The Battlefords Stars played two more games without a new head coach on the bench, and have now finally announced who their new bench boss will be for the remainder of the season. The two assistant coaches, Derek Schmidt and Derek Keller, ran the bench on the weekend and saw the Stars lose two close games.
The Stars' board announced Trevor Sack will be the new head coach. Sack began his first season as head coach of the Valencia Flyers, a Junior A team playing out of California in the Western States Hockey League. Sack, who left an assistant coaching job with the Flin Flon Bombers of the SJHL for the Flyers, is happy to be returning home and coaching in the Battlefords, said members of the Stars' board. He is expected to be in the Battlefords either Tuesday or Wednesday and will have a few games to evaluate his team before they break for Christmas.
"We have played good and we have something for our new coach to build on," said Schmidt following the game Sunday. "He has a group of kids, who still want to be here they are battling, they are still putting out the effort and I hope he can bring in a system that can help us win those close games."
The recent close games Schmidt was referring to came this weekend against Moose Jaw, as the Stars lost 5-3 on home ice, twice.
Five minutes into Saturday's game, the Generals beat Regan Santoro. Later in the first, Colby Cave netted his sixth of the season from Dylan Fluter and Ryan Suchorab. Before the first period ended, affiliated player Brody Tatchell scored from Jesse Gerbig and Cody Thiel.
After a good first period, the Stars had a disastrous second, which ended up costing them the game. Moose Jaw scored four goals, two powerplay markers, and led 5-2 heading into the third period.
Blake Young, scored his fifth of the season late in the third period, but it wasn't enough, as Gerbig and Colby Daniels had the assists.
The game ended with the Stars being outshot 38-28 and they finished 0/5 on the powerplay. The Generals were 2/6 with the man advantage.
Sunday, the Stars likely deserved a better fate, but again in was a lackluster second period, which cost them.
The Stars played a good team game in the first period and Jeff Olson was rewarded. First, he scored his 12th of the season from Cave midway though the period. Then, with less than a second on the clock, Olson put his team up 2-0. Thiel and Garrett Zelinski had the assists on the late first period goal.
The Stars were looking to increase the lead in the second and it was Young creating the best chance with a burst of speed past a defenceman, but his shot rang off the post. Shortly after that, Moose Jaw's offence got going and scored three second-period goals, including one with 12 seconds remaining, and they led 3-2 heading into the third.
After the first period, the Stars led 12-5 in shots, 20 minutes later they trailed 22-15.
In the third, Young pounced on a rebound with 1:49 left and tied the game. Ryne Keller and Daniels had the helpers.
After a timeout, the Generals had an offensive zone faceoff. After winning the draw and moving the puck d-to-d, a long point shot beat a screened Blair Mahon off the post and in. With just 49 seconds left Moose Jaw led 4-3.
The Generals added an empty net goal in the final seconds and earned the 5-3 win.
Both teams had just one penalty and the Stars were outshot 35-24 once the final buzzer sounded.
"My thoughts right now are kind of mixed," said Schmidt. "We came to battle, we played really hard, but we took some minutes off and it cost us again. I'm disappointed because we are a little shorthanded with some injuries and the suspension and the guys we do have in the lineup are battling and we are just not getting the results."
The two loses drop the Stars to 11th in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League with a 6-18-1-0 record. The Stars were scheduled to play at home against the Prince Albert Mintos Tuesday and Thursday they travel to Beardy's. They will finish off the 2010 portion of the schedule with a game Dec. 15 in the Battlefords against the Saskatoon Contacts and Dec. 19 in Saskatoon against the Blazers. Three of the remaining four games this month are against teams holding playoff positions.
"We played a really good team this weekend and we can play with the better teams. We proved that, we were in both games right until the end," said Schmit. "I guess it is back to drawing board and figure out how we are going to win these close games."
