North Stars captain, Jake Southgate has been the model of consistency through the early going this season, with five goals and nine points in eight games heading into play Friday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Homestand begins

North Stars host Weyburn in drive for ninth straight

Oct 7, 2022 | 2:14 PM

The Battlefords North Stars return to home ice Friday night, for their first of two games this weekend in a back-to-back with the Weyburn Red Wings.

Kicking off an eight-game homestand for Stars this month, Friday’s game will be the team’s first meeting with the Wings since their opening game of the League Showcase last month, an 8-0 Battlefords’ victory.

Stars head coach Brayden Klimosko said his group will be ready for a motivated Red Wings team looking to respond.

“We know they’ll be ready and we’ll have to be as well,” Klimosko said. “They had a big win last night, a character win, and they’re a scrappy bunch, so we’re going to see everyone’s best when they come in here and we’re looking forward to it.”

The North Stars (8-0) enter play in search of their ninth straight win to open the season, against a Weyburn team (4-5) who have won two of their first three games since the turn of the calendar to October, including most recently a 3-2 shootout victory over Nipawin Thursday night.

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Stars’ forward, Steven Kesslering leads the SJHL with eight goals this season, while his 13 points in eight games are just a single back of the league’s high-water mark as well. Kesslering is coming off a two-goal performance against La Ronge and back-to-back multi-point games overall, with two assists versus Melfort the game prior.

Kian Bell, who has scored three goals in his last two games also enters the weekend red-hot for the Battlefords, with three goals in his last two, and four goals, eight points through his first five games with the team.

Weyburn is led on the offensive end by forward Kirk Mullen, who paces the Wings with five goals and nine points through nine games this season.

Jackson Hassman sits second in Weyburn scoring with four goals and five points and has been especially involved of late with a pair of goals and 24 minutes in penalties over his last four outings.

In goal, Justen Maric will make the second start of his SJHL career for the Battlefords, after winning his debut in Melfort last week, in the Stars’ 5-4 overtime thriller. Maric has a 3.97 goals against average and .879 save percentage through one game this year.

Weyburn are likely to start Dazza Mitchell at the other end. Mitchell has played seven of his team’s first nine games, with a 2.28 goals against average and .925 save percentage.

The North Stars do hold the edge in special teams’ play overall, with the league’s second-best power play clicking at over 26 percent on the year to Weyburn’s 12 percent (11^th).

However, the Wings have been slightly better on the penalty kill, with an 81 percent efficiency to the Stars’ 78 percent.

Friday’s game in North Battleford will be available on 93.3 The Rock. The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Broadcast will begin with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m., with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1