By Martin Martinson

North Stars aim to send Ice Wolves home hungry

Oct 19, 2018 | 2:00 PM

The Battlefords North Stars are coming off a big 4-0 win over the La Ronge Ice Wolves that saw goaltender Joel Grzybowski collect his first shutout of the season, and get the team back into the win column. Tonight the North Stars will swap out their goaltender and hope to repeat the feat, and as Taylor Swift would say, play it again.

For La Ronge, the Ice Wolves will be hoping to bounce back and break the iron-clad seal of the Stars’ defence tonight after suffering Wednesday’s 4-0 defeat to the black and silver at the Civic Centre. La Ronge  lost three-straight heading in to this evening, but even more concerning is the way in which they have lost; only being able to muster a couple of goals in the process, being outscored 15-2 over their last three games combined.

The Ice Wolves will have their hands full again tonight with the North Stars’ top line. Featuring MacGregor Sinclair, Matthias Urbanski and Ryan Gil, the star-studded unit have been sheer dynamite since being assembled prior to the Stars’ Oct. 12 game against Melville.

Pilling on a combined 14 points through their three-game stretch together since, this line has been nothing short of dominant most every time they step on the ice.

The second line, featuring Braydon Buziak between Owen Lamb and Elijah Loon-Stewardson stuck like glue together, providing an excellent mix of two-way play and edge, keeping the opposition honest, and often times keeping them looking over their shoulder as well, as they go back to retrieve pucks in their defensive end.

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The Brett Gammer centred line, featuring the former Midget AAA standout between wingers Regan Doig and Austin Becker has also settled in nicely thanks to the group’s complimenting skillsets.

Gammer, always the first guy to the front of the net on the attack, and still somehow the first guy back defensively, has proven himself to be an unrelenting thorn in the side of each team the Stars play with his dogged puck pursuit in all three zones. Add in the bullish nature of Doig along the side boards and in the corner, with Becker’s cerebral approach, and ability to construct plays in tight quarters and this line has it all.  

Tanner Robin, and Dylan Esau, the two youngest members of the Stars’ hockey club, seem to be gaining more and more confidence by the game. Robin, coming off a performance Wednesday that saw him score his first career SJHL goal, was a force on Wednesday night hanging onto the puck and creating plays in flight. The pair will be centered tonight by Saskatoon’s Kaden Boser, a big body with a game custom-made for a showdown like this evening.

On the backend, the Stars will be without one of their premier defenders in Matthew Fletcher.

Fletcher will miss his first game of the season, only one game after being reunited with his usual running mate, Jacob Bayne. Bayne will be making his third appearance tonight since returning from injury Oct. 13 against Yorkton. In Fletcher’s absence, Ryan Granville will draw back into the fold and line up opposite Bayne.

Cody Spagrud continues to impress as the Stars’ backbone of the organization. With another assist Wednesday night, the veteran blue liner has now amassed four points over his last three games, jumping in on the play and sometimes even leading the attack. Tanner Scott, opposite him, offers a great compliment to the Stars’ captain and the pair will once again stick this evening.

Austin Shumanski will find Seth Summers to his right, on a pair that will no doubt provide the Stars will equal-parts brute force physicality and mobility up and down ice.

In net, Jake Davidson will get the nod tonight for the North Stars. Making his second start between the pipes for the team this season, and third of his SJHL career, Davidson will no doubt be hoping to channel a little bit of the magic from his last start back on Sept. 23, also against La Ronge; a game that saw him help his team to a 6-3 win at the league showcase.

Fans of the North Stars can attend tonight’s action at the NB Civic Centre and tune in to 1050 CJNB to catch all the action. Pre-game will be at 7:15 p.m. with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

North Stars lineup at a glance

Forwards:

M. Urbanski, M. Sinclair, R. Gil

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

A. Becker, B. Gammer, R. Doig

T. Robin, K. Boser, D. Esau

Defense:

T. Scott, C. Spagrud

J. Bayne, R. Granville

A. Shumanski, S. Summers

Goaltenders:

J. Davidson

A. Dmyterko

Injured:

M. Fletcher

N. Form

L. Spence

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1