North Stars forward Marshall Light picked up a goal and an assist in his return to the lineup in Weyburn Friday, bringing added speed and spark to the fourth line. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

On the Road Again

North Stars head to La Ronge for showdown with Ice Wolves

Jan 17, 2023 | 2:29 PM

Just mere days after returning from the road following their three-game swing through southern Saskatchewan, the Battlefords North Stars will jump back on the bus Tuesday, as the team heads 4.5 hours north to meet the Ice Wolves in La Ronge.

Tuesday’s game will be the Stars’ seventh in their last 13 days since returning from the holiday break. The North Stars (33-1-2-1) enter play with a 20-point lead atop the league standings, having won 16 of their last 17 games, but looking to bounce back quickly from a tough 5-0 loss to Estevan in their last game on Saturday.

The Ice Wolves (22-13-2-1) sit second in the Sherwood Division and fifth overall. Despite just three wins in their last 10, the team look to have turned the corner of late, coming off an 8-3 win over Melville Saturday.

The North Stars are led into play by recently-named SJHL Defenseman of the Week, Tynan Ewart. Ewart received league-wide recognition for his play on the trip, which included scoring the game-winner in Weyburn, and four points in three games total.

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With nine points over his last seven games, the veteran blue-liner leads all at the position this season with 33 points in 36 games, in addition to his heavy minutes played on the back end defensively.

Kian Bell (33 goals, 63 points) and Holden Doell (20 goals, 63 points) co-lead the Stars and sit tied atop the SJHL leaderboard in scoring, while captain Jake Southgate (14 goals, 52 points) sits third overall in points on the campaign.

At the other end, perhaps the most impressive about La Ronge’s eight-goal explosion Saturday was that it came without top-line centre Ethan Strik. Strik will also be absent Tuesday night against the Battlefords, serving the fifth and final game of his spearing suspension from Jan. 3rd against Flin Flon.

Ice Wolves captain, Walker Jarome is coming off a goal Saturday and has three in his last three games heading into Tuesday.

Jacob Visentini and Trenton Curtis are also among the players to watch on the Ice Wolves, with the former (Visentini) coming off a two-point night with a goal and an assist, and the latter (Curtis) having also scored points in five straight.

In goal, the Stars will start Justen Maric for his second straight game, following a 35-save effort against the Bruins. Maric is 9-1-0-0 this season with a 2.70 goals against average and a .927 save percentage.

La Ronge is likely to tap starter Dawson Smith after a rare rest against Melville. In 25 games this season, Smith is 15-7-0-1-1 with a 2.38 goals against average and a .934 save percentage.

Tuesday’s game 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