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| Grace Shirley (#14) drives hard to the net for the Saskatoon Stars. |
Julia Rongve always seems to be the perfect fit to play on a
line that features a Shirley.
Two years ago, Rongve was part of a dynamic 15-year-old
sophomore forward line featuring Sophie Shirley and Nara Elia with the
Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team. Playing with Shirley and Elia, who were
both recently named to Canada’s under-18 national team, Rongve piled up six
goals and 17 assists in 28 regular season games in 2014-15.
These days Rongve is a 17-year-old veteran with the Stars,
and she has been playing in a line with Sophie Shirley’s younger sister, Grace.
Last season, Grace Shirley exploded on to the scene with the Stars piling up 18
goals and 14 assists as a 14-year-old rookie, and she is having another
standout campaign as a 15-year-old sophomore.
On Sunday at the Agriplace Arena, Grace Shirley and Rongve
combined for three goals and five assists to power the Stars to a 7-2 victory
over the Battlefords Sharks.
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| The Stars celebrate a goal from Julia Rongve. |
With 1:56 to play in the first, the Stars broke through for
a 1-0 lead, when winger Joelle Fiala rifled home a power-play goal from the
front of the Sharks net.
Early in the second, Shirley and Rongve played a key part in
helping the Stars score twice in a 35-second span to go ahead 3-0. They combined
to set up 14-year-old rookie defender Chace Sperling for her fifth goal of the
season. After that tally, Rongve proceeded to set up Shirley for her first goal
of the night.
Saskatoon’s edge expanded to 4-0, when offensive defender
Willow Slobodzian scored a highlight reel goal on a solo end-to-end rush.
Shirley and Rongve proceeded to combine for their most
memorable goal of the night off an offensive zone faceoff. On an offensive draw
with under seven minutes to play in the second, Shirley pushed towards with
goal with the puck, fed a beauty pass across the face of the Sharks goal to
Rongve, who tapped the puck into an open cage to give Saskatoon a 5-0 edge.
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| Joelle Fiala potted the Stars first goal on Sunday. |
With just over five minutes to play in the third and working
on a power play of their own, Rongve set up Shirley for her second tally of the
contest put Saskatoon in front 6-2. Anna Leschyshyn rounded out the Stars
scoring with a single.
Jordan Ivanco made 22 stops to earn the win in goal for the
Stars. Weller stopped 47 shots to take the loss in net for the Sharks (3-11-1).
Thanks to Sunday’s performance, Rongve now has eight goals and
12 assists in 17 games. Her goal total is a career high, and she will likely
pass her career highs in assists and points, which were set playing alongside
Sophie Shirley and Elia.
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| Willow Slobodzian scored a short-handed goal on a coast-to-coast rush. |
The Bears and Prairie Fire trail the Stars due to the fact
three of their wins have come in extra time, while all of Saskatoon’s victories
have come in regulation. In the SFMAAAHL, you earn three points in the standings
for a regulation victory and two points for an extra time win.
Saskatoon’s Christmas break comes to an end on Dec. 27, when
the Stars open play at the prestigious Mac’s Tournament in Calgary against the Prince
George, B.C., based Northern Capitals.
The Stars next regular season game is Jan. 7 in the new
year, when they host the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats at 7:45 p.m. at
the Agriplace Arena.
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comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
