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By Ben Tompkins

Revenge Game

Mustangs host North Stars for first clash since last season’s semi-finals

Oct 18, 2023 | 3:11 PM

The Melfort Mustangs will welcome a familiar foe to the Northern Lights Palace Wednesday night when they host the visiting Battlefords North Stars.

While the two teams haven’t faced each other for several months, they know each other quite well as the two met in last season’s semi-finals.

Melfort got swept in that series 4-0 and has been seeking revenge ever since, with the weekday game serving as their first opportunity of the year to do so.

“I think yesterday’s practice we kind of went over that and kind of made it clear that it wasn’t just a game to respond from our loss last weekend, but I think it was more of a battle for revenge from last year,” explained Leith Olafson, Mustangs’ captain. “I think everyone’s got it in their mind that we’re here to beat them and we want to beat them.”

The Blue and Green, as Olafson mentioned, lost to the Kindersley Klippers last Saturday, which was the team’s first defeat of the season.

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In an up-and-down game, which was the second of a back-to-back, Olafson told northeastNOW it was all about their lack of effort that led to their demise, which they can’t let happen again.

“I think tonight, it’s all about our effort. They have a different team this year, we know they’re going to be strong, definitely not gonna be as strong as last year, but they’re still gonna be putting up a fight and they still want to show that they can beat anyone. We have to come out with a full effort tonight, everyone’s gotta be firing and ready to go,” he said.

“I think we got away from our systems a little bit last weekend, but I think getting back to it this week is a big test for our group, just kind of resetting and moving forward and trying to keep our season on the upswing.”

For the Stangs, tonight’s contest marks the first time they haven’t played on either a Friday or Saturday.

It’s also their third game of a busy stretch, which features eight battles on the ice in just 16 days.

According to Olafson, as long as the team is able to recover during the off days and not play too many back-to-back-to-back games, they should be alright.

“I kind of lose track of days during the season,” the Wasa, B.C. product joked. “I think for the most part, it’s not too big of a deal.”

Less than half of each organization’s roster remains from their last matchup. Olafson is one of the few to have consistently played in that series during the spring, at which point he was an assistant captain.

Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8