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North Stars sweep Wings for second straight year

Mar 22, 2018 | 12:32 AM

Rookie forward Elijah Loon-Stewardson scored his first career playoff goal in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, netting the overtime winner that catapulted the Battlefords North Stars to the second round of the playoffs.

His game-winning-goal halfway through the first overtime gave the second-seeded North Stars a 3-2 win over the Weyburn Red Wings in game four of their quarter-final series and completed the four-game sweep.

“Good things happen to good people and [Loon-Stewardson] has worked extremely hard,” North Stars head coach Brandon Heck said in the post-game show on CJNB/CJNS. “He’s a pleasure when he comes to the rink. He listens. He wants to get better. The guys love him.

“His poise with the puck is evidence by that play. How many people would have shot that and he took it to the forehand, on a hard backhand pass too. That’s a tough pass to handle, so credit to him for having the confidence.”

Wednesday’s series clinching game was marked by a tremendous goaltending performance from Red Wings netminder Arik Weersink, who made 52 saves in the contest.

In the two home games for Weyburn, the Lethbridge native made 84 saves on 89 shots, for a .944 save percentage.

The North Stars outshot Weyburn 55-24 in game four, and in the end they made sure that Weersink’s standout performance wasn’t the difference.

“We weren’t panicking,” Heck said. “Cole Johnson, probably the most intense guy, he was calm on the bench: ‘We’re going to get one. Keep shooting.’ It was a great bench and guys love the challenge. Those games are fun to play. Not stressful.”

Johnson had two assists on Wednesday, including setting up Loon-Stewardson’s game-winner. The Marwayne, Alta. native finished the series with six points in four games.

“He was oustanding,” Heck said of Johnson. “That [overtime] goal was just created by him being on his toes on the faceoff. Beating and chipping it by [Mike] Eskra, one of the best d-men in the league. Not a fifth or sixth d-man, he beat a stud, so that’s how quick he is.”

Brad Girard had the first North Stars goal, tying the game halfway through the first period. Cade Kowalski would put the home side up 2-1 halfway through the third period on a redirection in front, but MacGregor Sinclair responded for the North Stars just 19 seconds later on a deflection of his own.

Young and Sinclair each had ‘just’ two points in the two road games of the series, after posting six and five points, respectively, in the first two games of the series in North Battleford.

Heck said to credit them both for being covered closely all series.

“They fought through a ton of tight checking. Young got shadowed some shifts, guy on his hip,” Heck said. “[Young] was frustrated after his penalty in the first period. Took an uncharacteristic play and he went outside [in the intermission] and refocused and didn’t let it get to him. He loved the challenge. They were great on the penalty kill too.”

Other quarter-final series

The North Stars weren’t the only Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team to advance to the semifinals on Wednesday, as the Estevan Bruins swept the Kindersley Klippers thanks to a 3-2 win in game four.

Humboldt also topped Melfort 3-2 in overtime to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, while Nipawin topped Flin Flon 5-2 to also take a 3-1 series lead.

The North Stars will face Estevan in the semifinal if Humboldt and Nipawin win their respective series. If Flin Flon upsets, they will face the North Stars. If Melfort wins, they will face the North Stars.

No matter who they play, Heck said to pull off the sweep is huge.

“With how hard and how physical we were in this series, the extra break is going to do our bodies well,” he said. “We had guys playing banged up so it’s nice to be done quick. With the parity in the SJHL, you don’t want to take anything for granted, so when you wrap it up, you’re just happy.”

 

 

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NathanKanter11