(Submitted graphic/Melfort Mustangs)

By Ben Tompkins

Pack The Palace

Mustangs offering free admission for final regular season home game

Mar 2, 2023 | 12:37 PM

The Melfort Mustangs are looking to ‘pack the palace’ this Sunday when they welcome their division rivals to town.

The ‘Stangs will play their final regular season home game on March 5, when they battle the Nipawin Hawks.

Melfort currently sits fourth in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) standings, one point up on the La Ronge Ice Wolves.

That means that if the season ended today, the Mustangs would get home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

With that in mind and only four games remaining on the schedule for the blue and green, they are looking for every competitive edge they can muster, as playoffs are just a couple of weeks away.

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To help push them over the edge, especially against the Hawks, the organization will be offering free admission to the game, to get every community member they can into the arena to cheer them on.

The game will begin with a 3 p.m. puck drop, as Prairie North Co-op is the game sponsor, while Melfort Liquor Loft sponsors a guaranteed 50/50 jackpot of $2,000.

This contest will mark the team’s third free game in the last two years, with the previous two in 2021-22 being very well attended.

The club also recently announced their three stars for the month of February.

They went 5-3-0-1 in the 28-day stretch, which included clinching their spot in the SJHL playoffs.

(Graphic courtesy/Melfort Mustangs)

1^st Star: Clarke Huxley (9gp, 7G, 3A, 10pts)

After being named the third star of the month in January, Clarke Huxley turned it up another notch in February as he was held pointless in just one of nine games.

The 20-year-old assistant captain also scored goals in six of nine games, which included a two-goal performance on Feb. 17 against Melville.

The Calgary, Alta. product is now up to 16 goals (third on the team) and 38 points on the year.

2^nd Star: Zac Somers (9gp, 5G, 7A, 12pts)

As for the second star, no Mustang put up more points in the month of February than Zac Somers.

The hometown boy earned 12 points, including five goals, the second most on the team in that span.

Somers also registered four multi-point games, which included a four-point night, and a three-point night.

The 18-year-old University of Maine Commit is currently second on the team in scoring, and leads the Melfort with 25 goals on the year.

3^rd Star: Aidyn Hutchinson (9gp, 2G, 8A, 10pts)

And, the third star was Aidyn Hutchinson, as after battling some injuries earlier in the year, he caught fire in February.

The St. Alberta, Alta. product was held pointless in the first two games of February, but has not been held off the scoresheet since, as he’s currently riding a seven-game point streak.

In his excellent stretch, he tallied 10 points, including eight assists, which was highlighted by a four-assist night on Feb. 17 against Melville.

The 19-year-old’s 0.88 points per game, currently rank sixth best on the team, and he started off the month of March in terrific fashion, with the overtime winner against the Kindersley Klippers, last night.

The Mustangs next take on the Ice Wolves on Friday, at the Northern Lights Palace, in Melfort.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8