A 5-1 loss to the Yellowhead Chiefs Nov. 18 was the bright spot of the Norman Northstars’ most recent three-game road trip, as it was the only contest in which they put a puck in the opponent’s net and held them to single-digit offence.
Mikey Baron* had the only goal of the trip for the Northstars on a third period power play against the Chiefs, who were leading 3-0 by that point. Briley Wood opened the scoring in the first period, with Logan Wotton and Parker Johnson adding Yellowhead tallies in the second. Johnson got his second after the Northstars broke the Chiefs’ shutout bid and Brody Wilson notched the fifth goal. Rylan Potkonjak made 48 saves in the Northstars net as they were outshot 53-18.
Mason Kaspick, Colin Cook and Nolan Ritchie each had two goals for the Brandon Wheat Kings as they beat the Northstars 12-0 Nov. 17. Jackson Orr, Mitch Thiessen, Rylan Thiessen, Calder Anderson, Troy Hamilton and Tanner Morrison added singles for the Wheat Kings, who pounded 57 pucks at Potkonjak and Braedin Melsted, who came in to play 28:09 after Porkonjak was pulled following Brandon’s eighth goal.
Ten players had goals for the Southwest Cougars in the 11-0 loss that started off the Northstars’ trip Nov. 16, which saw them down by two goals less than three minutes into the game. Grady Lane scored twice for Southwest, while Landon Roberts, Hunter Andrew, Tanner Clyne, Matthew Ramsey, Cody Gudnason, Braeden Lewis, Callum Fortin, Tyson Kozak and Hunter Wallace had singles. Melsted made 42 saves in a losing effort as the Cougars outshot the Northstars 53-27.
The Northstars, who are last in the 13-team Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League with a 2-18 record, host the 15-1 first-place Winnipeg Wild Nov. 24-25 at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena.
The Saturday night game will be the Northstars Emergency Services Appreciation Night. Thompson Fire & Emergency Services (TFES) Chief Mike Bourgon and Thompson RCMP detachment Insp. Brian Edmonds will don Northstars jerseys for a ceremonial faceoff to open the game and TFES will be giving out 200 free smoke detectors, while the RCMP will have a table of RCMP hockey pucks. Tickets to the game will be delivered to RCMP and TFES employees and their families by Northstars players Nov. 20-22 and Bourgon and Edmonds will select some of their employees’ children to compete in the first intermission shootout competition.
*The original version of this article said Henry Muchikekwanape scored the Northstars goal but it was, in fact, Mikey Baron. The Thompson Citizen apologizes for the error.
