Preview: It's now or never for the Stars ahead of crucial 3 game stretch

by Eric Balnar

For a full chat with Sami Mantere (Stars) and Noah Maley (Xtreme) check out the recent episode of In The Slot here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmqdsEdtmjk

It’s literally now or never for the Noarlunga Stars.

With losses piling up and games running out, the Stars have to make a move at this moment or it may never happen at all.

The opportunity is there, too. They play the next three weeks - two games vs the Xtreme and one vs the Brewers. If they run the table they can still finish first.

But they are the first NHSL team to be truly up against a wall. With just one win, two regulation losses and two OT losses, the Stars have four points and sit third out of three teams in the NHSL.  The problem is only the top two make the Championship Series.

“It sounds cliché but it’s going to be a matter of ‘keep your head in the game’”, says Stars head coach Sami Mantere. “We’ve been telling the boys to not look past your next shift, not the next period. Every team is good in this league and we’ve been in every game we’ve played. Now’s the time to put the foot on the pedal and not take it off.”
 

The Xtreme, meanwhile, boast the league’s best record. A 4-1 record gives them eight points and first place.

If the Xtreme beat the Stars on Friday night they clinch a playoff spot. This scenario would push the Xtreme to 10 points, keep the Stars on 4 and make their maximum points on their season just 8.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for the Stars. If the Stars win their last three games (2 vs Xtreme, 1 vs Brewers), the standings would look like this heading in to the final round of the regular season:

1. Stars 10 points
2. Xtreme 8 points
3. Brewers 6 points

Believe it or not, the Stars can still finish top.

That’s the belief that head coach Sami Mantere is holding on too.

“The vibe is still good despite how it went last game,” says Mantere. “We’ve had a couple team get togethers since then. The trainings have been good. Everyone understands where we stand right now. It’s not ideal but it’s not game over. If we win our last three, we’re in the final.”

The Stars have squandered opportunities all-season long – none bigger than coughing up a 7-0 lead and losing to the Brewers on January 14.

This is the same team that allowed a game-tying shorthanded goal with less than three minutes to play in Game #1 of the season. They went on to lose.

The Stars are also 4-40 on the powerplay. An abysmally low number. They’ll need to be better in that department too.
 

“It’s enough of saying: ‘Oh we played well here’ or ‘That was a pretty goal’ or ‘We’re so close,” says Mantere. “At some point you have to apply a little more pressure on yourself.”

Most importantly, it’s time for them to play a full 60 minutes.

It won’t be easy. The Xtreme are the top of the NHSL for a reason.

The Xtreme are coming off a comeback victory of their own. After going behind the Brewers 5-3 in the third period on Friday night, the Xtreme completely took over. They dominated possession, shots, and the scoreboard while tallying four straight goals in a 7-5 win.

Their top line is dangerous - Joey MacDougall, Nathaniel Benson and Xander Wardlaw can turn around a game on a dime.

They have workhorses like Jared Siemens and Noah Maley who hound you for the puck on the lower lines.

“I think our biggest strength as a team is that we are a team,” he says. “We all work hard and will play different roles. Whatever is required to figure out how to get the win.”

Captain Joey MacDougall echoes that sentiment.

“The only points we care about are the two we can get as a team each night,” he says.

Xtreme head coach Eric Lien has deployed a few different looks. Importantly, the Xtreme take advantage of more opportunities presented to them than anyone else. They have the number one penalty kill and number one special teams.

Either way, there’s a lot on the line on Friday night. Will we see distance grow or a gap narrow?

Only one way to find out….

TWO PLAYERS TO WATCH ON BOTH TEAMS

Stars – Jake Riley: The 21-year-old may be without his captain Jan Koubek who is nursing a groin injury. Jake possesses more skill than maybe anybody in South Australian hockey. He draws attention to himself from his flare and abilities. Can he put together the most complete stretch of hockey in his career?

Stars – Yoann Levesque: The French Canadian scored four goals in his last game. It still wasn’t enough. Levesque plays on different lines, as a centre, as a winger and is their best penalty killer. Watch #8 close.

Xtreme – Jeremy Friederich: The goaltender had his most solid game of the season last week. He made crucial saves down the stretch to keep the Xtreme in it and remind everybody that the 19-year-old is likely still the best goalie in the state.

Xtreme – Nat Benson: Is there a new apple king in town? Benson has been setting his teammates up with pretty passes and feeds each game.