The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It was an early departure for the Norman Northstars this past weekend as they dropped the three game series against the Interlake Lightning 2-1. The first game was a tight battle as the Lightning hit the score sheet first. It would not take long for the Northstars to battle back as Kajun Mckay beat the goalie leaving it tied after the first. Interlake was not about to sit back and came out battling in the corners to bury another in the second. Again the Northstars would respond when Jordan Crone would tip one past the goalie from the deep slot. The next shift Interlake would beat Kozar to take control and the go ahead goal. The number one defensemen in the league, Brent Wilson, would wire one past Pigdon to tie the match again. It was not to be however, as the Lightning would beat Kozar one more time to take the win. The Northstars outshot the Lightning by a substantial margin. Saturdays game would be just as hard fought, but a different outcome for the Northstars. They would outshoot the Lightning 39-19, but only manage to sink one goal, that coming off the stick of Mckay from Tanner Korchinski. McKayÕs goal would prove to be the winner of game two. Sundays game was a nail biter from start to finish. A bouncing puck would deflect off of a number of skates in the crease to beat Ryan Delorme for the first time in six periods. The Lightning would score another before Norman would hit the board. With chance after chance, Kyle Stephansson of the Northstars scored the only goal for team white. See 'Offens...' on pg. Continued from pg. Struggling offensively has been a common concern for this team since game one and the result was the Northstars losing the final game in the series 4-1. It was an emotional loss for the Northstars as they have dominated Interlake throughout the season. It was with a teary eye that Coach Korman would say good-bye to his graduating players. ÒThese are my boys,Ó he said after the game. As an unpaid coach, Korman spends roughly 700 hours preparing his team for the playoff run. His coaching staff of six and board members spend a substantial amount of their spare time helping this team strive for success. Without the support of this group of people, the team would not exist. There are 11 graduating players from the Norman squad this year. Three players are APÕd with Norway House Junior B, one with Swan Valley, Dauphin, Portage and two with the Flin Flon Bombers. They will finish off the season playing for those respective teams. With 11 returning players, the team will have substantial depth anchored by McKay, arguably the best first year player in the league, and the number one 15-year-old goalie, Ryan Delorme. Defense will also be strong with Ryan Jordan at the helm with a strong support team of Mathew Backhouse and Calvin Cairns. A strong core will surely mean a successful season for the Northstars next year. Best of luck to the future Northstars!!
