Shirley passes Zary as Stars second all-time leading scorer

Grace Shirley has become the Stars second all-time leading scorer.

    Grace Shirley continued to cement her place as one of the greatest to ever play in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League last weekend.

    On Saturday at Crescent Point Place in Weyburn, Shirley picked up an assist on the Saskatoon Stars first goal of the game against the host Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings to become the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the Stars program. The Stars captain teamed with offensive defender Ashley Messier to set up Anna Leschyshyn for a goal just 19 seconds into the contest to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.

    The assist on Leschyshyn’s marker gave Shirley 127 regular season points in her SFMAAAHL career moving her one point past Lauren Zary for second on the Stars all-time scoring list.

    Zary, who is a former Stars captain, collected her 126 points off 44 goals and 82 assists playing 103 career regular season games for the Stars from 2008 to 2012. Following her time with the Stars, Zary played for the Brown University Bears women’s hockey team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in U Sports. 

    Her 82 career assists is the Stars team record, and she is the sixth all-time leader in career regular season points in the SFMAAAHL.

    Against the Gold Wings on Saturday, Shirley, who stands 5-foot-8, piled up four goals and two assists as the Stars romped to a 14-1 victory. Thanks to that effort, Shirley, who has been a member of Canada’s national under-18 women’s hockey team, now has 77 goals and 55 assists for 132 points in 88 career SFMAAAHL regular season games.

    The 17-year-old centre vaulted to fourth on the SFMAAAHL’s career regular season points list passing Brienna Gillanders in the process. Gillanders, who is now the circuit’s fifth all-time leader in career regular season points, piled up 57 goals and 74 assists for 131 points playing 111 career regular season games from 2006 to 2010 with the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats and the Notre Dame Hounds.
    She moved on to play for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs women’s hockey team.

Grace Shirley has scored 77 career regular season goals for the Stars.

    Shirley, who has committed to play for the NCAA’s University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team next season, jumped into third on the SFMAAAHL’s career regular season goals list as well passing Alyssa Wiebe. Wiebe piled up 74 goals and 68 assists for 142 points in 55 regular season games with the Hounds playing in the SFMAAAHL’s first two regular seasons ever from 2006 to 2008. 

    Wiebe, who moved on the play for the now defunct University of North Dakota women’s hockey team in the NCAA, is the third all-time regular season leading scorer in the SFMAAAHL.

    Former Stars superstar Mackenna Parker graduated from the club at the end of last season finishing as the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL with 158 points coming off 82 goals and 76 assists in 104 career regular season games. A former Saskatoon team captain, Parker, who now plays for the Boston University Terriers women’s hockey team in the NCAA, is the Stars all-time leading scorer.

    Sophomore 15-year-old forward Calli Arnold had a big game for the Stars on Saturday piling up three goals and three assists, while Messier recorded a goal and five assists. Defender Emily Holmes had five assists for the Stars, and forward Kaitlin Jockims had two goals and two assists.

    Kaylee Baun, Joelle Fiala and Abby DeCorby round out the goal scoring for the Stars with singles.

Kaitlyn Cadrain turned away 15 shots to pick up the win in goal for Saskatoon.

    Kira Barham had the lone reply for the Gold Wings, and her tally tied things up at 1-1 for a time in the first period.

    Amara Lewendon turned away 46 shots to take the setback in goal for the Weyburn.

Sunday’s encounter by these same two clubs in Weyburn was a lot more hotly contested. With the two teams locked in a 2-2 tie, rookie 15-year-old defender Bridget Rezansoff scored short-handed at the 7:56 mark of the second period to give the Stars a 3-2 lead.

    Rezansoff’s tally, which was her first career SFMAAAHL regular season goal, would hold up as the game winner. Jockims scored a late third period goal for Saskatoon to secure a 4-2 victory.

Makena Kushniruk and Chace Sperling both had singles for the Stars.

Grace Shirley is the SFMAAAHL’s fourth all-time leading scorer.

    Veteran netminder Arden Kliewer turned away 17 shot to pick up the win for Saskatoon. The Stars improved to 6-0 with their two victories.

    Madison Lafoy and Mahteya Dumelie replied with singles for the Gold Wings.

    Daneka Dickson stopped 39 shots to take the setback in goal for Weyburn. The Gold Wings fell to 0-6 with their two losses.

    The Gold Wings held Shirley pointless in Sunday’s contest.

    The Stars return to action on Nov. 3, when they host their home opener at 7:30 p.m. against the Battlefords Sharks at Merlis Belsher Place. That contest will mark the Stars debut at the new rink on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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