Evan Waldie and his North Stars teammates will play night two of their three-in-three road swing Friday night in Melville. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Road Swing Continues

Stars aim for 10th straight as scene shifts to Melville

Dec 16, 2022 | 3:30 PM

Coming off a 9-6 victory in Yorkton a night ago, the Battlefords North Stars will return to action in Melville Friday to take on the Millionaires on night two of their three-game swing.

The North Stars (26-0-2-1) enter play in top spot of the league standings, having played some of their best hockey of late, as the team shoots for their 10^th straight victory.

The Millionaires (8-19-3-1) are fourth in the Viterra Division and 11^th overall in the league standings and are desperate to snap a seven-game skid, back on their home ice.

Friday’s game will feature no shortage of firepower, with five of the top eight scorers in the SJHL.

The North Stars’ trio of Kian Bell (49 points), Holden Doell (45 points) and Jake Southgate (44 points) sit 1-2-3 in league scoring this year, while the Mills’ dynamic duo of Noah Wills (36 points) and Zach Cain (34 points) are sixth and eighth respectively.

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Additionally, the Stars saw seven different players get on the board with goals Thursday night.

Steven Kesslering, Jackson Allan, Colby Bear, and Riley Girod also chipped in with a single on the night, while Keiton Klein added three assists, in addition to another four goals and eight points by the Stars’ top line.

With firepower on both sides, special teams and goaltending will need to be sharp.

The North Stars will see Josh Kotai make his return between the pipes, after a night’s rest, Thursday. Kotai’s 18 wins are a league-best, as are his 1.94 goals against average and .945 save percentage.

Melville is likely to counter with Clement Labillois, who is 4-6-0-2 in 13 games, with a 3.32 goals against average and .907 save percentage.

The Battlefords do hold the edge on special teams heading into play, as the Stars’ power play cashed four times Thursday to improve to 24 percent on the season (second), while their PK is fourth at 84 percent.

Melville sits 11^th on the power play at 13 percent, while their penalty kill is 12^th at 77 percent.

Friday’s game in Melville will be available on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 6:30 p.m., with puck drop to follow at 7 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1