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North Stars aim for second consecutive win tonight.

Sep 22, 2018 | 6:19 PM

The Battlefords North Stars are coming off a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over the Melfort Mustangs at the North Battleford Civic Centre. That was thanks to a Matthias Urbanski tally with just under 20 seconds to go in added time.

For the North Stars, the win was their first of the season. Urbanski’s timely marker improved their record to 1-2 to start the season, and perhaps even more importantly, helped them avoid an 0-3 start to the new season.

On the other side of the ice, it is a similar storyline for the Humboldt Broncos. The Broncos will also be looking to improve from a 1-2 start to the season, after dropping their first two games in a home-and-home set with defending league-champion Nipawin, before a big 2-0 win over the Notre Dame Hounds.

Tonight’s matchup between the North Stars and Broncos will mark the first meeting of the season between the division-rivals and the first since the Broncos’ devastating April 6 bus crash.

North Stars’ head coach and GM, Brayden Klimosko is from Humboldt originally, and played with the Broncos just over 3 years before becoming an assistant coach with the club from 2013 to the 2015-16 season. Klimosko said before the season even started this was a game he would be looking forward to.

“It’s certainly a game I circled on the calendar right off the bat,” he said. “[I’ve received] lots of texts from friends and family wishing me the best for this game and I’m excited to get it going.”

For the North Stars, MacGregor Sinclair will look to continue his hot play, with 4 points through his first 3 games, including power play markers in each of his previous two games entering tonight.

Sinclair will be joined on the North Stars’ top line this evening by 20-year-old, Regan Doig, who lined up to his right last game, and will be getting another look with the Stars’ prized center-man tonight. Ryan Gil, who spent the majority of the last game patrolling the left side of the ice with the Loon-Stewardson brothers, moves back to the top unit for tonight’s action as well.

Brett Gammer will line up down the middle on the Stars’ second line, giving the team a second right-handed threat to take faceoffs, while also keeping his patented speed and tenacity in the fold within the top 6 forward group. Braydon Buziak, who opened the scoring last game on a shorthanded tally for his first goal of the year will line up on Gammer’s right. North Battleford’s own, Owen Lamb will embrace his spot on his strong-hand side, taking on the role as left-winger for the duo.

Last game’s overtime hero, super sophomore Matthias Urbanski, will play on the left-side boards, opposite Elijah Loon-Stewardson, with Quintin Loon-Stewardson tasked with faceoff responsibilities in what should bring an enticing mix of speed, defensive acumen and intense forecheck pressure to the third forward contingent.

Despite Thursday’s success, the Stars will see a complete overhaul on line four this evening. Freshly-minted 18-year-old, Kaden Boser will draw back into the lineup for tonight’s game, returning to anchor the energy unit, as will his wingmen for the showdown with the Broncos; Austin Becker on the left, and right-hander Dylan Esau on the right.

On the back end, defenseman Noah Form who has been a pillar of strength on the left-hand side for the North Stars to open the season will miss his second consecutive game with an undisclosed upper body injury.

Expected to fill Form’s void on the lineup card for the second straight night next to minute-muncher Cody Spagrud is Stars’ defenseman Mitchell Bosch. Bosch is an effortless skater who boasts good offensive instincts and an ability to really push the pace from the back-end with a quick outlet feed.

Right handed defenseman Matthew Fletcher will anchor the second unit along with his usual comrade, Jacob Bayne to his left. Bayne became the first defenseman for the Stars to score a goal this season when he lit the lamp at the 18:11 mark of the first period last game against Melfort.

On the third pairing, tonight will mark the SJHL debut for defenseman Tanner Scott. Scott is from Red Deer originally, where he played majority of the season last year for the Red Deer Chiefs of the AMHL. Scott will line up next to fellow Alberta boy, Seth Summers, who grew up just about 1hr 45 minutes up the road in St. Albert, AB.

Between the pipes, goaltender Joel Grzybowski will get the start for his third game in-a-row to start the season.

Here’s a look at the Stars’ lineup at a glance:

Forwards:

R. Gil, M. Sinclair, R. Doig

O. Lamb, B. Gammer, B. Buziak

M. Urbanski, Q. Loon-Stewardson, E. Loon-Stewardson

A. Becker, K. Boser, D. Esau

Defensemen:

M. Bosch, C. Spagrud

J. Bayne, M. Fletcher

S. Summers, T. Scott

Goaltenders

J. Grzybowski

J. Davidson 

 

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1