North Stars host Broncos for night one of rivalry weekend

Humboldt is coming off a 7-2 win over Yorkton Tuesday, in quick response to their lone defeat at the hands of the Nipawin Hawks, 3-2 in overtime last Saturday.

Both the North Stars and Broncos have relied on offense from a variety of sources this season.

The Broncos boast one of the top offenses in the league heading into the weekend with five players having already hit double-digits in points, trailing just Flin Flon for most in the league.

First-year defenseman Connor Thue leads the Broncos, and sits third overall in league scoring through the early going with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in just eight games played.

Up front, returning forward Cage Newans is tied for second in Broncos’ scoring with 12 points (six goals, six assists), along with a league-high 69 penalty minutes, building on his career year last season that saw the physical winger register a team-high 57 points in 54 games and 187 PIMS to establish himself as one of the premier power forwards in the league.

The North Stars counter with an extremely balanced attack in their own right.

Ben Portner leads the team with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in seven games as the Battlefords’ lone double-digit point scorer, though the North Stars have seen a league-high 20 different players chip in with at least a single goal through their first 10 games.

Much like Humboldt, the Stars also generate a large portion of their offense through their blue line, led by their top defensive pairing of captain Tanner Gold and rookie standout Carson Olsen.

Gold scored the North Stars’ lone goal in Wednesday’s 4-1 loss, in his 100^th career SJHL game, and has seven points (one goal, six assists) in eight games so far. Olsen, a third round pick of the North Stars in the 2022 SJHL Bantam Draft (#31 overall), has been a revelation on defense with eight points through his first 10 games despite being just 17 years of age, not to turn 18 until next spring.

The North Stars will also receive a large boost to their blue line to open the weekend Friday as defenseman Alex Izyk will make his return to the lineup after missing the last four games due to injury. A valuable veteran on a young North Stars’ blue line, Izyk hit the 100-game milestone for his junior career back in the team’s season opener. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Between the pipes, the Stars will see a return to action for starter Justen Maric after missing the last two games. Maric has been lights out this season with a 1.01 goals against average and .969 save percentage through his opening three games.

Humboldt is expected to start Benjamin Motew. Through six games, Motew is 5-0-1 with a 1.82 goals against average and a .927 save percentage.

Friday’s NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Broadcast will be available from North Battleford on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

North Stars host Broncos for night one of rivalry weekend

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