North Stars defenseman Jordan Gibbs enters the New Year with 20 points through his first 29 games this season, his first of SJHL play. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Stars Shooting for 12th straight

North Stars kick off New Year in clash with Ice Wolves

Jan 4, 2023 | 2:00 PM

The Battlefords North Stars will return to the ice at the ACC for their first game of the New Year Wednesday night, to kick off 2023 in a heavyweight tilt against La Ronge.

The North Stars (28-0-2-1) enter the back half of their schedule in top spot of the league standings with 59 points. As the lone team in the nation still undefeated in regulation time, the Stars enter play on an 11-game winning streak.

The Ice Wolves (21-11-2-1) sit third overall, with their 45 points tied with second place Flin Flon to lead the field, though the Bombers do hold four games in hand. The Ice Wolves are 4-4-1-1 over their last 10 games and will be looking to snap a three-game skid. They fell 4-3 to the Bombers in their first game of the new year Tuesday night.

La Ronge is one of just three teams to beat the Stars this season, with Melfort and Humboldt being the others, each once apiece. The Stars lead the season series with two wins, heading into the fourth installment.

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Headlining Wednesday’s contest will be a showdown of two of the premier goaltenders in the SJHL this season.

Stars’ goaltender Josh Kotai has been on a historic pace with a league-leading 20-0-2-1 record through his first 23 games, while also being the only goaltender to post a sub-2.00 goals-against average, with a 1.99 GAA, and .944 save percentage.

Ice Wolves’ netminder Dawson Smith sits third in wins with a 15-5-1-1 record while trailing only Kotai with a 2.35 goals against average and .935 save percentage. Smith is coming off a busy night Tuesday that saw him stop 46/50 Bombers shots.

The two netminders will likely see a lot of rubber again Wednesday night, as the Stars possess the league’s top offense (4.9 goals per game), while La Ronge is also top-five in goals per game with 3.4 scored per contest.

The Battlefords’ offense is led by the dominant trio of Kian Bell (54 points), Holden Doell (52 points) and Jake Southgate (48 points), as the three sit 1-2-3 in league scoring.

Bell is the SJHL’s defending Player of the Month, after scoring nine goals and 18 points in eight games through the month of December, while each of Southgate and Doell recently made their commitments to Division I NCAA programs, after being recognized for their play this season.

La Ronge is led offensively by their own ‘big three’ of sorts, comprised of centres Ethan Strik and Trenton Curtis, and winger, Walker Jarome.

Strik paces the pack with a team-high 15 goals and 33 points, followed by the captain Jarome’s 11 goals and 31 points. Curtis, who often centres Jarome on a separate line, also has 11 goals with 25 points.

Wednesday’s game at the ACC will be available on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7 p.m., with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1