North Stars forward Colby Bear is coming off a four-assist effort Tuesday night, and enters play Friday with six points over his last two games. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

On the Road Again

North Stars Yorkton bound for Friday tilt with Terriers

Jan 27, 2023 | 1:55 PM

For the eighth time in their last nine games, the Battlefords North Stars will return to the road Friday. They head east to Yorkton for their first game of a back-to-back swing this weekend.

With games in Yorkton Friday and Melville Saturday, the Stars (35-3-2-1) enter play against the Terriers in top spot of the league standings, with seven wins in their last 10 games. The Stars are coming off a 9-3 victory over La Ronge earlier in the week.

The Terriers (14-25-0-1) are 10^th in the league standings, and with just two wins in their last 10, will be looking to get back in the playoff hunt on home ice. Yorkton sits six points back of Weyburn for the eighth and final playoff spot, following a 5-2 defeat to Nipawin, Tuesday.

The North Stars enter the weekend with the league’s top offense (averaging 4.9 goals per game), firing on all cylinders.

Six different players chipped in with at least a goal apiece in the Stars’ nine-goal output Tuesday, with 13 registering at least a single point in the win, and 10 with multi-point games.

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The trio of Holden Doell, Kian Bell, and Jake Southgate lead the team into play, after the three combined for two goals and six points to build on their lead atop the SJHL scoring leaders. With 67 points in 34 games (Doell), 65 in 36 (Bell), and 57 in 39 (Southgate), the line has been 1-2-3 in league scoring since the midway mark of November.

Brad Blake and defenceman Alex Izyk are each coming off two-goal games, while Colby Bear (four assists) and Keiton Klein (one goal, two helpers) are also among the Stars’ players red-hot heading into Friday.

Yorkton is led by first-year standout Dylan Ruptash, who paces the team and sits second overall in rookie scoring with 18 goals and 28 points this year. Ruptash has been especially hot of late, with five goals and six points over his last seven games.

Terriers’ matchup centre J.D. Hall, who can be expected to play the bulk of his minutes going head-to-head with the Stars’ Doell unit, has also provided a real offensive spark for his team in recent weeks. Hall has points in five of his last six games (five assists over the span), to bring his total to 21 points in 40 games.

Josh Kotai will get the nod in goal for the Stars, making his fourth straight start for the team. In 30 games this season, Kotai is 25-2-2-1 with a league-leading 2.27 goals against average and .938 save percentage.

Yorkton could start either Caleb Allen or Tysen Smith.

Allen has been a workhorse for the team, posting a 12-18-0-1 record in 31 games this season, with a 3.92 goals against average and .893 save percentage.

However, Smith has played each of the Terriers’ last two games, stopping 45/50 against Nipawin earlier in the week. In eight games this season, Smith is 1-4-0-0 with a 4.38 goals against average and .884 save percentage.

Friday’s game will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m., and 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