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By Mat Barrett

Final Four

Mustangs set to meet North Stars in rematch of 2019 Final

Mar 31, 2023 | 9:57 AM

The final four is set in the SJHL and it all kicks off on Friday night.

The Melfort Mustangs and Battlefords North Stars are set to meet in the semi-finals in what is a rematch of the 2019 SJHL Final that saw the North Stars win in five.

This year, the Mustangs are the fourth seed in the SJHL playoffs, and are coming off a six-game win over the La Ronge Ice Wolves which included an 8-2 win to clinch the series on Sunday. Mustangs captain Ben Tkachuk said the team is exciting and feeling confident heading into round two.

“That series overall kind of did a lot for our confidence,” he said. “That’s probably the most consistent six game stretch we’ve had all year.”

As for the North Stars, they were the league leaders in the regular season, only losing five times in regulation all season long. They’re coming off a five-game dispatch of the Weyburn Red Wings in round one. As the top team in the SJHL, with a highflying offence, Tkachuk said the Mustangs will have to stick to their gameplan.

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“Just defending in all three zones is our biggest key,” Tkachuk said. “And just playing physical and playing our style of play.”

During the regular season, the Mustangs and Stars battled five times with three of the five games going to overtime. Melfort won just one contest against the Stars this year.

Games one and two will go on Friday, and Saturday in North Battleford and you can catch all the action on 105CJVR.

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matbarrett@melfortmustangs.com

On Twitter: @matbarrettt6