Stars build SFMAAAHL dynasty, win fourth Fedoruk Cup in last five years

Anna Leschyshyn, right, lifts the Fedoruk Cup, while Ashley Messier cheers.

    It felt like it was just a matter of time before the Saskatoon Stars championship pedigree was going to rise to the surface.

    On Tuesday, the Stars were looking to sweep the best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Championship series in a Game 3 clash against the Regina Rebels at Merlis Belsher Place. The host Stars seemed to start a little slow coming out of the gate, and the Rebels held a slight edge in play holding a 10-8 edge in shots on goal over the first 20 minutes.

    At that point, the Stars hit another gear.

    Just nine seconds into the second period, Stars star veteran winger Anna Leschyshyn blew home a power-play goal to the top corner of the Regina goal to give the Stars a 1-0 advantage.

Anna Leschyshyn had the Stars first goal on Tuesday.

    The Rebels evened things at 1-1 just 29 second later on a goal from 15-year-old forward Neena Brick, who was the SFMAAAHL’s rookie of the year this season.

    Saskatoon responded with two goals before the second frame ended to go up 3-1 and cruised to a 3-2 victory.

    With the win, the Stars swept the SFMAAAHL title series 3-0 and captured the Fedoruk Cup as league champions for the fourth time in the last five years.

    “It is obviously really special,” said Stars veteran captain Grace Shirley. “We’ve kind of been working for this ever since the beginning of the season.

    “It is really awesome that we could get the win. It is pretty special, because it is my last year. I kind of wanted to go out of the league on a winning note.

Neena Brick scored for the Rebels on Tuesday.

    “It is obviously super special, and I’m excited for what’s next.”

    When the Rebels evened the game up at 1-1, the Stars didn’t get rattled. They controlled the majority of the play for the rest of the contest.

    At the 4:12 mark of the second, Shirley put the Stars ahead 2-1 when her seemingly innocent backhand shot had eyes and found its way past Rebels netminder Chantel Weller.

    Shirley said her goal was a lucky one, but despite the luck, her team found its edge offensively.

    “I think started just like playing our game offensively and getting shots and chances,” said Shirley. “Once we started to do that, they started to go in for us, so it was good.”

Captain Grace Shirley had a goal for the Stars on Tuesday.

    With 1:37 remaining in the second period, rookie forwards Halle Helperl and Kaylee Baun teamed up to set up 17-year-old veteran linemate Kaitlin Jockims for a goal to put the Stars up 3-1.

    The Rebels were held to just two shots on goal in the third period, but one of those shots resulted in a goal from veteran 17-year-old forward Samantha Sichkaruk that cut the Stars lead to 3-2 with 8:50 remaining in the frame.

    During the dying seconds of the third, the Rebels had a huge chance to tie the game, but a final desperate shot by Brick from in close on the left side of the Saskatoon goal went just wide of its mark.

    Rookie Stars forward Haylee Kos, who turned 15-years-old in early February, said her team’s confidence was still high even after the Rebels closed to within 3-2.

    “There was a little bit of nervousness, because we got so close,” said Kos. “I think we all had some pretty good composure.

Sydney Pedersen brings the puck up ice for the Rebels.

    “We kept our defence up.”

    When the third period clock hit zero, Kos said she screamed and jumped over the boards as fast as she could to celebrate with her teammates. She said this was a dream moment during her journey in her rookie campaign.

    “It is absolutely incredible,” said Kos. “It was a little bit chaotic at first adjusting to everything, but I think once I got used to it, it was one of the best experiences of my life.”

    Arden Kliewer made 15 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Weller turned away 24 shots to take the setback in net for the Rebels.

    Saskatoon finished first in the SFMAAAHL regular season with a 27-1 mark, which was the best record the team ever posted in regular season play. Regina was second with a 17-7-4 record.

The Stars begin celebrating their SFMAAAHL title win.

    Greg Slobodzian has guided the Stars to all four of their SFMAAAHL title victories as head coach. 
    The Stars claimed the league crown in 2015, 2016 and last season. He said it is always special to finish as the top team in the province and that all of the Stars SFMAAAHL championship victories had equal meaning.

    “They are all great,” said Slobodzian. “This one is really nice, because you’re with this group of girls for so long, like the other ones too.

    “We’ve got a pretty big graduating class this year. We’ve got some young girls here that I am so happy that they get a chance to experience this. They are all great.

The crowd at Merlis Belsher Place salutes the Stars for their title win.

    “This one is just like all the other ones. I’m going to be enjoying it for a long time.”

    The Stars will now host the Manitoba female midget AAA champion Westman Wildcats from Hartney in a best-of-three Western regional playdown series. The dates and times of that series are still to be announced. It is expected the series will start around April 5.

    The winner of that series advances to the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament to be held April 21 to 27 in Sudbury, Ont.

The Stars pose for the traditional team championship photo.

    Saskatoon has advanced to the Esso Cup the three previous times it has won the SFMAAAHL title.

    Shirley is pumped to get the chance to play in another regional playdown series.

    “It is awesome,” said Shirley. “I think any time you get to play more games it is good.

    “I think we are just going to keep getting better and see where that takes us.”

    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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Stars’ Fiala surpasses 100 career points in SFMAAAHL

Shirley ties for second on Saskatoon’s all-time scoring list

Joelle Fiala collected her 100th career regular season point.

    Joelle Fiala was oblivious to the fact she became just the 20^th player to hit a lofty milestone in the history of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League.

    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 20^th 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 20^th 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.

    Committed to play for the Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks next season, Fiala is one of three players on the Stars roster to have scored 100 or more points in regular season play.

Joelle Fiala current has 102 career regular season points.

    Captain Grace Shirley has 126 points coming off of 73 goals and 53 assists in 86 regular season games. Anna Leschyshyn has 116 points coming off 56 goals and 60 assists in 91 career regular season games.
    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.

    “I kind of like just want to go out there and work my hardest, and I want our team to do well. I don’t really think I am too worried about that right now.”

    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.

    Jamieson turned away 30 shots to take the setback in goal for the Prairie Fire, who are 0-2.

    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.

    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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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.