Stars' forward Marshall Light tangles on the faceoff with the Broncos' Xavier Roy. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Battle of Behemoths

Stars ready for heavyweight tilt in Humboldt

Jan 20, 2023 | 3:05 PM

The Battlefords North Stars will travel to Humboldt Friday, to kick off a home-and-home with the division-rival Broncos, in a battle of behemoths between the SJHL’s top two teams.

The North Stars (34-1-2-1), enter play atop the league standings with 71 points, having won 17 of their last 18 games, coming off most-recently a 4-3 overtime thriller in La Ronge, Tuesday.

The Broncos (24-11-1-0), sit second-overall heading into the weekend, with 49 points. With seven wins in their last 10, Humboldt hold the edge on Flin Flon (49 points), La Ronge (48 points), and Estevan (48 points) to lead the second-through-fifth place logjam with just a single point or less separating the four teams.

The two highest-scoring clubs in the SJHL this season, the North Stars are averaging 4.9 goals per game, while the Broncos are at 3.9. However, the Stars will need their depth to shine through in an especially strong fashion Friday, missing each of the league’s top three scorers.

All three of Holden Doell (65 points in 32 games), Kian Bell (63 in 34), and Jake Southgate (55 in 38), will miss Friday’s game due to illness, while Tanner Gold remains out on the blue line for personal reasons.

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While the absence of four of the Stars’ core pieces will be felt, if any team boasts the depth to withstand such a hit, it’s the Battlefords as the team has shown this year.

Steven Kesslering leads the club into play with 36 points in 36 games, having scored six goals and nine points in his last 10.

Keiton Klein and Colby Bear, who will make up two-thirds of the team’s other top unit are also among the players to watch for the Stars. Klein has 27 points in 35 games, with four goals in his last six, while Bear has 26 points in 37, having picked up nine points in his last 14.

Two big bodies at 6’1, 210 pounds (Klein) and 6’2, 200 pounds (Bear), the pair also provide a much-needed physical edge imperative in a top-of-the-standings divisional matchup.

The Broncos are led offensively by a physically-imposing winger of their own in Cage Newans (6’0, 190 pounds with 132 penalty minutes).

Newans paces the team with 36 points in 36 games, while the foundation of the club is built through one of the league’s elite center-ice trios of Lucas Ceccarelli (31 points in 36 games), Ethan Zielke 25 points in 25 games), and Xavier Roy (24 points in 29 games).

Both the Stars and Broncos also rely heavily on offense from the blue line.

The weekend showdown will feature six defensemen with at least 20 points this season. The Battlefords are led by Tynan Ewart who paces all at the position with 33 points on the year, along Zane Florence (25 points) and Jordan Gibbs (24 points).

The Broncos counter with a blue line attack fronted by Daylan Weigel who sits tied for fifth in defenseman scoring with 28 points, with Carsten Kayter (23 points) and Noah Barlage (22 points) rounding out their 20-plus point scorers on the backend.

In goal, Josh Kotai will make his first start in three games, coming off a 25/26 save performance in his last outing exactly one week ago in Weyburn. On the season, Kotai is 24-0-2-1 with a league-best 2.10 goals against average and .941 save percentage.

Humboldt is likely to start Benjamin Motew. In 17 games, the first-year goaltender is 11-3-1-0 with a 2.65 goals against average and .908 save percentage.

Friday’s game will be available on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7 p.m., with puck drop at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1