Shirley ties for second on
Saskatoon’s all-time scoring list
Joelle Fiala collected her 100th career regular season point. |
Playing against the host Prairie Fire in Melville last
Saturday, Fiala collected a goal and three assists to help her Saskatoon Stars
post a 5-0 victory. When the Clavet, Sask., product assisted on the Stars final
goal, she became the 20th player to score 100 career points in
regular season play in the SFMAAAHL.
When the two sides met again last Sunday in Melville, Fiala
had a goal and an assist to help the Stars claim another 5-0 victory. Thanks to
the points she recorded in those two outings, Fiala has 39 goals and 63 assists
for 102 points in 88 career SFMAAAHL regular season games all played with the Stars.
The news of the
milestone came as a surprise to the skilled forward, when she was told about
it.
“I didn’t know I did
(it),” said Fiala, who has three goals and four assists over the Stars first
four games this season. “I wasn’t really paying attention, but it is really
exciting.
“I definitely
thought before I was on the Stars that is not something that would happen for
me. It is really exciting that I’ve been able to work towards that.”
Entering the current
campaign, Fiala needed to collect five points to total 100 career points in
SFMAAAHL regular season play. She never thought about hitting that milestone as
the season started and progressed through its early stages.
Fiala was pumped to
hear she was just the 20th player to hit that milestone in scoring.
“Now that I’ve
achieved that, I just have to keep on pushing through,” said Fiala, who stands
5-foot-8.
Joelle Fiala current has 102 career regular season points. |
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. Parker is the Stars all-time leading scorer.
Fiala said fact the
Stars have had four players break the 100-point barrier over the past two
seasons shows how good the team has been in recent years. The Stars have won
three out of the last four SFMAAAHL titles and fell in the Esso Cup gold medal
national championship game 2-1 to the Alberta based St. Albert Slash last
April.
“We’ve all made each
other better in different ways and push each other,” said Fiala. “We’re all
equal, and we are all going to be pushing towards the same thing.”
Fiala wasn’t the
only Stars player to hit a milestone last weekend. Collecting a goal and two
assists in the Stars victory over the Prairie Fire last Saturday, Shirley
equaled former Stars captain Lauren Zary for second on the team’s all-time
scoring list.
Zary 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 NCAA ranks and the
University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in U Sports. Her 82
career assists is the Stars team record.
Shirley will sit
alone for second on the Stars all-time regular season scoring list and fifth on
the all-time SFMAAAHL regular season scoring list, when she collects her next
point.
“I really try not to
focus on that too much,” said Shirley, who has three goals and five assists
over the Stars first four games. “I don’t try to think about it too much.
Fiala was pumped to find out she scored her 100th point. |
Shirley, who stands
5-foot-8, believes she will reflect more on her milestones, when she hangs up
her skates.
“I think in the
moment you are focusing on getting better and kind of how the team is and team
success,” said Shirley, who has committed to play for the NCAA powerhouse
University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team next season. “Maybe it is
something to look back on in the future.
“I think right now
it is just kind of focusing on developing and having a good season with the
team.”
Stars head coach
Greg Slobodzian was proud to see both Fiala and Shirley reach their most recent
milestones.
“It is always
rewarding for them and for a coach to sort of be around while they get them,”
said Slobodzian. “Those two girls are very special players.
“They deserve all
the milestones that they will achieve and all the awards that they will
achieve. It is not going to stop with the Stars obviously. They are going to go
on and have very healthy and positive careers in the game of hockey.
“Getting the chance
to be around them when they are young like this, it is a lot of fun. Those
little achievements and awards mean a lot. It is not only for them, but for the
team as well. Everyone feeds off of it when someone does well.”
Also in last Saturday’s
win, the Stars receive singles from Kaitlin Jockims, Leschyshyn and Jayda
Sachs. Kaitlyn Cadrain, who is a 15-year-old rookie, turned away 17 shots to
pick up her first career regular season SFMAAAHL shutout and win in her first
career start.
Cheyenne Jamieson
turned away 32 shots to take the setback in goal for Melville.
In last Sunday’s
win, Jockims had a hat trick for the Stars, while Haylee Kos, who is an
underage 14-year-old rookie forward, had a single for her first career SFMAAAHL
goal.
Arden Kliewer, who
is the Stars 16-year-old veteran netminder, turned away 18 shots to pick up the
win in goal for the Stars, who are 4-0.
Grace Shirley has piled up 126 career regular season points with the Stars. |
The Stars return to
action this coming Saturday, when they travel to Weyburn to face the Richardson
Pioneer Gold Wings (0-4).
Fiala, Shirley and
Leschyshyn are three of five active players in the SFMAAAHL who have scored 100
or more career regular season points. Taylor Lind, who is the all-time leading
scorer for the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats, has 117 career points
coming off 66 goals and 51 assists in 60 career regular season games.
Abby Soyko, who is
the all-time leading scorer for the Prince Albert Northern Bears, has 103
points coming off 53 goals and 50 assists in 112 career regular season games.
The SFMAAAHL’s
inaugural season was played in 2006-07.
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