Stars had magical three-year run, now guard starts to change

Saskatoon graduates trio that were key to success

From left, Julia Rongve, Willow Slobodzian and Dana Wood reflect on a loss.

    It feels like an era is transitioning to a close for the Saskatoon Stars.

    On Tuesday, the Stars 2016-17 campaign came to an end with a 4-2 loss to the Prince Albert Northern Bears at the Agriplace Arena in Game 3 of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series. The Bears swept the best-of-five SFMAAAHL championship series 3-0 and captured their second league title in team history.

    Saskatoon saw its two-year run of winning consecutive league titles and advancing to the final four of the Esso Cup national championship tournament come to an end. From 2014 to 2016, the Stars posted a 90-18 overall record, won two SFMAAAHL titles, two Western regional banners and a Mac’s Tournament title.

Julia Rongve jets up ice for the Stars.

    In 2016-17, they topped the SFMAAAHL standings for a third straight year after posting a 25-2-1 mark. The Stars also set a new team record for most points collected in the standings at 76.

    Saskatoon made the final of the Mac’s Tournament in Calgary falling 5-4 in overtime to the Alberta based Rocky Mountain Raiders, while posting a 5-1 record at that event in the process. 

    The Stars won six straight playoff games sweeping the Weyburn Southern Range Gold Wings in a quarter-final series and the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats in a semifinal series. The run of success came to an end against a talented and well-coached Prince Albert side.

    One of the cool things about female midget AAA hockey is you get to build teams where you can have a core group of players around for like three years. In midget AAA hockey on the boys side, you usually only return on average six players from the previous season due to losing players to the major junior ranks and the junior A ranks.

    While the Stars can return most of the players from their team this past season, they will lose three key pieces from their run of success to graduation in forwards Julia Rongve and Abby Shirley as well as offensive defender Willow Slobodzian. Those three were the consistent cogs throughout the whole run of success the Stars had the past three seasons and their departure feels like a chapter in team history is coming to a close.

Abby Shirley played with grit and skill.

    Rongve played an unsung hero role for the Stars for four seasons appearing in 112 career regular season games posting 24 goals and 52 assists. During her 15-year-old season in 2014-15, she was the third part of a dynamic scoring line that includes Sophie Shirley and Nara Elia, who both moved on to play for Canada’s under-18 women’s team.

    Rongve’s efforts were often overshadowed by the spectacular performances of her linemates, but she still netted six goals and 17 assists in 28 regular season games. Her production didn’t drop after Shirley and Elia left the Stars. In her final campaign with the Stars, Rongve, who stands 5-foot-8, picked up career highs in goals (nine) and assists (20), and she appeared in all 28 regular season games for a fourth straight campaign.

    She was still often overshadowed by the work of one of her other teammates, and you almost took it for granted that she would come out and give a strong performance. No matter who was on the Stars team, Rongve was always one of the club’s top six forwards.

    Abby Shirley grew into one of the Stars top offensive threats during her three campaigns with the team. The Delisle product appeared in 77 career regular season games posting 31 goals and 32 assists.

    In her final campaign with the Stars, Shirley dressed in 25 regular season games and set career highs for goals (14) and assists (18). On the ice, Shirley played with great speed and tenacity. She wasn’t afraid to battle in the corners and the hard areas, even though she stands just 5-foot-5.

    She often displayed great skill, when she worked in the offensive zone. 

Willow Slobodzian was one of the Stars most dynamic players.

    With her combination of grit and finesse, Shirley will be a good addition to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in the fall.

    Slobodzian, who the Stars captain this past season, was arguably the team’s most exciting player, and she was worth the price of admission to watch on a night in and night out basis. She helped control the blue-line for the Stars for three seasons appearing in 84 career regular season games collecting 15 goals and 46 assists.

    In her final campaign with the Stars, Slobodzian, who stands 5-foot-7, appeared in all 28 regular season games for a third straight year, matched her career high in goals at six and set a new career high in assists at 21. 

    Slobodzian was named the top defender in the SFMAAAHL in the 2015-16 campaign, and she made creative plays no one else could make through her entire career.

    An extremely smooth skater on the ice, Slobodzian might be the most polite and well-manner person you could meet off the ice. 

The Stars celebrate an SFMAAAHL semifinal series win. 

    Those characteristics are very prominent when you talk with her. She will no doubt be a great addition to the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks women’s hockey team in the fall.

    The Stars will still have a good team next season returning a number of players possessing high-end talent. Potential returnees include forwards Mackenna Parker, Grace Shirley, Joelle Fiala, Anna Leschyshyn and Kaitlin Jockims, veteran grinders Jordyn Gerlitz, Kianna Dietz and Jordyn Holmes, defenders Abby DeCorby, Chace Sperling and Ashley Messier, and goaltenders Jordan Ivanco and Arden Kliewer.

    Still, the dynamics of the team will be different without Rongve, Abby Shirley and Slobodzian. It will up to the returnees to carry the torch that is being passed on.

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

Shirley, Rongve power Stars past Sharks

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.

The Stars celebrate a goal from Julia Rongve.

    For most of the first period, it seemed like Sharks were going to keep the Stars offence at bay as Battlefords netminder Chantel Weller turned away a number of solid scoring chances from the Saskatoon side.

    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.

Joelle Fiala potted the Stars first goal on Sunday.

    Early in the third, the Stars found themselves in penalty trouble and 16-year-old forward Keara Amson scored twice for the Sharks on the power play to cut Saskatoon’s edge to 5-2 with 16:12 to play in the frame.

    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.

    Grace Shirley has 10 goals and 13 assists in 17 games this season, and she has a good chance to pass all her offensive totals from her rookie campaign.

Willow Slobodzian scored a short-handed goal on a coast-to-coast rush.

    The Stars head into the Christmas break sitting first overall in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League with a 14-2-1 record good for 43 points in the standings. They sit four points up on the Prince Albert Northern Bears (14-3) and the Melville Prairie Fire (14-4).

    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.

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

Stars locked in three way race for first in SFMAAAHL

Prairie Fire holds Saskatoon back with weekend split

Kianna Dietz (#12) gets set to fire a shot on goal for the Stars.

    It appears the Saskatoon Stars won’t be able to run away with top spot in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League this season, because a couple of the circuits other powerhouse clubs won’t let them.

    This past weekend, the Stars split a pair of games with the visiting Melville Prairie Fire at the Agriplace Arena, and the Prairie Fire came into the series with aspirations of leaping over the Stars into first in the SFMAAAHL.

    Saskatoon came away with a 4-0 win on Saturday, but the Prairie Fire rebounded with a 3-2 victory on Sunday.

    The split allowed the Stars to hold on to first with an 11-2-1 record with 34 points in the standings. The Prince Albert Northern Bears jumped into second place improving to 12-2 with 33 points in the standings after a pair of road wins against the Battlefords Sharks.

Players from the Stars and Prairie Fire battle for the puck.

    Prince Albert trails Saskatoon due to the fact three of its wins came in extra time. In the SFMAAAHL, you get three points in the standings for a regulation win and two points for an extra time win.

    The Prairie Fire sits third with an 11-4 mark with 32 points in the standings coming from 10 regulation wins and one extra time win.

    Saskatoon and Prince Albert have regularly battled it out at the top of the SFMAAAHL standings over the previous two seasons. Melville has been a surprise club having finished sixth overall last season in the eight-team circuit with a 9-17-2 record.

Julia Rongve zips into the offensive zone for the Stars.

    Out of Saskatoon’s three losses, two have come at home to Prince Albert in October and the third came Sunday against Melville.

    In Saturday’s clash between the Stars and Prairie Fire, Saskatoon jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first with goals coming off the sticks of Joelle Fiala and Grace Shirley. Julia Rongve and Abby Shirley each added a power-play goal in the third to close out a 4-0 victory.

    Jordan Ivanco made 26 saves to earn the shutout win in goal for the Stars. Ashlyn Taillon turned away 22 shots taking the loss in the Prairie Fire goal.

    In Sunday’s contest, the Stars came out flying the first period outshooting the Prairie Fire 16-6, but only held a 1-0 edge on the scoreboard thanks to a single from Fiala.

    The Prairie Fire found some traction thanks to a goal from Megan Leblanc that tied the contest up at 1-1 just 34 seconds into the second period.

    Just 50 seconds after that goal, the Stars appeared to recapture the momentum going ahead 2-1 on a goal from Grace Shirley.

    Prairie Fire captain Georgia Kotylak ensured the Stars joy was short-lived as she scored 84 seconds after that tally to force a 2-2 tie.

The Prairie Fire celebrate their 3-2 win over the Stars.

    At the 4:47 mark of the third, 15-year-old forward Heather Fiske netted what turned out to be the winning goal in a 3-2 victory.

    Arden Kliewer made 19 saves to take the loss in goal for the Stars. Taillon stopped 31 shots to pick up the win in Melville’s goal.

    After falling behind, the Stars had chances to pull even including a beauty wraparound attempt by offensive defender Willow Slobodzian. For the most part, the Prairie Fire did a good job closing out the game, which included limiting Saskatoon’s golden scoring opportunities.

    The Stars now head into another showdown for first place when they travel to Prince Albert on Wednesday, Dec. 14 to face the Bears.

    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.

Puck luck shines Stars way

Stars forward Jordyn Gerlitz hugs overtime hero Mackenna Parker (#11).

    The Saskatoon Stars won’t complain if a break or two falls their way.

    On Sunday night at the Agriplace Arena, the Stars cashed in on a Weyburn Southern Range Gold Wings giveaway to pull out a 3-2 double overtime victory in Game 3 of a best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League semifinal series between the two clubs.

    At the 3:58 mark of a second overtime period, a Gold Wings defender coughed the puck up to Stars forward Anna Leschyshyn. Leschyshyn got the puck to linemate Julia Rongve, who fed a beauty pass across the face of the Weyburn goal to Mackenna Parker. Parker tapped home her sixth goal of the post-season to win the contest for the defending SFMAAAHL champs.

    The victory allows the Stars to take a 2-1 lead in the series. They will try to wrap the series up in Game 4 on Tuesday in Weyburn.

    Saskatoon entered play Sunday looking to bounce back from a 1-0 double overtime setback on Friday in Weyburn. In Sunday’s encounter, the Stars came out with a lot of early pressure.

    They broke through on the scoreboard with three minutes to play in the first period, when 14-year-old forward Joelle Fiala wired a shot through a screen to the top corner of the Weyburn goal.

Stars goalie Emma Johnson robs Gold Wings forward Bailee Bourassa.

    Just 77 seconds later, Saskatoon went ahead 2-0 on what appeared to be a phantom goal. Offensive defender Willow Slobodzian fired a shot on net that disturbed the water bottle that sat on top of the Weyburn goal.

    It appeared the shot grazed the top of the bottle, but the officials said the puck went into the net after a lengthy conference discussion.

    The lead evaporated in the second period, when Weyburn forward Bailee Bourassa netted a couple of tallies late in the frame to force a 2-2 tie. Bourassa, who has committed to play for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team next season, wired home the equalizer from the slot through a screen, while her squad was on the power play.

    Late in the third, a break went Weyburn’s way to allow the game to get to overtime. With the Stars pressing for the go-ahead goal during a net scramble around the Weyburn net, Bourassa covered the puck up with her hand in the crease to freeze play. A penalty shot should have been awarded, but the officials whistled the play dead for an offensive zone faceoff.

Mackenna Parker circles in the offensive zone for the Stars.

    In the first overtime period, Bourassa had a huge chance to win the game for the visitors, but she was robbed in close by Stars netminder Emma Johnson. Saskatoon then took the contest with Parker’s tally in the second extra session.

    Johnson made 27 stops to earn the win in goal for the Stars. Chantal Burke turned away 40 shots in another stellar effort in goal for Weyburn.

    In the other SFMAAAHL best-of-five semifinal series, the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats dumped the Prince Albert A & W Bears 6-0 in Game 3 on Saturday in Swift Current. The Wildcats lead that series 2-1 with Game 4 set for Monday in Prince Albert.

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

Stars clip Wings in Game 1

The Stars celebrate a third period goal from Jordyn Holmes, right.

    A tougher opponent proved to be no problem at all for the Saskatoon Stars.

    The Stars opened their best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League semifinal series with a 5-0 victory over the Weyburn Southern Range Gold Wings at the Agriplace Arena on Monday night.

    In the quarter-final round, the Stars swept a best-of-five series 3-0 against the Battlefords Sharks, who were 3-23-2 during the regular season. The Stars outscored the Sharks 28-3 in that series.

    Weyburn finished fourth overall in the SFMAAAHL regular season with an 18-9-1 record, and the Gold Wings are still expected to give the Stars, who topped the league regular season standings with a 24-4 record, a tough test. The Gold Wings also host the Esso Cup national championship tournament in April.

    In Monday’s series opener, the Stars jumped ahead 1-0 at the 11:14 mark of the first period on what appeared to be a lucky break goal by Rayna Jacobson. The officials weren’t sure Jacobson poked the puck in the net during a scrum of sticks around the Weyburn goal, but they awarded a tally after a conference discussion.

    With 61 seconds to play in the first, Julia Rongve put the Stars up 2-0 on a wraparound, where the puck just trickled out from under Gold Wings goalie Chantel Burke into the net.

Mackenna Parker potted the Stars third goal in their win on Monday.

    Mackenna Parker, who was the second leading scorer in the SFMAAAHL, put the Stars up 3-0 early in the second. Abby Shirley converted a fancy passing play from linemates Grace Shirley and Joelle Fiala to give the Stars a 4-0 edge heading into the second intermission.

    Jordyn Holmes added Saskatoon’s final goal late in the third.

    Emma Johnson made 14 stops to earn her fifth career shutout in SFMAAAHL post-season play for Saskatoon. Chantal Burke turned away 40 shots taking the loss in goal for Weyburn.

    The Stars and Gold Wings will go at it again in Game 2 of the series on Friday in Weyburn. Game 3 is set for Sunday at 4:45 p.m. at the Agriplace Arena. If necessary, Game 4 is set for Tuesday, March 15 in Weyburn and Game 5 would be on Wednesday, March 16 at the Agriplace Arena at a time to be determined.

    Saskatoon won three of the four games against Weyburn in the regular season.

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

Stars roll into break

Abby Shirley fires a shot on goal for the Stars.

    The Saskatoon Stars kicked things back into high gear before heading into an extended break.

    On Saturday and Sunday, the Stars convincingly swept a two-game series against the visiting Melville Prairie Fire taking the encounters by respective scores of 6-2 and 8-0 at the Agriplace Arena.     The victories were big bounce back efforts for the defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champs, who dropped a 3-2 decision at home to the Prince Albert A & W Bears back on Jan. 24 in their last outing before facing Melville.

    The sweep allowed Saskatoon to improve to 22-4 and move into a position to be on the cusp of locking up first place in the SFMAAAHL and home ice advantage throughout the league’s post-season. The Stars conclude the regular season by traveling to Battleford to play the Sharks (3-18-2) on Feb. 20 and 21, and would clinch first by winning just one of those two contests.

    The Stars will know if they need to earn any wins at all in order to secure stop spot in the league before they hit the ice on Feb. 20. Only the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats (15-5-2) could finish ahead of the Stars in the league standings, but the Wildcats need to win all of their final six games in regulation to have a chance at that distinction.

    Swift Current will have finished its regular season schedule before the Stars hit the ice on Feb. 20. The Wildcats do complete their regular season schedule on Feb. 20, but their home encounter that day against the Weyburn Southern Range Gold Wings starts six hours and 45 minutes before the Stars game does.

Anna Leschyshyn drives to the net for the Stars.

    The SFMAAAHL awards three points in the standings for a regulation win, two points for an extra time win and one point for an extra time loss. Saskatoon has 64 points coming from 20 regulation wins and two extra time victories.

    Swift Current has 47 points with all their wins coming in regulation along with two points from extra time setbacks. If the Wildcats won their remaining six games in regulation, they would finish with 65 points in the standings.

    Mackenna Parker and Danielle Girolami had big nights in Saturday’s 6-2 victory over Melville. Parker had a pair of goals and an assist, while Girolami had three assists.

    Grace Shirley, Julia Rongve, Joelle Fiala and Kianna Dietz had singles. Emma Johnson made 26 saves to earn the win in goal.

    Regan Nichol and Cheyanne Fishley replied for the Prairie Fire (7-15-1), while Macey MacDonald made 43 stops taking the loss in net.

    In the Stars 8-0 win on Sunday, Abby Shirley had a pair of goals, while Willow Slobodzian, Hollie Coumont, Grace Shirley, Girolami, Jordyn Gerlitz and Anna Leschyshyn had singles. Jordan Ivanco made 26 saves to earn her first shutout of the season in goal for Saskatoon.

    Ashlyn Taillon made 51 stops to take the loss in net for the Prairie Fire.

    Last season, the Stars topped the league’s regular season standings with a 25-3 record.

Blades rally for La Loche, support girl fighting cancer

    When the Saskatoon Blades want to organize something special, they definitely knock it out of the park.

    On Saturday at the SaskTel Centre, the player from the Blades and the visiting Regina Pats stood shoulder to shoulder at the centre ice circle to honour four victims who were killed in a Jan. 22 shooting In La Loche. The Blades staff created a display featuring pictures of the victims Drayden Fontaine, Dayne Fontaine, Adam Wood and Marie Janvier. Six people from La Loche, whose family members were receiving medical care in Saskatoon, also took part in the pre-game ceremony.

    A total of 30 people from La Loche were guests of the Blades.

    The pre-game ceremony included a song of healing performed by drummer Marc Okicitow before Michelle Dubois sang O Canada. The video of the ceremony was special to see, and it can be found right here.

    The pre-game tribute definitely overshadowed the fact the host Blades came away with a 7-3 victory in captain Nick Zajac’s 300^th career regular season game.

    The Blades will continue efforts to be a force in the community on another front during their game Tuesday against the Prince George Cougars (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre). Along with M.D. Ambulance, the local WHL club will be raising money for Grade 2 student Naomi Lendvay and her family, as young Lendvay is fighting stage four pediatric cancer. Funds will be raised through a jersey auction and the 50/50 draw.

    Spectators will also receive a special hockey player card of Lendvay.

    If Lendvay is feeling well enough, she will drop the puck for a pre-game ceremonial faceoff. The Blades put together a video of Lendvay’s story, and it can be found here.

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

Stars grind out 14th straight win

Kianna Dietz drives a shot on goal for the Stars.

    Victory didn’t come easy for the Saskatoon Stars.

    The defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champs had to grind out their 14^th straight win of the season on Saturday night at the Agriplace Arena against a very game Battlefords Sharks side. The Stars outshot the Sharks, who occupy the basement of the SFMAAAHL, 49-21, but only managed to pull out a 3-1 victory.

    The visiting Sharks played with some good intensity and confidence and jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 1:38 into the first period on a goal by Brittany Yeager. They also created a number of strong scoring chances on five different power-play opportunities causing Stars standout goaltender Emma Johnson to make a number of quality stops in a 20 save performance.

    Saskatoon tied the contest up at 1-1 inside of the final minute of the first, when Kianna Dietz and Grace Shirley combined to set up Rayna Jacobson on a pretty looking goal.

    The Stars took their first lead of the contest with 10.9 seconds to play in the second, when Jacobson and Shirley combined to spring 15-year-old rookie Brooke Hausermann in alone on the Battlefords goal on a coast-to-coast rush. The Kamsack product made no mistake tucking her fourth goal of the season past Sharks goalie Chloe Marshall to give the hosts a 2-1 edge.

Chloe Marshall kicks out a save for the Sharks.

    Saskatoon netted a short-handed goal at the 8:33 mark of the third, when Julia Rongve and Willow Slobodzian sprung Jordyn Holmes into the Sharks zone on a breakaway. Holmes made no mistake in potting a key insurance marker.

    Marshall was stellar in goal for the Sharks making 46 saves as her squad fell to 2-13-2.

    The Stars lost their first game of the 2015-16 campaign back on Oct. 3 in Melville, when they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Prairie Fire, and that has been their only setback so far this season in posting a 14-1 mark.

    They return to action on Sunday, when they host the Sharks at 2:15 p.m. at the Agriplace Arena.

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

Stars sweep away Wildcats

The Saskatoon Stars celebrate their Game 3 SFMAAAHL semifinal series win.

    The Saskatoon Stars weren't going to be denied a chance to play for a league title.
    Facing a determined Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats side in front of a packed gathering this afternoon at the Agriplace Arena, the Stars fell behind 1-0, before surging 3-1 thanks to three straight tallies in the second period. The visitors rallied back netting a goal in the third, but that was as close as they would come to a comeback.
    The Stars held on for a 3-2 victory in Game 3 of a best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League semifinal series between the two clubs. Saskatoon swept the series 3-0 and advances to a best-of-five league championship series.
    The Stars will play the winner of the other league semifinal series between the Prince Albert A & W Bears and the Weyburn Southern Range Golden Wings. The series between the Bears and Wings is tied 1-1 heading into tonight's Game 3 in Prince Albert.
    In the afternoon clash between the Stars and Wildcats, Taylor Kirwan gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead early in the second period. The Stars rallied back with singles coming from the sticks of Julia Rongve, Brittany Heuchert and Sophia Shirley to head into the second intermission with a 3-1 lead.

Brittany Heuchert, the assistant captain, celebrates her goal for the Stars.

    Shirley, who picked up assists on Rongve's and Heuchert's goals, tipped home a shot from linemate Courtney Cormack on the power play with 6:40 play in the second period, and that tally stood up for the winner.
    Kirwan added her second of the game with 3:44 to play in the third to pull Swift Current to within 3-2, but the speedy Wildcats couldn't find the equalizer.
    Karlee Fetch made 25 saves to earn the win in goal for the Stars. Jasey Book turned away 27 shots taking the loss in goal for the Wildcats.
    With Saturday's victory, the Stars improved their overall record to 37-3 in the 2014-15 campaign including play in the regular season, post-season and Mac's Midget Tournament.

    If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check out the Twitter handle @stankssports to see more photos of the Stars Game 3 win over the Wildcats.

The shining Stars of Saskatoon

Nara Elia led the SFMAAAHL in scoring this season.

    So good. So young.
    Nara Elia and Sophia Shirley look like they are ready to play hockey in the university ranks right now. However, two full seasons still have to pass before the two top scores from the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League can jump to the post-season ranks.
    The talented duo are helping lift their hometown Saskatoon Stars to heights the program has never seen.
    The nation got a first glimpse of them on New Year's Day. In the nationally televised female final of the prestigious Mac's Midget Tournament, Elia set up Shirley for three goals as the Stars doubled up the Calgary Fire 4-2. The win completed a 6-0 run for the Stars at the Mac's, which they also won back in 2011.
    In the SFMAAAHL regular season, Elia won the league scoring title piling up 23 goals and 17 assists. Shirley was a second – a point back – with 22 goals and 17 assists. Those accomplishments are amazing as Elia turned 16 in February and Shirley is still 15.
    The large majority of players in the midget AAA are older than them, and yet they can make a lot of those veterans look out of place.

Sophia Shirley was second in SFMAAAHL scoring.

    When they hit the ice on the Stars top line, you notice them pretty fast as they make the puck dance in the offensive zone. The chemistry they have to make plays is inspiring. They are seeing a game that no one else on the sheet of ice they are playing on is seeing.
They play on a team that is deep in talent. To be fair, placing them on the Stars roster might be the equivalent of giving Superman brass knuckles to take out the bad guys. They make their coaches look like better coaches, because they are that good.
    As a result of the superhuman efforts of Elia, who stands 5-foot-7, and Shirley, who stands 5-foot-4, the Stars rocketed to first place in the Saskatchewan league with a 25-3 mark. Add in results from the Mac's and the playoffs, the Stars are an incredible 36-3 overall.
    During semifinal round of the SFMAAAHL playoffs, the Stars dynamic duo has shown they can once again take their game up another level, when the stakes get higher and the competition gets tougher.
    In Game 1 of a best-of-five series against the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats on Tuesday at the Agriplace Arena, Shirley laser beamed the game's first goal top corner on Wildcats goaltender Jasey Book. Book appeared to have a look of disbelief after that rocket beat her.
    After the Wildcats tied the game 1-1 early in the second, Elia got the puck to Shirley down low, and she potted a pretty goal on a deke move to put the Stars up 2-1. The duo teamed up to set up linemate Julia Rongve to put the Stars up 3-1. Brittany Heuchert, a veteran 17-year-old forward, potted the Stars final goal in the third period in the 4-2 victory.

Nara Elia wheels with the puck for the Stars.

     The performance of the Stars two superstars was legit solid. The Wildcats were a respectable 15-11-2 in the regular season and are also a fast skating club. They also had to be a confident team, because they dumped the Stars 5-2 in the final regular season contest for both clubs back on Feb. 22 in Swift Current.
    Elia and Shirley showed they were ready for the challenge. The only downer in Game 1 came from the fact Elia was lost to injury in the third period after being on the receiving end of a head hit from Wildcats forward Chloe Smith, who was given a major penalty and a game misconduct on the play.
    In Game 2 on Thursday in Swift Current and playing without Elia, the Stars showed their depth pulling out a 3-2 overtime win. Shirley had an assist, but the supporting cast came through. Danielle Nogier and Kianna Dietz scored in regulation, while 17-year-old Courtney Cormack, who recently committed to playing for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's team, potted the overtime winner.

Sophia Shirley battles for a draw for the Stars.

    The Stars will try to close out the Wildcats on Saturday in Saskatoon (2 p.m., Agriplace Arena). Elia likely won't be available for that next title, but her absence just makes her team a little bit more human.
    Shirley and the rest of the Stars have more than enough to finish the job against the Wildcats and earn a berth into the league championship series.
    Before Saskatoon's post-season run ends, Elia will likely return at some point and will once again be teamed with Shirley. With that combo together again, the Stars might be too much for anyone to handle. As it stands right now, few teams have been able to hang with the Stars as it is.

    If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.