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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Esso Cup gold eludes Stars as Slash repeat as champs

Ashley Messier was named the Stars play of the game in the Esso Cup final.

    The tears became visible in the faces of the Saskatoon Stars seconds after the third period of the Esso Cup final expired.

    Despite pressing in a frantic final minute on Saturday at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre in Bridgewater, N.S., the Stars couldn’t find an equalizer to send the contest to overtime and the reality that the St. Albert Slash had prevailed 2-1 started to sink in.

    At one end of the rink, the Slash were celebrating history. The Alberta club became the first team to win the Esso Cup twice and in consecutive years in the 10-year history of the female midget AAA hockey national championship tournament.

    The Slash defeated the Quebec based Harfangs du Triolet 1-0 in overtime in last year’s Esso Cup championship game held in Morden, Man., and 10 players from that Slash team returned to be part of this year’s squad.

    The Stars were processing the emotional hurt. They were making their third appearance in the last four years at the Esso Cup and there was a steadfast believe that this would be their season to win it all.

    Saskatoon was 14-0 in the post-season entering Saturday’s game and was riding a 24 game winning streak dating back to the regular season. The Stars last loss before Saturday came back on Jan. 7, when they fell 4-3 to the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Sask.

    Saskatoon was 6-0 at the Esso Cup and had outscored the opposition 28-4 in the process heading into the event’s gold medal game. The Stars had beaten the Slash 4-1 in a round robin contest on Tuesday.

A couple of Stars players console each other after Saturday’s loss.

    In the Esso Cup championship game, the Stars played well in a contest that was tightly contested. The Slash held an 18-15 edge in shots on goal and blocked a large number of other Saskatoon shots.

    During the frantic final minute, Stars standout centre Grace Shirley and slick defender Ashley Messier had prime scoring chances and their shots were blocked by skilled Slash left-winger McKenzie Hewett. The Stars players will likely be replaying those moments in their minds in the hours following the end of Saturday’s contest.

    In the first half of the first period, the Stars came wheeling out of the gate pretty good. Gritty left-winger Jordyn Holmes was stoned by Slash star netminder Camryn Drever on an early chance, and Shirley and standout centre Joelle Fiala fired shots from good positions just wide of the St. Albert goal.

    The Slash started executing their game plan, forechecked the Stars hard and pinned them in their own zone. At the 17:11 mark of the first period, a turnover in the Saskatoon zone landed on the stick of Slash captain Tyra Meropoulis.

    Meropoulis fired a shot on goal, followed the rebound of her own shot, deked around Stars netminder Jordan Ivanco and slid the puck into the Saskatoon cage to give St. Albert a 1-0 lead.

    The Slash kept up their forechecking pressure and trapped the Stars fairly well when the Saskatoon side entered the centre ice zone funneling the advancing skaters to the boards. Stars right-winger Anna Leschyshyn had three shots on goal from solid chances, but she was turned away by Drever.

The Slash celebrate with the Esso Cup.

    Inside of the final minute of the second, the Slash went up 2-0 as a result of their tough forecheck. Meropoulis caused a turnover in the Saskatoon zone and got puck down to linemate Jayme Doyle at the left side of the Saskatoon goal.

    Doyle slid the puck across the face of the Saskatoon net to winger Madison Willan, who put home a backhander to give her side a 2-0 lead.

    Just seconds into the third, the Slash missed the Saskatoon goal on a scoring chance and Stars netminder Jordan Ivanco made a big stop on Willan.

    A short time after that save, Shirley stole the puck from a Slash player at the St. Albert blue-line creating a two-on-run rush. She fed a pass across the face of the St. Albert goal to hard-working forward Kianna Dietz, who knocked the puck into an empty part of the net to cut the Slash lead to 2-1 just 47 seconds into the third.

    With Dietz’s goal coming after a couple of big saves by Ivanco, it felt like the comeback was going to be on. A short time after Dietz’s tally, Stars superstar captain Mackenna Parker, who was named the MVP and was the leading scorer of the Esso Cup, was stopped in close.

    The Stars controlled play for most of the third period holding a 6-2 edge in shots on goal. Saskatoon had a number of other shots get blocked.

    Slash centre Shyla Kirwer came up with two key shot blocks on Shirley and Messier, when the Stars were working on the power play in the second half of the third.

    Defender Mackenzie Butz was named the player of the game for the Slash, while Messier took that same honour for the Stars.

Grace Shirley set up the Stars goal on Saturday.

    Drever made 14 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Slash. Ivanco made a number of quality stops turning away 16 shot taking the setback in goal for the Stars.

    Earlier in the day, the Pionnieres de Lanaudiere from Quebec slipped past the Brampton Canadettes from Ontario 2-1 in the bronze medal game.

    The Stars finished the 2017-18 campaign with a 44-7-1 overall record, and one of their losses was a tight one to a good team in a national final. The Slash finished the 2017-18 campaign with a 43-11-1 overall record and sport a 13-1 mark over the last two years at the Esso Cup.

    For the Stars, the hurt is there at the end of the game because the journey to get to the national championship contest was meaningful. Saturday marked the Stars 52^nd game, and the team stated on Twitter they have been together for eight months, 143 days and 82 practices.

    When the season ends, you reflect on everything that happened over that period of time. With the success the Stars had, the team gets pulled that much closer together.

    Entering the national final, everyone on the team believed they were going to win that game. When the win doesn’t happen, it is tough to take, because you reflect on the journey to get there.

    Overlooked is the fact the season was extremely successful, and it is a major accomplishment in any campaign to play in a national championship game. That in itself makes the season a success.

    For most of the Stars, their bonds go beyond what happened this season. Parker, Dietz, Holmes, Jordyn Gerlitz, Jordan Ivanco and Dana Wood all exhausted their midget eligibility with the end of Saturday’s game.

    Parker, Dietz, Holmes, Gerlitz, who wasn’t able to play in this year’s Esso Cup due to a broken collarbone, and Shirley were with the Stars in all of their Esso Cup appearances. Shirley was an associate player call up in the 2015 Esso Cup in Red Deer, Alta.

    Gerlitz will go down as the first Stars player to score a Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series clinching goal, when the Stars won their first SFMAAAHL title in 2015. That group grew up before your eyes over the last four years from all the experiences they went through together.

Captain Mackenna Parker and the Stars had a memorable season.

    Ivanco, Wood, Leschyshyn and Fiala have been with the Stars since the start of the 2015-16 season. Messier, Kaitlin Jockims, Grace Tam, Chace Sperling, Jayda Sachs, Abby DeCorby and Arden Kliewer all finished their second complete season with team.

    Calli Arnold, Makena Kushniruk and Emily Holmes, who is Jordyn Holmes’ younger sister, were the fresh faced rookies who were quickly adopted into the Stars family by the veterans. They all played big roles on the team as the season progressed.

    The Stars came up just short in basking in the euphoria of a national championship win. At some point in time, the hurt over the disappointment of the setback will lessen.

    The memories and experiences that came from the accomplishments made along the way to get there can never be taken away.

    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 roll to 5-0 at Esso Cup, will face Pionnieres in semifinal

Grace Shirley has four goals and two assists for the Stars at Esso Cup.

    It seemed like everyone was pitching in for the Saskatoon Stars in their final round robin game at the Esso Cup.

    On Thursday at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre in Bridgewater, N.S., five different players scored for the Stars as they rolled past the Northern Subway Selects from New Glasgow, N.S. 5-2. Saskatoon built a 5-0 lead after 40 minutes, and the Selects scored twice inside of the final three minutes of the third period to round out the contest’s scoring at the female midget AAA hockey national championship tournament.

    The Stars finished play in the preliminary round with a perfect 5-0 record, and they became the fourth team in the history of the Esso Cup, which is being contested for the 10^th time this year, to win all of their round robin games in regulation. The defending Esso Cup champion St. Albert Slash from Alberta are the last team to win all their preliminary round games in regulation pulling off that feat last year, when the Esso Cup was held in Morden, Man.

    Saskatoon will face the Pionnieres de Lanaudiere (2-2-1) from Quebec in Friday’s early semifinal set for 1 p.m. Saskatchewan time. The Slash (4-1) take on the Brampton Canadettes (3-2) from Ontario in Friday’s late semifinal set for 4:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time. The Selects (1-3-1) and host Metro Boston Pizza (0-4-1) were eliminated from playoff round contention with Thursday’s results.

Kaitlin Jockims scored for the Stars on Thursday.

    In Thursday’s encounter between the Stars and Selects, the Stars jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first 20 minutes getting goals from standout centre Grace Shirley, superstar captain Mackenna Parker and right-winger Jayda Sachs. Sachs tipped home a point shot from rookie 15-year-old defender Emily Holmes right before the first period buzzer went.
    Holmes had two assists in the contest.

    Just 2:17 into the second, the Stars went ahead 4-0, when veteran right-winger Kianna Dietz, who turned 18 in January, netted her second goal of the tournament. With 81 seconds remaining in the second, Kaitlin Jockims potted her third goal of the event to give the Stars a 5-0 advantage.

    Inside of the final three minutes of the third, Maddie Quinn and Kara MacLean scored singles for the Selects.

    Jordan Ivanco stopped 14 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Jenna Landry turned away 27 shots to take the setback in goal for the Selects.

    The Stars currently have five players averaging a point or more per game so far at the Esso Cup. Parker leads all players in tournament scoring with five goals and six assists for 11 points. Centre Joelle Fiala has seven points coming off three goals and four assists.

    Shirley, right-winger Anna Leschyshyn and defender Ashley Messier all have six points each. Shirley has four goals and two assists, Leschyshyn had two goals and four assists, and Messier has one goal and five assists.

Emily Holmes had two assists for the Stars on Thursday.

    The Pionnieres have two players who are averaging a point or more per game in the Esso Cup. Centre Ann-Frederik Naud has seven points coming off three goals and four assists. Her linemate and left-winger Megane Quirion has six points coming off six assists.

    The Stars are 13-0 in this year’s post-season. They will be looking to earn their first semifinal win ever at the Esso Cup on Friday.

    At the 2015 tournament in Red Deer, Alta., the Stars fell 2-1 after a tiebreaking shootout to the host Chiefs. At the 2016 Esso Cup in Weyburn, Sask., the Stars fell 4-0 to the Brantford Ice Cats from Ontario, who moved on to win the event’s championship game.

    The Stars are trying to become the first Saskatchewan based team since the Weyburn Gold Wings in 2014 to win the Esso Cup.
    The tournament’s bronze and gold medal games are slated for Saturday, and the gold medal final will be shown live at 4 p.m. Saskatchewan time on TSN.

Parker officially receives Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Award

Congratulations to @StoonStarsAAA captain Mackenna Parker on receiving the 2018 Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Award at the @HC_EssoCup! pic.twitter.com/eAqlPjANdO

— Team Canada Women (@HC_Women) April 26, 2018

    On Thursday, Saskatoon Stars captain Mackenna Parker officially received this year’s Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Female-Player-of-the-Year Award from Hockey Canada.

    The award is given annually to a player that most demonstrates good values, leadership and strong community involvement. Hockey Canada named Parker the winner of the Isobel Gathorne-Hardy Award back on April 5.

    Parker topped the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League in regular season scoring with 33 goals and 27 assists in 23 regular season games. She was named the winner of the SFMAAAHL’s most valuable player award and a first-team all-star.

    In the process, she equaled the Stars team record for most points in one regular season also set by Emily Clark, who is a member of Canada’s senior national women’s hockey team. Clark piled up 60 points in 26 regular season games in the 2011-12 campaign with the Stars coming off 26 goals and 34 assists.

    Parker is completing her final season of midget AAA eligibility and will graduate sitting second on the SFMAAAHL’s all-time regular season scoring list with 82 goals and 76 assists in 104 regular season games.

    In January, Parker helped Canada win bronze at the under-18 women’s world championship, which was held in Dmitrov, Russia.

Congrats @mack_parker11. So deserving! Some below average company in the photo though😉Good luck tomorrow @StoonStarsAAA you are making everyone back home so proud! https://t.co/uqqPeOjCej

— Emily Clark (@emclark13) April 27, 2018

    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 get 40th win with 2-0 start at Esso Cup

Joelle Fiala had a goal and an assist for the Stars on Sunday.

    The Saskatoon Stars have quickly turned heads at this year’s Esso Cup.

    The defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champions have jumped out to a 2-0 start posting wins at the female midget AAA hockey national championship tournament over the representatives from Ontario and Quebec at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre in Bridgewater, N.S. The teams from Ontario and Quebec traditionally do well at the six-team national championship tournament, which is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year.

    With those wins, the Stars improved their overall record to 40-6-1. They have won 40 or more games overall in three of the last four seasons. Their lifetime record at the Esso Cup improved to 10-6 as well having won a bronze medal at the 2015 tourney and finishing fourth at the 2016 event.

    On Sunday, the Stars downed the Brampton Canadettes from Ontario 5-0. Grace Shirley, Calli Arnold, Joelle Fiala, Kaitlin Jockims and Kianna Dietz all netted singles for the Stars. Fiala had an assist to go along with her goal, while Ashley Messier and Jayda Sachs both had two assists each.

    Jordan Ivanco made 12 stops to pick up the shutout win in goal for the Stars. Hannah Szczepanowski turned away 22 shots to take the setback in goal for the Canadettes.

    On Monday, the Stars blanked the Pionnieres de Lanaudiere from Quebec 3-0. Mackenna Parker and Anna Leschyshyn each had a goal and an assist, while Shirley had a goal for the second straight game.

Grace Shirley scored for the Stars on Monday.

    Arden Kliewer made 19 stops to pick up the shutout win in goal for the Stars. Leila Cecilia Lotke Salinas turned away 43 shots to take the setback in goal for the Pionnieres.

    The Stars continue round robin play on Tuesday against the defending Esso Cup champion St. Albert Slash from Alberta. The Slash defeated the Pionnieres 3-2 after a tiebreaking shootout on Sunday and bombed the host Metro Boston Pizza squad 8-0 on Monday.

    The Slash are trying to become the first team ever to win the Esso Cup in two straight years.

    The Stars, who are 10-0 in this year’s post-season, are trying to become the first Saskatchewan based team to win the title since the Weyburn Gold Wings in 2014.

    The round robin schedule for the Esso Cup runs through until Thursday. The top four teams advance on to two semifinal games to be held Friday. The tournament’s bronze and gold medal games are slated for Saturday, and the gold medal final will be shown live at 4 p.m. Saskatchewan time on TSN.

    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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Could third time be a charm for Stars at Esso Cup?

Jordyn Holmes, left, and Mackenna Parker hope to enjoy an Esso Cup title.

    Captain Mackenna Parker believes this might the best chance her Saskatoon Stars have of winning the Esso Cup.

    The Stars are making their third appearance in the last four years at the national female midget AAA hockey championship tournament. The Stars open play at this year’s six-team tourney at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre in Bridgewater, N.S., in the event’s first game on Sunday against the Brampton Canadettes from Ontario.

    Saskatoon has a lifetime 8-6 record at the Esso Cup winning a bronze medal in 2015 and falling in the bronze medal game in 2016. Parker, who is in her 17-year-old and final season of midget eligibility, was with the Stars in their previous two visits to nationals and is pumped to return for a third time.

    “I’m so excited,” said Parker, who topped the Stars in scoring with 33 goals and 27 assists in 23 regular season games. “This time I think that we can actually win or if we are doing our best, we actually have a shot at the gold medal.

    “I wanted it last year too. It is more exciting this year.”

    The Stars have an advantage in the experience. Along with Parker, forwards Jordyn Holmes and Kianna Dietz played in the 2015 Esso Cup along with centre Grace Shirley, who was an associate player call up.

Mackenna Parker will go down as one of the Stars all-time greats.

    Winger Jordyn Gerlitz also suited up for the Stars that season at nationals, but she will be unavailable this year due to breaking her collarbone in the Stars 6-2 win in Game 2 of their Western regional playdown series on April 7 against the Eastman Selects in Steinbach, Man.

    Parker, Holmes, Dietz, Gerlitz and Shirley were all part of the Stars team that appeared in the 2016 Esso Cup along with standout forwards Anna Leschyshyn and Joelle Fiala, defensive defender Dana Wood and standout netminder Jordan Ivanco. Parker, Holmes, Dietz, Gerlitz, Wood and Ivanco are all playing out their final midget AAA campaigns.
    On top of that experience, Parker and Shirley were members of Canada’s team that won a bronze medal at the under-18 women’s worlds in Dmitrov, Russia, in January.

    Holmes believes her squad’s experience factor will be a calming influence at Esso Cup.

    “It is going to help a lot, especially with the young ones,” said the gritty defensive forward. “We’ll be able to like show them along and teach them what to do.

    “If they are nervous, we can like help them like try to calm it and know what to do with it.”

    Parker believes the fact that her team has a large group of players that have played together for an extended period of years will be a benefit at Esso Cup as well.

    “I think it will help a lot, because we all know each other and we all like have such good chemistry,” said Parker. “There is so many of us graduating this year that we all want it so bad too.

Jordyn Holmes (#44) has been a standout defensive forward for the Stars.

    “We want to go out with that win and doing the best that we can. Especially being able to do it with them the past four years, I think that will be great.”

    For the 10 members of the Stars who will make their first appearance at the Esso Cup, Holmes said the biggest advice she will pass on is to look after yourself physically. If the Stars make the playoff round, they will ultimately play seven games over seven days.

    “With all the hockey, I would say keep your fluids up and make sure you are stretched out and your body is feeling good every day,” said Holmes. “After cooldown at the rink, do it then, but then also back at the hotel.

    “I suggest like that is what I would think would be better for us.”

    Head coach Greg Slobodzian has guided the Stars to their two previous appearances at the Esso Cup. He noted his team has a calm going into this year’s tournament that didn’t necessarily exist in the previous two visits.

    “It is exciting every time you get to go to anything that is hosted by Hockey Canada,” said Slobodzian. “They do such a good job.

    “The first time obviously you go in wide eyed not knowing what to expect excited and giddy. The second time I think we’re like, “Yeah, you know we can do this.” This time, sure there are a few girls that haven’t been to it, but the whole attitude is like, “Yeah, let’s just go there and do it and take care of business.”

Defensive defender Dana Wood is closing out her career with the Stars.

    “It is a little bit different. We’re not going to be as not necessarily awestruck.”

    While the Stars will only be able to use 16 skaters each game due to the injury to Gerlitz, Slobodzian his players can handle the big volume of games.

    “I’m not really worried about our conditioning,” said Slobodzian, whose team is 8-0 in the post-season and 38-6-1 overall this season. “The girls are in really great shape right now. The layoffs that we’ve had in between series have really helped that.

    “It is not as if we are worn out by no means. It is still a lot of hockey, and we have to make sure that you manage the girls’ minutes properly.”

    Of course with a national tournament like the Esso Cup, the Stars will see teams they haven’t played in the current campaign like the Canadettes. Holmes said the big key will be to adjust on the fly.

    “It is going to be difficult not being able to watch on film and know exactly what they are doing,” said Holmes. “We’ll just have to play our game and adapt.”

    The Esso Cup field is rounded out by the defending champion St. Albert Slash from Alberta, the Pionnieres de Lanaudiere from Terrebonne, Quebec, the Northern Subway Selects from New Glasgow, N.S., and tournament hosts Metro Boston Pizza.

The Stars hope to keep the victory celebrations going at Esso Cup.

    The six teams will play each other in a round robin with the top four clubs advancing to the tournament’s two semifinal games, which will be held on Friday, April 27. The bronze and gold medal games will be held on Saturday, April 28.

    Both Parker and Holmes would love to close out their midget AAA careers with a win in the Esso Cup’s championship game.

    “It would mean so much to me,” said Parker.  “I’ve wanted it for the past four years since I’ve played with Stars.

    “I just want to be able to celebrate and throw my hands into the air and like say that I won the Esso Cup with my team. That would be amazing. I hope we can do it.”

    “It would be indescribable what it would feel like to be able to go out with a win my last year,” said Holmes. “It would just be amazing. I just hope so bad.”

    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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A sweep return to Esso Cup for SFMAAAHL champion Stars

Clock strikes midnight on Selects’ “Cinderella” campaign

The Stars are going back to the Esso Cup. (Photo courtesy Jason Schneider)

    The Saskatoon Stars offensive firepower proved to be too much for the Eastman Selects to handle.

    The Stars swept a best-of-three Western regional playdown series between the two clubs 2-0 over the weekend at the T.G. Smith Centre in Steinbach, Man. The Stars claimed Game 1 on Friday night 7-0 and closed out the series with a 6-2 victory in Game 2 on Saturday.

    With the series victory, the Stars advance to the six-team Esso Cup national female midget AAA championship tournament to be held April 22 to 28 in Bridgewater, N.S. This will mark the third time over the last four years the Stars have advanced to the Esso Cup. They won a bronze medal at the 2015 tournament in Red Deer, Alta., and finished fourth at the 2016 tournament in Weyburn, Sask.

    In the series with the Selects, the Stars entered as the favourites finishing first in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League with a 24-3-1 regular season record. They advanced through the SFMAAAHL playoffs win a 6-0 record.

    The Selects, who are based out of Ste. Anne, Man., finished fifth in the seven team Manitoba Female AAA Midget Hockey League with a 13-12-5 record. They proceeded to roll off three upset best-of-five series victories to capture the MFMHL title for the first time in team history.

    In quarter-final series, the Selects swept the Shoal Lake based Yellowhead Chiefs 3-0, and the Chiefs were 14-10-6 in regular season play. In a semifinal series, the Selects got past the Winnipeg Avros 3-1, and the Avros topped the MFMHL standings with a 25-5 record.

    In the MFMHL finals, the Selects faced the defending league champion Pembina Valley Hawks, who are based out of Morden. The Hawks finished second in the MFMHL with a 20-8-2 record. On the strength of a pair of overtime victories to close out the series, the Selects prevailed 3-1 to capture the Manitoba championship.

Captain Mackenna Parker scored three goals for the Stars this past weekend.

    Saskatoon received goals from five different players in their 7-0 victory in Game 1 on Friday. Captain Mackenna Parker and Grace Shirley each scored twice, while Kaitlin Jockims, Calli Arnold and Jordyn Gerlitz each netted singles. Jordan Ivanco made 13 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars.

    Raygan Kirk stopped 15-of-19 shots fired her way starting in goal for the Selects before being pulled after the first period. Meagan Relf turned away 28-of-31 shots playing the rest of the way in relief.

    In Saturday’s 6-2 victory by the Stars in Game 2, Anna Leschyshyn scored twice for Saskatoon, while Jockims, Parker, Kianna Dietz and Jayda Sachs had singles. Ivanco turned away 17 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Stars.

    Chelsea Dinnin and Samantha Christensen replied with singles for the Selects. Kirk turned away 39 shots going the distance taking the setback in goal for the Selects.

    The Stars have nine players on their roster remaining from the team’s 2016 appearance in the Esso Cup including Ivanco, Dana Wood, Leschyshyn, Parker, Dietz, Shirley, Gerlitz, Joelle Fiala and Jordyn Holmes. Their experience is expected to be key for the squad going forward.

    Besides capturing the Lanchbery Family Trophy as Western regional playdown series winners, the Stars honoured the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League on Saturday wearing green and gold tape on their skates and sticks. The junior A Broncos’ team bus was involved in a tragic accident on Friday with a semi-trailer truck, and 15 people on the bus died as a result.

Today we play for a chance to represent Saskatchewan at the @HC_EssoCup but we are reminded this is a game that brings us together as 1 #WILL Today we play for the @HumboldtBroncos #SaskProud 💚💛 pic.twitter.com/bxt7cclQ7j

— Saskatoon Stars (@StoonStarsAAA) April 7, 2018

    The Selects raised $700 for the GoFundMe account to support the Broncos.

On behalf of the @StoonStarsAAA and the Eastman Selects at the Western Regional Series we are proud to donate $700 to the Humboldt Broncos. Thank you to all who made this possible. #WesternRegionalSeries #PrayersForHumboldt #HockeyIsFamily pic.twitter.com/B8IRGynFyC

— Eastman Selects (@Eastmanfemale) April 7, 2018

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Parker hits 60, equals Clark for Stars season points record

Mackenna Parker, left, is hugged by Jordyn Holmes after tying a record.

    Tying a team record seems to have extra meaning, when it is held by your hero.

    On Sunday, Mackenna Parker took the ice at the Agriplace Arena needing to get one point to tie the Saskatoon Stars team record for most points in one regular season held by Emily Clark. Clark, who is playing with Canada’s women’s hockey team at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, recorded 26 goals and 34 assists for a team record 60 points in 26 games for the Stars in the 2011-12 Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season.

    The Stars were taking on the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats on Sunday in the final regular season tilt for both sides. For the longest time, it appeared Parker wasn’t going to get her 60^th point of the campaign.

    With the Stars holding a 3-1 lead late in the third, the Wildcats pulled goalie Amaya Giraudier for an extra attacker.

The Stars were happy after helping Mackenna Parker (#11) get her 60th point.

    Saskatoon defender Ashley Messier and veteran forward Kianna Dietz sprung Parker on a break down the right wing, and the skilled centre fired home her 33^rd goal and 60^th point of the season into an empty net with 60 seconds to play to put the finishing touches on a 4-1 Stars victory. She also had 27 assists on the campaign.

    After Parker scored, she was mobbed by her linemates in a unique joyous celebration you don’t normally see around an empty-net goal. 

    Everyone on the Stars knew what the significance of Parker’s goal was, and the 17-year-old captain thought of Clark. The two spent time together at various Hockey Canada camps.

Mackenna Parker had no luck offensively for most of Sunday’s game.

    “I’ve looked up to her (Clark) for a long time,” said Parker, who helped Canada win a bronze medal at the under-18 women’s worlds in January in Dmitrov, Russia. “Someday, I want to be in the Olympics like her, but I just have to keep working I guess.”

    Through the first two periods, Parker had a number of chances to score or set up a goal, but the points weren’t coming. During the contest, the Stars had five power-play opportunities and couldn’t find the back of the net on any of those chances.

    On the Stars second power-play chance coming in the first period, the Wildcats went ahead 1-0, when superstar winger Taylor Lind blew home her 28^th goal of season past Stars netminder Jordan Ivanco on a two-on-one rush at the 12:46 mark of the frame.

    With 23.7 seconds to play in the first, Stars 16-year-old forward Kaitlin Jockims netted her 10^th goal of the campaign to even the score at 1-1.

Taylor Lind gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead in the first period on Sunday.

    Joelle Fiala put the Stars up 2-1 at the 6:51 mark of the second with her 18^th goal and 40^th point of the season. Anna Leschyshyn netted her 24^th goal of the season at the 13:14 mark of the third to extend the Stars edge to 3-1.

    For most of the last three minutes of the third, the Stars coaching staff left Parker on the ice in search of her elusive 60^th point, which she got with her empty-net goal.

    Parker needed three points in the Stars last two regular season games - both against the Wildcats - to reach 60 points. She scored twice on Saturday as the Stars downed the Wildcats 5-2 at the Agriplace Arena to lock up first place in the SFMAAAHL. She proceeded to tie Stars record for most points in one regular season on Sunday.

    “It is amazing,” said Parker, who claimed the SFMAAAHL scoring title as well. “The past two games against Swift I realized I was that close. I just wanted to be able to get there.

Anna Leschyshyn gave the Stars a two-goal edge in the third period.

    “It was my team that did that too. Things just kind of like weren’t going my way like for the whole game (on Sunday). I just got that empty netter in the end and that is all that mattered.”

    Stars head coach Greg Slobodzian said he did get worried that Parker might be snakebitten during Sunday’s game. The veteran bench boss was pumped to see the Clavet, Sask., product break through to score the game’s final goal to get to 60 points.

    “She (Parker) works so darn hard,” said Slobodzian. “Every team that we play against focuses in on her defensively, and she is hooked and pulled down.

    “No other player on our team is treated the way she is treated. If I coached against her, I would do the same thing.

Ashley Messier (#8) had an assist on Mackenna Parker’s record-tying goal.

    “She gets frustrated, and she fights and fights and fights. To see her get rewarded like that, it just was a real special feeling not just for herself. Everyone was cheering her on, and everyone was extremely excited for her.”

    Ivanco made 18 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars, who improved to 24-3-1. Giraudier turned away 27-of-30 shots to take the setback in goal for the Wildcats, who fell to 13-11-4.

    Due to finishing first in the SFMAAAHL, the Stars earned a bye into the second round of the league playoffs, so they will wait to see who they will face in a best-of-five SFMAAAHL semifinal series. Parker, who appeared in 23 regular season games in 2017-18, is one of six players on the Stars who will exhaust their midget AAA eligibility at the end of playoffs along with Dietz, Ivanco, Dana Wood, Jordyn Gerlitz and Jordyn Holmes.

Stars captain Mackenna Parker kept receiving hugs post-game on Sunday.

    The captain wants to lead her team back into the Esso Cup national championship tournament, which runs April 22 to 28 in Bridgewater, N.S. The Stars won SFMAAAHL titles in 2015 and 2016 and appeared in the Esso Cup in both those years winning a bronze medal in the first visit to nationals.

    “I just want to lay everything on the line this time,” said Parker, who is in her fourth season with the Stars. “I want to get the team as far as we can go.

    “This time, I want to win the league and be able to go to Esso. That is my goal.”

    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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Dietz - the Stars unsung hero

Kianna Dietz gets set to wire a shot on goal for the Stars.

    Kianna Dietz is the “glue gal” who helps the Saskatoon Stars go.

    The 17-year-old centre has been a member of the Stars since the start of the 2014-15 campaign, and has quietly gone out and given her best on a nightly basis. A number of her teammates have piled up the points offensively and received more recognition, but Dietz, who stands 5-foot-9, has been a regular filling a gritty checking role and chipped in points when needed.
    She has displayed soft hands in the offensive zone on occasion either making plays or scoring goals.

    Dietz has played a key role in helping the Stars win Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championships in 2015 and 2016 and subsequently appear in the Esso Cup national championship tournament.

Kianna Dietz celebrates scoring in Game 3 of the 2015 SFMAAAHL finals.

    The Hanley, Sask., product was an important contributor to the Stars posting their best regular season record ever last season at 25-2-1 and making it to a third straight league championship series, where they fell to the Prince Albert Northern Bears.

    On Sunday at the Agriplace Arena, Dietz happened to be in a key place again helping set up a third period goal by Joelle Fiala to give the Stars a 5-2 lead on the visiting Melville Prairie Fire. That tally turned out to be the winning goal, as the Stars held on for a 5-4 victory.

    Dietz is part of a group of six playing out their final season of midget eligibility with the Stars including Mackenna Parker, Jordyn Gerlitz, Jordyn Holmes, Dana Wood and Jordan Ivanco, and she wouldn’t trade her time with the team for anything.

    “It has been great,” said Dietz, who had nine goals and six assists in 28 regular season games last season for the Stars. “It is a great four years with lots of memories.

Kianna Dietz breaks into the offensive zone for the Stars on Sunday.

    “I just want to finish with like a good year. There are six graduating, so we definitely want to finish strong.”

    Dietz has had a couple of signature moments with the team as well. In the female final of the prestigious Mac’s Midget Tournament in Calgary in January of 2015, Dietz had a goal in the Stars 4-2 victory over the Calgary Fire at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

    On March 25, 2015 at the Agriplace Arena, Dietz set up the Stars first ever SFMAAAHL championship winning goal, which was scored by Gerlitz. Dietz proceeded to net the insurance marker to help the Stars down the Bears 2-0 in Game 3 of the SFMAAAHL series and sweep the best-of-five set 3-0.

    Dietz said playing for the Stars has had a big impact on her life, and that she has been lucky to have Greg Slobodzian as her head coach for a fifth straight season. Slobodzian was Dietz’s head coach on the Saskatoon Comets bantam AA team during the 2013-14 campaign.

Joelle Fiala had a pair of goals for the Stars on Sunday.

    “It has definitely made me the player that I am today,” said Dietz, who has a goal and a career high nine assists in 12 appearances this season for the Stars. “With Greg especially coaching me for five years now, it has helped me so much.

    “My game has definitely improved a lot.”

    Slobodzian said Dietz is one of those players that can deliver insight to the coaches. The two often have a lot of conversations about what they saw watching NHL games on television. Dietz will watch as many NHL games as she can during a hockey season.

    “She is a real smart kid who gets and understands the game,” said Slobodzian. “There are often times she will be like, ‘Hey coach, look at what they are doing.’

    “She will pick something out before I see it.”

    The bench boss said that even before Sunday’s game Dietz visited the coach’s office and asked how her game was and what she needed to improve on.

Captain Mackenna Parker had the Stars fourth goal on Sunday.

    “If you have every athlete like that sort of taking ownership of like, ‘OK, how am I doing and how can I help,’ it would be great to have 19 girls putting that kind of thought process into it,” said Slobodzian. “That is the type of girl she is.

    “She has great hands, a great shot and is super smart. Unfortunately, she has to get just a little bit quicker, and that is often the case with some players.

    “She is great. I have always enjoyed coaching her. She really, really cares.”
    Dietz came away a bit disappointed with how her team played on Friday. The Stars jumped ahead 3-0 in the first period with goals from Anna Leschyshyn, Gerlitz and Fiala.

    In the second period, Erin Armstrong scored for the Prairie Fire and Mackenna Parker replied for the Stars to allow Saskatoon to head into the second intermission with a 4-1 edge.

Anna Leschyshyn scored the Stars first goal on Sunday.

    Kailey Ottenbreit scored for Melville at the 6:43 mark of the third to cut Saskatoon’s edge to 4-2.

Dietz proceeded to set up Fiala’s second of the night to give the Stars a 5-2 edge.

    Saskatoon had to hold on as Jordan Fry and Jaydea Guenter-Belte netted singles for the Prairie Fire to cut the host’s edge to 5-4, but that was as close as the visitors would get.

    Ivanco made 26 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Stars, who improved to 13-0. Taylor Nagy turned away 33 shots to take the setback in goal for the Prairie Fire, who fell to 5-9.  

    “We know we can be better than that, so we have to really work harder and put in a whole 60 minutes for a game,” said Dietz. “They work really hard that team, and we kind of didn’t keep our foot on the pedal the whole game.”

The Stars celebrate their win on Sunday.

    Due to the fact the Stars have experience so much success, Dietz said her team has to fight the false sense of security feeling that the wins are just going to happen.

    “We have to know that each game we have to come prepared to work our hardest,” said Dietz. “Even in practice, we have to work to keep up that tempo we know we can play with.

    “We just have to make sure we work hard for it.”

    The Stars resume their regular season schedule on Dec. 16, when they travel to Swift Current to take on the Diamond Energy Wildcats.

    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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