser, S. Kesslering, D. Esau

H. Rambow, R. McNinch, L. Spence

Defencemen:

N. Form, D. McCabe

S. Summers, M. Fletcher

T. Prexler, W. Somers

Goaltenders:
A. Dmyterko

P. Rey

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1