By Martin Martinson

North Stars ready for tough test in defending champs

Oct 3, 2018 | 2:00 PM

The Battlefords North Stars head into tonight riding high after three straight wins, the most recent of which saw the team seek a little bit of retribution against last year’s arch-nemesis as the Stars took home a huge 6-1 win over the Estevan Bruins at home. Estevan was the team to end the Stars’ season in the semi-finals of last year’s playoffs.

When asked about his team’s game that has seen the Stars win their last three games, coach Brayden Klimosko said what’s really impressed him is his club’s intensity and work ethic.

“We’re going hard on the forecheck, being relentless there and we’re finishing a lot of hits, so I think overall that’s the main thing,” Klimosko said. “Forcing turnovers in the attacking zone and creating opportunities that way, hopefully we can continue to build on that tonight.”

The defending league champion, Nipawin Hawks on the other hand, have picked up right where they left off last season, winning their first six games of the season to remain perfect through September, before then flipping the calendar and dropping their most recent game against the Kindersley Klippers. The North Stars can count on facing a motivated Hawks group tonight, as Nipawin will surely be looking for a swift recovery from the first blemish to their record this season.

When it comes to the North Stars’ offensive attack, winger Regan Doig can all but find his name etched in stone along the right side of MacGregor Sinclair on the top line. Doig has been an absolute bull working down low on the top line, and really opens up ice for his linemates thanks to his dirty work along the side boards. Sinclair along with Urbanski, the third member of the forward trio, are tied for the team lead in goals with five, and points with nine apiece through their first seven games. Urbanski’s speed and skill on the left side of MacGregor Sinclair has given defenders fits through the early going this season, and makes the duo a threat to score each time they step on the ice.

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Owen Lamb is the heartbeat of the North Stars personified. Lamb, who has seven points through his first seven game this season, along with the ever dangerous Braydon Buziak and Elijah Loon-Stewardson have come together to form a formidable veteran forward unit with defensive acumen and heady two-way play on the team’s seond line. 

Ryan Gil, who has been like a Swiss Army knife for the club, used in a variety of roles throughout the early going this season, will take to the left of Quintin Loon-Stewardson who draws back into the lineup to center the third unit. With the duo’s two-way ability and determination in the corners, complimented by the youngster Dylan Esau’s wheels and ability to generate chances off the rush using his great speed, this conglomerate looks to be a reliable five-tool line for the team.  

On the back end, lefty Tanner Scott will suit up alongside Stars’ defensive rock Cody Spagrud once again this evening. Scott has proven himself to be more than capable of handling big minutes alongside the Stars’ captain and the two will only continue to build on their chemistry together game-by-game.

Seth Summers who has thrived in a top four role on the Stars’ defence, paired up with righty, Matthew Fletcher, has been a consistent two-way horse, eating minutes on the backend and complimenting the Stars’ veteran of nearly 55 games with smart two-way reads.

Ryan Granville, one of three North Stars’ defensemen with a goal this season will be paired with the newest member of the Stars, in Austin Shumanski.

Shumanski, or “Shoo,” as he’ll come to be known by North Stars’ fans, is from Hafford, SK, the same hometown as Stars’ starting goaltender, Joel Grzybowski.

Standing at 6’5, and 220 lbs, Shumanski is a tower of power on the defensive side of the puck, and will surely bring some added punch and penalty killing chops to the Battlefords’ back end.

Fans of the North Stars can catch the pregame show on tonights action against the Hawks at the NB Civic Centre at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m. on 1050 CJNB. 

Here’s the North Stars’ lineup at a glance

Forwards:

M. Urbanski, M. Sinclair, R. Doig

E. Loon-Stewardson, B. Buziak, O. Lamb

R. Gil, Q. Loon-Stewardson, D. Esau

T. Robin, S. Sommerfeld, L. Spence

Defense:

T. Scott, C. Spagrud

S. Summers, M. Fletcher

A. Shumanski, R. Granville

Goaltenders:

J. Grzybowski

A. Dmyterko

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

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