NorthWest Stars forward, Devante Pratt (#9) battles for a rebound in front versus NorthEast earlier this season. (Submitted photo/Byron Hildebrand Photography)

By Martin Martinson

On the road again

Youthful NorthWest Stars ready for big test ahead this weekend

Oct 21, 2021 | 2:03 PM

The U18 NorthWest Stars entered the season with a young roster, looking to make a name for themselves in the Saskatchewan AA Hockey League.

And while the season is still young — with the Stars currently in possession of a 3-2 record through their opening five games — the club has more than held their own sitting just two points from top spot in the league standings heading into a big weekend ahead.

The Stars will play NorthEast (3-0-1) Saturday in Melfort before an afternoon matinee Sunday versus the AA Broncos (1-1-1) in Humboldt.

Assistant coach with the Stars, Derek Schmidt said the team is looking forward to the opportunity ahead, to earn some valuable points this weekend against a pair of teams surrounding them in the ultra-congested standings.

“Going into this weekend, these are two really important games, as there is so much parity in our league this year,” he said. “The top seven or eight teams are all separated by just a couple of points, so while I know it’s early in the season, getting four points would be huge to set us up for the rest of our year.”

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Forward, Jeremy Hanson of St. Walburg leads the NorthWest Stars with 10 points through five games, while Battlefords products, Eric Brandle (five goals, seven points) and Devante Pratt (six points) round out the top three in team scoring.

In goal, Carter Bell and Dylan Twindale have split time between the pipes, as Bell has posted a 2-1 record with an .897 save percentage through three games, and Twindale is 1-1 through two appearances, with a .906 save percentage.

Schmidt said much of the team’s early-season success has come from the play and working habits of their leadership group, which features a number of names listed above, and is spearheaded by their team captain, currently in his third year with the club.

“We have a very strong leadership core, led by our captain, Rhett Dennis,” Schmidt said. “If the other players follow Rhett and work and play as hard as he does in practice and in the game, we’ll have no problem this year.”

The NorthWest Stars will play NorthEast in Melfort Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Sunday’s game in Humboldt will then be an afternoon start at 1:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1