Stars flashback to the past, roll over Northern Bears 7-2

The Stars celebrate Makena Kushniruk’s first period goal.

Someone should have checked the lineup card, because you would have thought Mackenna Parker, Grace Shirley, Anna Leschyshyn, Joelle Fiala, Kaitlin Jockims, Ashley Messier and Chace Sperling were dressed for the Saskatoon Stars on Sunday afternoon.

The Stars scored early - with captain Mackena Kushniruk tallying just 14 seconds into the first period - and often rolling over their traditional rivals the Prince Albert Northern Bears 7-2 at the SaskTel Centre.

The result was a stark contrast to the previous day, when the two sides met in Prince Albert at the Art Hauser Centre. In that encounter, the host Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead ultimately posting a 3-1 victory holding a 35-26 edge in shots on goal.

Sydney Mercier had two goals and two assists for the Stars.

In that contest that was the regular season opener for both sides, Kiara Stewart, captain Paris Oleksyn and Haley Kicia staked the Bears out to their 3-0 lead. Left-winger Sydney Mercier replied for the Stars on the power play with 76 seconds remaining in the third.

Janae Neufeld made 25 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Bears. Kaitlyn Cadrain turned away 32 shots to take the setback in goal for the Stars.

In the return match on Sunday at the SaskTel Centre, the Stars hit the ice with some serious jump in their stride.

Makena Kushniruk had a goal and two assists for the Stars.

Their top line of Kushniruk, Mercier and Emma Gaudet combined for four goals and five assists. The hosts led 2-0 after the first, 4-1 after the second before rounding out the 7-2 final.

It seemed like the spirit of the Stars old long time home in the Agriplace Arena made the walking distance trip over to the neighbouring SaskTel Centre.

In those old days at Agriplace Arena, the Stars now graduated greats used to fill opposing net on a nightly basis causing the flashing green lights on the rink’s stanchions to stay seeming permanently on as “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis echoed through the building’s rafters.

That generation of the Stars won league titles 2015, 2016 and 2018 at the Agriplace Arena before moving to Merlis Belsher Place and capturing another league championship in 2019.

The Stars celebrate Kaylee Baun’s first period goal.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Stars aren’t able to use Merlis Belsher Place as a home arena this season as it has been converted into a field hospital in waiting. As a result, they have been forced to move out to the SaskTel Centre along with the Saskatoon Contacts of the SMAAAHL and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams from U Sports.

With most of the players from their SFU18AAAHL championship teams having moved on due to graduation, the Stars went through a reloading campaign last season posting a sound 12-14-4 record.

Kushniruk is the only holdover from the last Stars team that called Agriplace home. She was a sophomore on the Stars last team to win the Fedoruk Cup as league champions in 2019, while the other holdovers in Cadrain, Haylee Kos, Alison Olorenshaw, Bridget Rezansoff, Halle Helperl and Kaylee Baun were all rookies.

Kaitlyn Cadrain made 29 saves for the Stars on Sunday.

The Fedoruk Cup wasn’t award last season due to the under-18 female AAA playoffs being cancelled nationally due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just to be clear, the current Stars do not have the special talent level their league championship teams had that resulted in dominant lopsided wins game in and game out. The current Stars have talent, but they have to rely on their work ethic being strong to win on a nightly basis making them create their own current identity along the way.

Still, it had to feel good that for one night they could emulate their special squads from the past against an opponent who has been their biggest rival.

After Kushniruk put the Stars up 1-0, they went up 2-0, when Baum potted home a loose puck beside the Prince Albert net for a power-play goal.

Emma Gaudet nets her first career Stars regular season goal.

In between those tallies, Cadrain turned away Oleksyn, who tried to score on a backhanded attempt on a penalty shot.

While the Stars held a 2-0 edge after 20 minutes, the Bears didn’t go away. Kicia blasted home a goal at the 10:52 mark of the second to cut the Stars lead to 2-1.

Before the second frame ended, the Stars responded with two goals 61 seconds apart to surge ahead 4-1.

Working on the power play, Kushniruk found Mercier with a pass open at the ride side of the Bears net, and Mercier popped home her first tally of the contest to give the Stars a 3-1 edge.

The Saskatoon lead expanded to 4-1 when 15-year-old rookie center Keyra Buziak found a loose puck at the left side of Bears net and fired the puck into an open cage to record her first career SFU18AAAHL goal.

Keyra Buziak scored her first career Stars regular season goal.

At the 8:20 mark of the third, Sophia Zuck scored for the Bears to cut the Stars lead to 4-2.

Saskatoon proceeded to close out the contest with a three goal surge with tallies coming off the sticks of Helperl, Gaudet and Mercier, who collected her second marker on the afternoon. Gaudet’s tally was her first career SFU18AAAHL career goal skating in her second season with the Stars.

Cadrain made 29 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Brooke Archer, who is a 15-year-old rookie making her first career SFU18AAAHL regular season start, turned away 27 shots to take the setback in goal for the Bears.

Assuming all goes in a positive direction on the COVID-19 pandemic front, the Bears will return to action this coming Saturday when they host the Battlefords Sharks at 4:30 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre. The Stars are off until Saturday, Nov. 28 when they are slated to host the Sharks at 2 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

The Stars begin to celebrate their victory on Sunday.

The result of Sunday’s game between the Stars and Bears will likely not foreshadow how the rest of the season will go.

For one game, the Stars got to revel in the spoils of a great outing.

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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