By Martin Martinson

A look at the North Stars’ opening weekend

Sep 16, 2018 | 4:45 PM

The Battlefords North Stars fell 3-1, and 3-2, respectively, in their season-opening home-and-home series with the division-rival Kindersley Klippers.

The North Stars will now get some time off to rest and regroup before hitting the ice for their next game Thursday, at home at the Civic Centre against the Melfort Mustangs.

The Stars will no doubt be chomping at the bit to get back into action and play the Mustangs, who are currently 1-0 thanks to a convincing 8-4 win over the Notre Dame Hounds in their home-opener Saturday night. The Mustangs will aim to improve their record further to 2-0 this evening when they face the Hounds for the second night in a row, this time in Notre Dame.

For several North Stars’ players, this weekend served as their first taste of SJHL action. Getting that first game or two under their belt is a feat that will surely ease some nerves and help them gain further confidence both on an individual basis and collectively as a group moving forward.

There were a few new faces and different combinations for the Stars in their second game over the weekend, with one of the biggest moves including moving Brett Gammer up the lineup to play with centreman MacGregor Sinclair and Ryan Gil on the first line.

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Gammer’s employment on the right wing of the top unit allowed the Stars to shift Matthias Urbanski to the center-ice position on line number two. The 19-year-old Urbanski was flanked there by former Regina Pat Braydon Buziak on the left and the newest North Star Reagan Doig on his right.

Doig was acquired earlier in the day, Saturday, from the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL, with the rights to forward Dakota Huebner going back the other way.

On the blue-line, Adam Weiner drew into the lineup for his first game in the SJHL, after spending the past two seasons with the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL U18). The Junior Admirals are the only Tier 1 program in Weiner’s home state of Wisconsin in the T1EHL U18.

Shaye Summerfeld, Tanner Robin, Ryan Goulden, and Logan Spence were the scratches up front for the for the North Stars on Saturday. Mitchell Bosch, and Ryan Granville were scratched on the blue line, along with 18-year-old goaltender Adam Dmyterko.

Here’s a full look at the North Stars’ lineup from Saturday night’s game against the Klippers:

Forwards:

R. Gil, M. Sinclair, B. Gammer

B. Buziak, M. Urbanski, R. Doig

A. Becker, O. Lamb, D. Esau

E. Loon-Stewardson, K. Boser, Q. Loon-Stewardson

Defence:

N. Form, C. Spagrud

J. Bayne, M. Fletcher

S. Summers, A. Weiner

Goaltenders:

J. Grzybowski

J. Davidson 

Thursday’s game against the against the Melfort Mustangs will be at the Civic Centre in North Battleford. Pregame is at 7:15 on 1050 CJNB, with puckdrop to follow at 7:30. 

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca 

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1