The Norman Northstars picked up their second win of 2019 at home Jan. 13, scoring five times in the first 22 minutes of play en route to a 6-3 win over the Central Plains Capitals after dropping a 6-1 decision to them the previous evening.
The dynamic duo of Henry Muchikekwanape and Jamie Valentino hooked up twice in the first period to give the Northstars a 2-0 lead and then Bandon McKay extended it to three when he converted a pass from Morgan Daneliuk behind the net. It was McKay’s first Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League goal. Muchickekwanape’s first came from the left side of the Capitals’ net just past the midway mark of the period, which saw both teams record 12 shots. Three minutes later he scored his second, again on a pass by Valentino, this time from the right side.
Muchikekwanape and Valentino continued to be a hot combination in the early stages of the second period, with Muchikekwanape completing his hat trick 37 seconds after the opening faceoff and Valentino making it a 5-0 game just over a minute later, with Muchikekwanape picking up an assist. Both players finished the game with four points. The Capitals came to life offensively about midway through the period, when Cody Blight kept the puck on a two-on-one and beat Northstars netminder Rylan Potkonjak up high. That produced a flurry of shots and chances for Central Plains through the rest of the period but Potkonjak turned them all aside, making 20 saves by the end of the second period, when the home team was being outshot 21-17.
The Capitals' Riley Borody narrowed the Northstars’ lead to three in the third period but Hunter Rambow put the result beyond doubt with 4:22 left to play, picking up a pass from Jordan Pfoh at the Central Plains blueline and skating in behind the last man back to beat Capitals netminder Rhett Boschman high for a 6-2 lead. Alex Cattani had one more goal for Central Plains in the dying moments of the game. The win was Potkonjak’s first in the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League.
Ryan Monias had the only goal for the Northstars in the first game of the series on Saturday, scoring with about five minutes left to play and his team trailing 6-0. Marcus Dewey had put the Capitals up with the only goal of the first period. Ryan Robinson and Borody extended the lead to three in the second period. A goal by Blight and a pair by Jaden Pashe preceded Monias breaking Boschman’s shutout bid. Braedin Melsted made 40 saves for the Northstars as the Capitals outshout them 46-26.
The Sunday win put the Northstars in a tie for 12th place in the 13-team Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League. Both they and the Parkland Rangers have six wins and 26 losses with one overtime loss and one shootout loss apiece for 14 points.
The Northstars are on the road next weekend to play the Interlake Lightning, Winnipeg Bruins and Eastman Selects.
