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By Ben Tompkins

This is where the fun begins

Mustangs set for first round clash with North Stars

Mar 19, 2026 | 5:58 PM

The Melfort Mustangs will take on the Battlefords North Stars in a best-of-seven series beginning on Friday.

It marks the first round of playoffs between the three (Battlefords) and six (Melfort) seeds in the SJHL this season.

“If you rewind to the start of the season, we figured we might be a middle-of-the-pack team, but we certainly didn’t feel that we’d have the start we did. We played well, but we were lacking production, and in the second half, we kept playing the same way; we just got the confidence to start filling the net. Credit to the players to make that final push and get us into the playoffs, they really bought in,” explained head coach Trevor Blevins.

“Battlefords is a high offensive team that loves to score off the rush, and they swarm you defensively. They’re a well-rounded team with a great coach who has taken a team that had to make a couple of tough deals in the summer, into third place, so you gotta respect that. They’re a dangerous team, so we gotta make sure we defend well.”

For just the second time in the last 24 months (2023/24 final against Flin Flon), the Mustangs will be the lower-seeded squad and have to begin a series on the road.

This is where the fun begins

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And while Melfort has always done well and loved playing at home, Blevins sees the situation as a great opportunity.

“I think it’s exciting that we get to be on the road and in a hotel with all the boys together, guys are looking forward to it, and honestly, there are fewer nerves on the road. Our urgency is going to be a big key; we’re gonna need to have a good start and take care of business right away. We’re playing a really sound game both ways, so we just need that to continue,” he added.

“We’re the underdog, so mentally there’s less pressure. I think if you’re prepared and confident, you shouldn’t feel pressure, but it’s human nature. I think we’re ready to roll, though, and we’ve had a great week of practice.”

Despite the North Stars finishing with 12 more points on the year than the Stangs, it was the Blue and Green who won three of the four meetings on the year.

Blevins understands it’s a new season, though, and nothing is guaranteed based on past results.

“It’s a whole new season for us. We’re looking back on the games we played them for preparation, but there’s going to be times to adapt and change to your opponents, and focus on what’s working too. A seven-game series is always a marathon,” he concluded.

“For us, it’s no secret when we’re great defensively, that’s always been our MO, so to speak. We play well when we’re tough to play against, so we just need to bring that. That, to me, is the number one key for us.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8