The Stars most memorable night at Agriplace Arena

First provincial title won in March of 2015

Kianna Dietz celebrates scoring for the Stars.

It might have been one of the most hyper championship celebrations of all time.

On March 25, 2015, the host Saskatoon Stars blanked the Prince Albert A & W Bears 2-0 in Game 3 of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series. With the win, the Stars swept the best-of-five set 3-0 and captured the Fedoruk Cup.

After the game’s final seconds ticked away at the Agriplace Arena, the Stars poured off their bench in a highly energetic celebration. They were bouncing all over the walls like young kids on a sugar rush the day after Halloween.

The pure excitement like came from the fact the Stars roster was young. The Saskatoon side had six players in their 15-year-old years and five players skating in their 14-year-old underage years.

Sophie Shirley controls the puck in the offensive zone.

Anna Leschyshyn dressed in that championship winning game as a 13-year-old associate player call up. Grace Shirley had also been playing regular season and post-season games as a 13-year-old associate player call up too.

The image of the Stars engaging in just pure and unfiltered joy was actually quite entertaining and even cute to watch. That win marked the first time the Stars won a provincial title on a circuit that is now known as the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League.

They beat their tradition rival to do it as well in a Bears side that is now known as the Prince Albert Northern Bears.

Nara Elia gets set to dangle past the Bears defence.

Looking at the Stars players, you could see they knew they did something special.

Going into that title winning game, there weren’t any thoughts about post-game celebrations on the Stars side. The focus was on beating the Bears.

The Bears had 17-year-old veteran Jessica Vance in goal who is still the SFU18AAAHL’s all-time leader in regular season goaltending wins. They had a couple of talented 17-year-old veteran forwards who could put up the points in Madison Casavant and Tylor Lindsey.

They had a 15-year-old offensive defender in Brooke Hobson, who had a shot that seemed to be given to her as a gift from the heavens and was a skilled power-play quarterback. 

The Stars celebrate a title winning goal from Jordyn Gerlitz.

Captain Morgan Willoughby, who was a 17-year-old veteran defender, was playing with grit returning halfway through the season from a serious knee injury.

Prince Albert had younger players who might be X-factors too in 14-year-old rookie underage defenders Hannah Koroll and Jordan Ashe along with 13-year-old rookie underage forward Abby Soyko.

The Bears were guided by head coach Jeff Willoughby, who was already a league veteran and two-time league coach of the year at that point in time.

The Stars countered with the two best players in the league in centre Sophie Shirley, who is Grace’s older sister, and winger Nara Elia, who were all-world talents skating in their 15-year-old sophomore years.

Captain Paige Michalenko was a steady veteran presence.

Elia scored the double overtime winner in Game 1 of the championship series with Sophie and 15-year-old winger Abby Shirley picking up assists.

In Game 2 of the series in Prince Albert, Sophie had two goals and an assist as the Stars blanked the Bears 3-0. In the Stars eight games of their post-season run to that point in time, Sophie had an incredible 12 goals and 12 assists.

The Stars were leaning on the talented Emma Johnson, who was a 15-year-old sophomore, to deliver in goal.

The five players the Stars had playing as 14-year-old underagers were already performing like veterans in forwards Mackenna Parker, Kianna Dietz, Jordyn Holmes and Jordyn Gerlitz along with supremely talented offensive defender Willow Slobodzian.

Goalie Emma Johnson keeps the Bears at bay in the third.

While the Stars were young, they were steadied by the presence of 17-year-old veterans in defender and captain Paige Michalenko, forwards Courtney Cormack and Brittany Heuchert and netminder Karlee Fetch.

Jenna Nash was having a strong season playing defence in her 17-year-old season until a knee injury brought her campaign to an end shortly before playoffs started. Nash was still around offering support to her teammates.

Danielle Nogier, who was a 16-year-old centre, did a thankless job as a tight checking defensive shutdown forward. Hollie Coumont, who was a 16-year-old defender, provided points while being a colourful character who had character.

Hollie Coumont was a character who had character.

Julia Rongve, who was played in her 15-year-old sophomore season, usually skated on the top line with Sophie Shirley and Elia and fulfilled any role the team asked of her.

 The Stars depth was rounded out by 16-year-old defender Danielle Girolami, 15-year-old defender Rayna Jacobson and 15-year-old utility player Kalista Senger. All three played important minutes at different points in the campaign.

Veteran hockey coach Greg Slobodzian took on the duties as Stars head coach that season and shared the league’s coach of the year honours in that campaign with Chad Kish, who was the head coach of the Weyburn Southern Range Gold Wings.

Anna Leschyshyn picked up an assist on the Stars second goal.

The crowd was squished into the Agriplace Arena for the Game 3 clash for the league title between the Stars and Bears on that March day in 2015.

Vance and Johnson took centre stage in the opening 20-minutes with the Stars holding a slim 8-7 edge in shots on goal. Sophie and Elia were working their magic, but weren’t able to get the host side on the scoreboard.

The Stars supporting cast stepped into the spotlight in the second period and made the ultimate difference in the contest.

At the 7:31 mark of the frame, Dietz set up Gerlitz for the tally that put the Stars up 1-0. Gerlitz, who was a speed and high energy forward, would go down as first player to score an SFU18AAAHL championship winning goal for the Stars.

The Stars begin celebrating their league title win.

Again, Gerlitz and Dietz were playing in their 14-year-old rookie underage seasons for the Stars.

Just 14 seconds later, a net scramble occurred in front of the Prince Albert net. A sprawling Vance and Morgan Willoughby couldn’t stop Dietz from popping home the all important insurance goal.

Dietz immediately raised her arms in the air and she was mobbed by her teammates on the ice. While she was a rookie, Dietz had already established herself as the glue gal in the Stars dressing room. She had a deep love for her teammates and team.

Leschyshyn picked up a helper on that tally.

The Stars raise the Fedoruk Cup.

The Bears attempted to battle back but the damage was done.

Johnson slammed the door the rest of the way officially making 22 saves to pick up the shutout win in goal. Vance turned away 20 shots taking the setback in net for the Bears.

The Stars forward unit of Nogier, Cormack and Heuchert performed a perfect shutdown job on the Bears in the final minute of the third period.

When time expired, the Stars were finally league champions.

In 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Stars made the league final but came up empty handed against Olivia Howe and her Notre Dame Hounds dynasty team.

Brittany Heuchert, left, and Hollie Coumont kiss the Fedoruk Cup.

The 2014-15 campaign was the time everything came through for the Saskatoon side in a magical season.

The Stars advanced to the Esso Cup female under-18 AAA national championship hosted that year in Red Deer, Alta., in April of 2015. Saskatoon fell to the host Red Deer Chiefs in a semifinal game 2-1 after a tiebreaking shootout.

The Stars rebounded and won the bronze medal game 5-1 against the Central Plains Capitals from Portage la Prairie, Man.

Overall, the Stars posted a 45-5 record in 2014-15.

Still, the most memorable night was winning the league championship at Agriplace.

The Stars pose for a team picture after winning the Fedoruk Cup.

Due to the fact a soldout concert wrapped up at the neighbouring SaskTel Centre, the Stars and their families were trapped by traffic at Agriplace following the championship win, and that was a good thing.

After the Stars players got showered and changed, the celebration continued for 90 minutes in the lounge area at the facility. It provided the opportune time for fellowship.

The memories made by all those with the Stars that night were ones that last for a lifetime. They truly were “the Shining Stars of Saskatoon.”

Shirley hits milestones with Badgers

Another day, another milestone for #Badgers @sophieshirley9!

A day after earning her 100th career point, Sophie potted her 50th career goal today! #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/EfRtjL343u

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) November 29, 2020

Sophie Shirley added a couple of big milestones to her already well-decorated hockey resume over the past couple of days.

On Friday, the gifted centre, who is in her junior year, picked up an assist as her University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team fell in their NCAA regular season opener 3-2 to the Ohio State University Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio.

The helper was Shirley’s 100^th career NCAA point.

On Saturday, the 21-year-old Saskatoon product scored twice to power the Badgers past the Buckeyes 5-0 in the second clash of a two-game series in Columbus, Ohio.

Shirley’s first tally was her 50^th career NCAA goal. In 79 career games with the Badgers, Shirley has 51 goals and 51 assists for 102 points.

During her rookie campaign in 2018-19, Shirley piled up 20 goals and 18 assists for 38 points in 41 games helping the Badgers win an NCAA national championship.

Last season, Shirley recorded an incredible 29 goals and 32 assists for 61 points in 36 games for the Badgers. She was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in NCAA women’s hockey.

The Badgers weren’t able to complete their post-season run in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Shirley played two complete seasons for the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA team and three games as an associate player call up in the 2012-13 season. In 58 career regular season games with the Stars, Shirley piled up 41 goals and 27 assists for 68 points.

At the moment, the Badgers are set to return to action this coming Friday, when they are scheduled to travel to Minneapolis, Minn., to play the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Hear what #Badgers @sophieshirley9 had to say after UW’s 5-0 win at OSU! pic.twitter.com/hgEhcg5Ih5

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) November 28, 2020

Clark celebrates 25^th birthday on Saturday

Emily Clark meets her fans at the SaskTel Centre in Nov. 2018.

Emily Clark, who has made her mark as one of Saskatoon’s all-time hockey greats, celebrated her 25^th birthday on Saturday.

Clark, who is a member of Canada’s senior national women’s hockey team, played three seasons for her hometown Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA hockey team from 2009 to 2012. The supremely talented forward appeared in 82 regular season games for the Stars piling up 45 goals and 46 assists for 91 points.

During her final campaign with the Stars in 2011-12, Clark set the team record for most points scored in one regular season at 60. She piled up 26 goals and 34 assists for 60 points in 26 regular season games.

Her Stars record for most points in one regular season was matched by centre Mackenna Parker in the 2017-18 campaign, when Parker piled up 33 goals and 27 assists for 60 points in 23 regular season games.

Emily Clark, centre, with her old Stars teammates in Dec. 2019.

Clark’s number 13 was retired by the Stars in December of 2019.

Clark won two gold medals representing Canada at the women’s under-18 world hockey championships in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

She was a member of Canada’s women’s hockey team that won a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Clark played four seasons with the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team from 2014 to 2019 posting 70 goals and 76 assists for 146 points in 147 career NCAA games. She helped the Badgers win an NCAA national championship in her final season with the team in 2018-19.

In all her hockey stops, Clark has been popular with all her teammates. She continues to be one of the game’s top role models.

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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Kliewer holds fort in goal as Stars unsung hero

Arden Kliewer has been a standout in goal for the Stars.

    Arden Kliewer remembers being awestruck during her first few practices as a regular with the Saskatoon Stars.

    Joining the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League powerhouse club as a 14-year-old underage rookie goalie in 2016-17, Kliewer looked around and couldn’t believe she was on the same ice surface as veteran standouts like Willow Slobodzian, Abby Shirley, Julia Rongve, Mackenna Parker, Grace Shirley, Anna Leschyshyn and Joelle Fiala.

    “It was definitely a little bit intimidating with those girls, especially because they are such high performing athletes,” said Kliewer. “You can tell kind of as where they ended up.

    “I definitely kind of came in there a little bit intimidated. I was three years younger than some of those girls. One I got into the flow of the team, everything kind of settled down.

    “It just felt like normal teammates.”

Arden Kliewer is skilled at playing the puck.

    Still, it was a big deal for Kliewer to make the Stars. She was thankful the opportunity came a little sooner than she expected due an early departure.
    “Kind of ever since I knew that the Stars were a thing, it was kind of a goal of mine that I wanted to come and play for this team,” said Kliewer, who stands 5-foot-8. “That summer, I wasn’t really expecting to come to tryouts just because knew there wasn’t a spot.

    “I kind of remember being at the lake and my dad said that he had gotten an email from (head coach) Greg (Slobodzian) saying that Emma Johnson was not going to be returning, and that they like me to come to fall camp. That is kind of how it happened.”

    Johnson elected to not return to the Stars for her 17-year-old season in order to focus on playing basketball. She currently plays hoops for the University of Western Ontario Mustangs Women’s Basketball team.

    Kliewer started out as a goalie partner with veteran Jordan Ivanco during her first two seasons with the Stars. During that time, Ivanco usually got the call to play in the team’s biggest games.

    Now Kliewer is the third-year veteran who gets the call in the Stars biggest games. In 2018-19, she had her best regular season to date posting a 16-0 record, a 1.21 goals against average, a .941 save percentage and seven shutouts.

Arden Kliewer takes away the lower part of the net.

    Kliewer said the fact her team plays well in front of her has helped her have an outstanding season.
    “I think it just kind of goes to trust,” said Kliewer. “I trust my teammates, and they trust me as well (and) that just kind of goes a long way with each other.

    “We have great practices, so we just kind of get ready for it.”

    Stars head coach Greg Slobodzian said Kliewer has played a big part in the success the Saskatoon club has had over the past three seasons.

    “She has been absolutely huge whether it was when she first came in and sort of pushed our other goaltender,” said Slobodzian. “Then this year she took Kat (Kaitlyn Cadrain) our rookie and just sort of showed her what our work habits needed to be like.

    “She (Kliewer) is just so steady back there and so consistent. It is tough, because sometimes she doesn’t get the recognition that she deserves, because she is only seeing a handful of shots. The way that she breaks a forecheck with her passing skills and how she handles the puck we’ve never really had that.

Arden Kliewer has been spectacular in her third season with the Stars.

    “It adds a whole another dimension. Obviously, she is going to play a huge role here.”

    Kliewer said she has enjoyed playing a mentor role in helping Cadrain along.

    “I mean it is definitely a little bit different,” said Kliewer. “I kind of just like wanted to help her out in her first year.

    “I wanted to make sure she kind of understands the league. It is definitely a lot more responsibility knowing that I am the older goalie. It has been a good season.

    “I think this one has probably been my best season by far.”

    Growing up playing hockey in Saskatoon, Kliewer admits she was destined to be a goalie.

    “My dad was a goalie,” said Kliewer. “My grandpa was a goalie, so I think it just kind of ran in the family that at some point I was going to end up being a goalie.

Arden Kliewer (#30) clears the puck up the boards for the Stars.

    “I always kind of wanted to be like my dad when I was younger. I think that is just kind of how it happened.”

    Arden credits her father, Rob, and mother, Lindsay, on being big influences in helping her along in hockey.

    The young netminder was excited to play a big part in helping the Stars win a second straight SFMAAAHL title and return to the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament for a second straight year.

    The Stars lost last year’s national title game 2-1 to the Alberta based St. Albert Slash, who won the national crown for a second straight year.

    Saskatoon is playing through this year’s Esso Cup currently being held in Sudbury, Ont.

    The Stars will face the Slash in a semifinal contest on Friday.

Jayda Sachs, left, and Arden Kliewer pose with the Fedoruk Cup.

    “It is definitely a little bit of a different experience,” said Kliewer. “Kind of this year, we want to go back with a little bit of a chip on our shoulders kind of to prove to everyone that last year we deserved to walk away with that championship.”

    Kliewer said she was ready to step in goal for the Stars in their key contests at nationals.

    When the dust settles, she would love to be playing in the national final once again and hopefully helping the Stars come away with a gold medal win.

    “It would be huge to kind of go back there, especially when it is on TV again,” said Kliewer. “It would kind of bring back those memories, and I think it would definitely be something that our team would want to close off this year for sure.

    “We would want to come out of that with that championship.”

Stars top Esso Cup prelim round, Leschyshyn sets records

Anna Leschyshyn set two records at the Esso Cup on Thursday.

    An early hiccup couldn’t prevent the Saskatoon Stars from finishing first in the preliminary round of the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament.

    The Stars opened this year’s Esso Cup on Sunday at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex in Sudbury, Ont., downing the Ontario-based Stoney Creek Sabres 6-4.

    On Monday, the Stars dropped a surprising 7-3 decision to the As de Quebec to fall to 1-1 with two tough games coming up on their schedule.

    Saskatoon reset and slipped past the two-time defending Esso Cup champion St. Albert Slash 3-2. The Stars entered the third period of that contest locked in a 2-2 tie with the Alberta squad.

    Halle Helperl, a rookie winger who turned 15-years-old in January, netted the winning goal for the Stars with 5:28 remaining in the third period.

    Against the host Lady Wolves on Wednesday, the Stars entered the third period trailing 2-1 before rallying for a 3-2 victory. Defender Emily Holmes scored the equalizer for the Stars with 4:23 remaining in the third period, and captain Grace Shirley netted the winner with 41.9 seconds remaining in the third.

Emily Holmes started a Stars comeback on Wednesday.

    On Thursday, the Stars won their third straight round robin game romping past the Halifax Fire 11-1. That win allowed the Stars to finish first in the preliminary round standings with a 4-1 record.
    In the romp over the Fire, Stars star winger Anna Leschyshyn netted five goals and three assists for eight points. Her five goals set a record for most goals in one Esso Cup game, and her eight points set a record for most points in one Esso Cup game.

    The old record of most points in one game of seven was shared by Taylor Woods and Olivia Howe. Both players netted seven points in the same game playing for the Notre Dame Hounds, when the Hounds bombed the Kings County Kings 14-2 on April 19, 2011.

    The Hounds went on to win the Esso Cup title that year.

    In that Hounds victory, Woods set the old record for most goals scored in one Esso Cup game at four. Kate Gallant of the Durham West Lightning would also match the old record of most goals scored in one Esso Cup game at four in 2017.

    The Stars will face the Slash, who were 2-2-1 in the preliminary round, in one of Friday’s two semifinals. The other semifinal sees an all-Ontario encounter between the Lady Wolves (4-1) and the Sabres (3-2).

    The Fire and As de Quebec both missed the playoff round each posting 1-4 records.

    The Esso Cup concludes on Saturday with bronze and gold medal games. The gold medal contest will be shown live on TSN2 at 2 p.m. Saskatchewan time.

    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 fall in Esso Cup semi again

Ice Cats power play too much for Saskatoon to handle

The Stars skate in to console goaltender Emma Johnson.

    WEYBURN, Sask. - The Saskatoon Stars weren’t able to capture the happy ending they so sought in the semifinal of the Esso Cup, because the Brantford Ice Cats power play wouldn’t let them.

    Saskatoon saw its national title hopes in female midget AAA hockey come to a crashing end on Friday afternoon at Crescent Point Place in Weyburn. The Ice Cats cashed in on three of five power play chances to post a sound 4-0 victory to advance to Saturday’s national championship game set for 3:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time. For a second straight year, the Stars were relegated to the bronze medal game, which is slated for Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Saskatchewan time.

    The Stars troubles on the penalty kill started unassumingly late in the first period and late on Brantford’s first power-play chance.

    A point shot from defender Emily Rickwood found its way through a screen and past Stars goaltender Emma Johnson with 6.8 seconds to play in the opening frame giving the Ice Cats a 1-0 edge.

Ice Cats goalie Emma Verbruggen stops a high shot.

    Brantford capitalized on its second power-play chance just 56 seconds in the second period, when defender Paige Cohoon fired home another point shot through a screen to give the Ice Cats a 2-0 edge.

    Saskatoon had a chance to get back in the game shortly after that tally. While on the power play, Stars defender Hollie Coumont swooped in down low and fired a shot that deflected off the post. The Stars failed to score on their three chances with the power play in the contest.

    The Ice Cats went up 3-0 with a third power-play goal coming at the 13:17 mark of the second. During a net scramble, Brantford centre Lauren Martin lifted a shot over top of a fallen Johnson to give the Ice Cats a decided edge.

    While the Stars were still reeling, Ice Cats winger Brooklyn Gemmill potted an even-strength marker just over two minutes after her squad’s third power-play goal to round out Brantford’s 4-0 victory. Ice Cats captain Paige Rynne picked up assists on her team’s final three goals.

The Ice Cats celebrate a power-play goal from Emily Rickwood.

    In the third, the Ice Cats were content to play the trap and just dump the puck in the Stars zone every time they gained possession in the centre ice area.

    Saskatoon did try to find some sort of ground to try and start a comeback attempt. With 5:21 to play in the third, head coach Greg Slobodzian kept pulling Johnson for an extra attacker when the opportunity allowed, but the Stars weren’t able to generate any serious offensive threats. The shots on goal for the final frame were even at 6-6.

    Johnson stopped 22 shots fired her way. Emma Verbruggen made 27 saves to earn the shutout in goal for the Ice Cats.

    The Stars did have a lot of jump in an evenly played opening 20 minutes. Rynne was unable to put a puck behind Johnson on a breakaway opportunity.

    Shortly after that chance by Brantford, Stars winger Abby Shirley had a breakaway opportunity to score. She deked out Verbruggen, but slipped a backhander wide of an open cage.

Stars winger Abby Shirley (#18) tries to poke a puck into the Ice Cats goal.

    A year ago at the Esso Cup in Red Deer, the Stars dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker after a tiebreaking shootout to the host Chiefs. Saskatoon rebounded in the bronze medal game downing the Portage la Prairie based Central Plains Capitals 5-1.

    This year there was no dramatic defeat in the semifinal. The Stars had to painfully soak in finality of their 4-0 loss to the Ice Cats as the final minutes ticked away.

    In a one game showdown to make a championship game, a team can’t slip in any area of its play. Unfortunately for the Stars, their normally strong penalty kill struggled at the wrong possible time, and their national championship hopes were dashed as a result. In a preliminary round game on Wednesday, the Ice Cats just slipped past the Stars by a 3-2 score to show how even these two clubs can match up.

Captain Danielle Nogier will play her final game with the Stars on Saturday.

    While it would be hard for the Stars players accept in the immediate aftermath of Friday’s loss, one tough game doesn’t ruin what was a spectacular season. Even with Friday’s setback, the Stars have a 45-12 overall record in 2015-16.

    On Saturday, Stars captain Danielle Nogier and defenders Rayah DeCorby, Danielle Girolami and Coumont will play their final games of their midget AAA careers. They can’t win a national title, but they can still go out on a good note and make one last memory.
    The Stars will face the De Winton, Alta., based Rocky Mountain Raiders in the bronze medal match. On Friday, the Raiders dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 decision after a tiebreaking shootout to the Express du Richelieu in the other semifinal match.
    Floriane Dion, Camille Fleury and Joannie Garand scored for the Express in regulation, while Marithe Levesque made 31 stops in goal in regulation and overtime.
    Hailey McCallum, Paige Russell and Kara Kondrat replied with singles for the Raiders in regulation. Kate Lloyd made 28 stops in goal over 70 minutes.
    The Express took the shootout 2-0 getting goals on their first two shots from Eloise Dube and Garand. Levesque turned away both shooters she faced.
    Richelieu will take on Brantford in the gold medal game on Saturday.

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

Stars return to Esso Cup final four

Mackenna Parker scored for the Stars.

    The Saskatoon Stars are returning to the semifinal round of the Esso Cup for a second straight year, but they did it in a more dramatic fashion this time around.

    Entering their final preliminary round game Thursday afternoon at Crescent Point Place in Weyburn, the Stars needed to earn at least a point in the standings in a clash against the Bedford, N.S., based Metro Boston Pizza to earn a semifinal berth. Metro Boston Pizza had to pull out a regulation victory to advance to the final four of the national female midget AAA hockey championship tournament.

    Metro Boston Pizza went up 1-0 in the first period on a goal from Rachel Dorey.

    The Stars rallied to pull out a 2-1 victory after Mackenna Parker potted the equalizer in the second period and Grace Shirley netted the winner in the third. Emma Johnson picked up the win in goal for the Stars making 11 saves.

    Josee Thibeau turned away 33 shots taking the loss in the Metro Boston Pizza net.

    Saskatoon won its first two games of the tournament but proceeded to lose two in a row. As a result, the Stars found themselves in a position, where they could potentially miss the playoff round.

    After pulling out a victory in their final preliminary round game, the Stars improved to 3-2 to finish third in preliminary round standings. They face the Brantford Ice Cats (3-1-1) in a semifinal match slated for 3:30 p.m., Saskatchewan time on Friday.

    The other semifinal features the De Winton, Alta., based Rocky Mountain Raiders (3-1-1) going up against the Express du Richelieu (3-2) at 7 p.m. Saskatchewan time.

    Metro Boston Pizza finished last in the six-team tournament with a 1-3-1 mark. The host Weyburn Gold Wings won their final two contests to finish fifth with a 2-3 mark.

    Last year when the Esso Cup was in Red Deer, the Stars didn’t need any final day dramatics to make the semifinal round posting a 4-1 record in the preliminary round. Saskatoon dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to the host Red Deer Chiefs in the semifinal after a tiebreaking shootout. The Stars proceeded to win the bronze medal game downing the Portage la Prairie based Central Plains Capitals 5-1.

    With Thursday’s win over Metro Boston Pizza, the Stars improved their overall record to 45-11 to match their overall win total from the 2014-15 campaign, when they went 45-5.

This year’s Esso Cup in Weyburn closes on Saturday with the bronze and gold medal contests.

Willow Slobodzian controls the puck for the Stars.

    NOTES – Parker and Stars defender Willow Slobodzian were invited to a prospects camp for Canada’s under-18 along with 48 other players on Wednesday. The camp runs May 4-8 in Hamilton, Ont.

    Also attending the camp are forwards and former Stars players Sophie Shirley and Nara Elia, who both suited up for the Notre Dame Hounds club that plays in the Junior Women’s Hockey League. Shirley was a member of Canada’s under-18 this past season. Defender Brooke Hobson of the Prince Albert A & W Bears is also heading to the under-18 game.

    Hockey Canada will also hold a 47-player camp for the national women’s development team from May 4-8 in Hamilton, Ont. Saskatoon product Emily Clark, who a member of Canada’s senior national team, will take part in the development team camp. The standout forward and Stars grad plays for the University of Wisconsin Badgers in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

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

Leschyshyn delivers for Stars

Saskatoon opens Esso Cup with 2-0 win over Weyburn

Anna Leschyshyn, centre, celebrates scoring for the Stars.

    WEYBURN, Sask. - Anna Leschyshyn is making an ever increasing number of plays when the Saskatoon Stars need them the most.

    In their opening match at the Esso Cup female midget AAA hockey championship tournament on Sunday, the Stars were firing everything including the kitchen sink at Weyburn Southern Range Gold Wings goaltender Chantal Burke. With 26.6 seconds to play in the second period, Leschyshyn gathered a rebound during a net scramble and fired the puck five-hole on Burke for a power-play goal while being taken down on the ice.

    Leschyshyn’s goal gave the Stars a 1-0 lead over the Gold Wings, who are the tournament’s host team. Saskatoon added another goal late in the third to skate away with a 2-0 victory at Crescent Point Place.

    “I didn’t really know it went in,” said Leschyshyn. “I was just kind of getting pucks to the net and trying to bang in the rebound and it went in. I was just really excited.”

Anna Leschyshyn (#7) is stopped by goalie Chantal Burke.

    Standing 5-foot-10, you almost forget that Leschyshyn is only 14-years-old. Her smooth skating ability, strong stickhandling and good touch around the net makes her a threat to score every time she is on the ice.

    In 28 regular season games for the Stars, Leschyshyn netted 15 goals and 11 assists to finished third in team scoring in her first full season in the midget AAA ranks. She added another six goals and four assists in 11 games in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs.

    Back on March 26, Leschyshyn potted the equalizer that forced overtime in the Stars 4-3 SFMAAAHL championship series clinching victory against the Diamond Energy Wildcats in Swift Current.

Anna Leschyshyn charges up ice on a rush for the Stars.

    Leschyshyn came through in another key moment in the Stars series clinching win in their Western regional playdown series back on April 2 against the Yellowhead Chiefs in Shoal Lake, Man. The Stars trailed that contest 1-0 until Leschyshyn netted the equalizer 18 seconds into the third period to spark a 3-1 come-from-behind victory.

    Against the Gold Wings on Sunday, Leschyshyn said her side never got discouraged, when Burke kept making save after save. Burke finished the contest turning away 38 shots.

    “We just had to keep getting pucks to the net,” said Leschyshyn. “She (Burke) gives up a lot of rebounds.

    “We just have to crash the net and put those rebounds in.”

    Despite Leschyshyn’s goal, the Gold Wings did push back in the third. Stars standout goaltender Emma Johnson came up with a big 22-save effort to record her fifth shutout of the post-season.

Saskatoon netted a key insurance goal at the 16:50 mark of the third, when Joelle Fiala and Grace Shirley combined to set up Abby Shirley off a hard rush into the offensive zone.

    While the Stars had the majority of the scoring chances, the Gold Wings had a number of opportunities of their own to steal victory. Gold Wings star left-winger Bailee Bourassa, who has committed to joining the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team in the fall, was robbed by Johnson on three different breakaway chances, which included two short-handed opportunities in the second period.

Emma Johnson makes one of her 22 stops for the Stars.

    Leschyshyn potted the winner shortly after Bourassa was turned away on her second short-handed breakaway chance.

    When the dust settled, Leschyshyn said her team was pleased with their tournament opening victory noting the experience of playing at last year’s Esso Cup in Red Deer, where the Stars won a bronze medal, was a big help as well.

    “We are really happy to get the tournament started off with a good win,” said Leschyshyn. “I think we knew what was coming.

    “We had to get the first win out of the way and have a good start to the first game.”

    The Stars return to action on Monday, when they face the Express du Richelieu from Quebec at 3:30 p.m. The host Gold Wings take on the Brantford Ice Cats from Ontario at 7 p.m. All Esso Cup games are being played at Crescent Point Place.

    In other Esso Cup action from Sunday, the Express downed the Bedford, N.S., based Metro Boston Pizza 1-0, and the De Winton, Alta., based Rocky Mountain Raiders slipped past the Ice Cats 2-1.

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

Esso Cup = unfinished business for Stars

Saskatoon shoots for gold at female midget AAA nationals

Joelle Fiala (#27) celebrates scoring a goal for the Stars.

    The heartbreak from a year ago was always in the back of the minds of the Saskatoon Stars.

    In the 2014-15 campaign, the Stars enjoyed a season that came out of a dream. They won the championship at the prestigious Mac’s tournament in Calgary for a second time, captured their first Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship and made their first visit to the Esso Cup national championship tournament. At Esso Cup, they fell 2-1 to the host Red Deer Chiefs in a semifinal match after a tiebreaking shootout.

    Saskatoon proceeded to down the Portage la Prairie based Central Plains Capitals 5-1 in the bronze medal match to complete the campaign with a 45-5 overall record.

    For the 14 players that returned from last season, the memory of the semifinal loss still stings. On March 26, the Stars won their second SFMAAAHL title downing the Diamond Energy Wildcats 4-3 in overtime in Swift Current in Game 4 of the best-of-five league championship series. After that win, Stars captain Danielle Nogier said that her team had its sights on making a trip to Weyburn for this year’s Esso Cup.

Mackenna Parker (#11) led the Stars in scoring.

    “It just fuels our fire winning this, and we are just ready to move forward and go back and get some redemption at the Esso Cup,” said Nogier.

    Unlike a year ago, the province of Quebec decided to send a team to this year’s Esso Cup, which meant the Stars had to travel to Shoal Lake, Man., for a best-of-three Western regional series against the Yellowhead Chiefs. On April 2, they swept that series capped by a 3-1 victory in Game 2.

    With a berth now locked up at the Esso Cup in Weyburn, Stars goaltender Emma Johnson echoed her captain’s statement after the series victory over the Chiefs.

    “I think we want a bit of redemption,” said Johnson. “Last year, we didn’t like the way that we went out losing in a shootout, so it is nice to go back and have a chance to set things right.”

Defender Willow Slobodzian is one of the Stars most dynamic players.

    The fact that the Stars players are talking about redemption is a good thing, because it shows they really believed in their hearts they should have won it all.

    In the overall big picture, the semifinal loss didn’t dampen the story that was the 2014-15 campaign. The Stars in 2013-14 were a respectable 13-11-4 and were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by Swift Current. No one could have seen the special season that was to follow.

    Going into this season, the Stars lost their two best players, when 16-year-old forwards Sophie Shirley and Nara Elia elected to join the Notre Dame Hounds club that plays of the Junior Women’s Hockey League. Both are a couple of the best midget aged players in Canada. Shirley would also become a member of Canada’s under-18 team, and she went to a camp with the senior national team.

    Had both or even one of those two players returned, there would have been high expectations for the Stars to return to Esso Cup. With Shirley and Elia no longer in the fold, there were question marks regarding the Stars chances to make it that far. The SFMAAAHL had a number of strong teams, so winning a league title was viewed as a difficult task.

Emma Johnson has been a force in goal for the Stars.

    The Stars still put together an impressive 42-9 overall record to date including action at the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament in Wilcox, Sask., and the Futures Hockey Winter Classic tournament in Winnipeg. They topped the SFMAAAHL regular season standings with a 24-4 mark.

    The remaining players stepped up for Saskatoon. Mackenna Parker, who is a 15-year-old sophomore forward, finished second in SFMAAAHL scoring netting 14 goals and 21 assists in 25 games. Grace Shirley, who is Sophie’s younger sister, finished second in team scoring with 18 goals and 14 assists in 28 games.
    Anna Leschyshyn and Joelle Fiala took flight as 14-year-old rookie forwards. Leschyshyn potted 14 goals and 11 assists in 28 games, while Fiala had six goals and 14 assists in 28 games.

    Offensive defender Willow Slobodzian, who turned 16 in January, still controlled things at the back end leading all Stars rearguards in scoring with three goals and 12 assists.

    The rest of the team’s scoring was spread out through the lineup.

Danielle Nogier aims to lead the Stars to a national title.

    In goal, Johnson was stellar in her 16-year-old campaign posting a 13-4 record, a 1.47 goals against average, a .942 save percentage and three shutouts in the regular season. In the post-season, she showed she was still in money goalie form, especially in the sweep at the Western regional in Shoal Lake stopping 52-of-54 shots fired her way. Many of those stops were of the game-saving variety.

    During the season, the Stars had to show perseverance. They suffered setbacks in the SFMAAAHL semifinal and championship rounds, but didn’t allow those losses to derail their run. In the SFMAAAHL title clinching game, they rallied from a 3-1 deficit to pull out a 4-3 victory.

    In the series clinching game at the Western regional, they were down 1-0 after 40 minutes, but found a way to pull out a 3-1 win backed by a 32- save performance by Johnson in goal.

    Saskatoon opens Esso Cup on Sunday taking on a familiar foe in the host Southern Range Gold Wings at 7 p.m. local time at Crescent Point Place in Weyburn. The Stars eliminated the Gold Wings from the SFMAAAHL playoffs in the semifinal round taking a best-of-five series 3-1. Including action in the regular season, post-season and tournament play, the Stars won six of nine matches with the Gold Wings, who were 18-9-1 in the regular season.

    Captain Bailee Bourassa is a huge offensive threat leading the Gold Wings in scoring with 21 goals and nine assists in 26 games. Defender Madison Solie, who stands 6-feet tall, controlled things on the back end and topped all Gold Wings rearguards in scoring with four goals and 16 assists in 25 games.

Grace Shirley was the Stars second leading scorer as a 14-year-old rookie.

    Saskatoon product Chantal Burke is more than capable of stealing a game in net for the Gold Wings posting a 14-8 record, a 1.58 goals against average, a .935 save percentage and four shutouts in the regular season.

    The six-team field at Esso Cup will play each other once in preliminary round play. The top four teams advance to semifinal matches that are slated for Friday, April 22. The bronze and gold medal games are set for Saturday, April 23.

    The Stars are the only team returning to Esso Cup from a year ago. If they maintain their grit, a national championship might come their way.

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

DeCorby, Johnson blast Stars back into Esso Cup

The Saskatoon Stars celebrate Rayah DeCorby's game-winning goal.

    SHOAL LAKE, Man. ­-- Rayah DeCorby has developed a habit of scoring timely post-season goals for the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA hockey team.

    The 18-year-old defender drove home a point blast through a screen with 6:41 to play in the third period to give the Stars a 2-1 edge on the host Yellowhead Chiefs at the Shoal Lake Communiplex on Saturday. DeCorby followed that up by firing home an empty-net tally with 38.7 seconds to play to cement a 3-1 victory for the Stars in Game 2 of best-of-three Western regional playdown series.

    The win allowed the Stars to sweep the series 2-0, claim the Lanchbery Family Trophy and advance to the Esso Cup national championship tournament for a second straight year. Saskatoon took Game 1 of the series with the Chiefs by a 2-1 score on Friday in Shoal Lake. This year’s Esso Cup runs from April 17 to 23 in Weyburn. 

    In Saturday’s victory over the Chiefs, DeCorby was pleasantly surprised to find out her point blast to put the Stars up 2-1 found its mark.

Stars goalie Emma Johnson kicks away a shot on goal.

    “I didn’t know it went in at first,” said DeCorby. “I was just trying to get shots on net, get it through hoping to create some options for everyone else in front of the net.”

    She was elated to be able to help her squad return to the Esso Cup.

    “I am beyond excited,” said DeCorby, who is playing out her final year of midget eligibility. “It is a great way to finish it off.”

    Back on March 26, DeCorby netted the first tally that sparked a three-goal surge to allow the Stars to rally from a 3-1 deficit to down the Diamond Energy Wildcats in Swift Current 4-3 in overtime to clinch the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series.

    On Saturday, the Yellowhead Chiefs scored first, when forward Sam Geekie fired home a power-play goal top corner through a screen at the 11:14 mark of the second period. The Chiefs outshot the Stars 19-8 over the first 40 minutes and could have had a larger lead if not for the stellar play of Saskatoon goaltender Emma Johnson. Johnson made 32 saves on Saturday, which included a series of nice glove stops.

Rayah DeCorby wheels with the puck behind her net.

    For large stretches of Saturday’s contest, the Chiefs had the Stars pinned in their own zone. The hosts were good at chipping the puck in deep and coming in hard on the forecheck to create turnovers. On average, the Chiefs were a little bit physically bigger than the Stars, which helped the hosts win a lot of one-on-one battles down low.

    Despite the pressure, Johnson stayed composed making big save after big save.

    “She’s been absolutely stellar,” said Stars head coach Greg Slobodzian. “We’re a little bit worried about workload.

    “She’s never played this much before, because we’ve always rotated through the season. We’ve been running with her, and she’s handled it so well.

    “She’s had a few ups and downs, and she’s handled everything like a professional. She’s just been outstanding.”

    Despite all the Chiefs chances, Saskatoon tied things up just 18 seconds into the third, while working on the power play. Mackenna Parker and Julia Rongve combined to set up gifted 14-year-old forward Anna Leschyshyn, who popped home the equalizer to knot the score at 1-1.

    That set the stage for DeCorby to come through with her two late tallies in the third.

    “We didn’t play extremely well in the first two periods, but I think after the second period we knew that we had a lot more to give,” said Johnson. “It was nice to come out and come together as a team and be able to pull that off.”

    Emma Greenwood turned away 13-of-15 shots taking the loss in goal for the Chiefs.

Stars forward Abby Shirley (#18) tried to battle her way down the boards.

    While Saturday’s game was a tough one for the Stars to win, Slobodzian was pleased with the resilience his players showed.

    “The girls, I just can’t say enough about them,” said Slobodzian. “They just find ways to do it, and it is just a sign of a great team.

    “Even though we didn’t play pretty hockey, we did all the little things that we needed to do, and we got it done. It felt great.”

    Slobodzian was pumped the Stars will return to the Esso Cup for a second straight year.

    “As soon as that buzzer rang, I looked at the coaches and it was like we’re going back boys,” said Slobodzian. “To be able to do it two years in a row from our league, that is saying a lot.

    “We come from such a great league, and Manitoba is a great league. Whoever comes out of this region has such a good chance, and it is because the league is such a good league.”

The Stars celebrate with Lanchberry Family Trophy and banner.

    The Stars won a bronze medal at last year’s Esso Cup. For the returning players, the sting of a 2-1 extra time semifinal loss after a tiebreaking shootout to the host Red Deer Chiefs still remains. Johnson said the aim was to go all the way this time.

    “I think we want a bit of redemption,” said Johnson. “Last year, we didn’t like the way that we went out losing in a shootout, so it is nice to go back and have a chance to set things right.”

    If you have any comments to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check out Stars game and celebration photos on Twitter @StanksSports.