North Stars begin journey for regional championship

The three-time defending Great North Midget League champion Soo North Stars begin their quest for a Central Region AAA Midget Championship tonight in North Bay.

The North Stars open the tournament at 7 p.m. against GNML rival and the host North Bay Trappers.

Follow SooToday.com Sports throughout the week for complete details as BayToday.ca, a sister site of SooToday.com, and their Sports Director, Chris Dawson, will provide SooToday with complete coverage of the North Stars run.

North Star fans will also be able to follow the team through the live play-by-play availble at www.blueskyradio.ca, 104.9FM in North Bay. Blue Sky Radio is scheduled to broadcast every game in the tournament.

The North Stars enter the playdowns fresh off a three-game sweep of the Sudbury Nickel Capitals in the GNML championship series.

It is the third consecutive appearance for the team at the regional championships and in the previous two outings, the North Stars have crept closer to winning and gaining a berth into the national championship.

Last year in Toronto, the North Stars fell 5-2 to the Don Mills Flyers in the title game to leave with the silver medal. In 2004, the Stars fell 5-4 to the Gloucester Rangers in the bronze medal game.

In 2003, the locals fell in five games to Sudbury for the GNML championship and missed the regional playdowns but did host the national championship, then called the Air Canada Cup, at Memorial Gardens, where they missed the playoffs with an 0-5 record.

The eventual 2006 regional champion will advance to the Telus Cup national championship tournament April 24-30 in Charlottetown, PEI.

*** SCHEDULE:

Mon. Apr. 3 - North Stars vs. North Bay Trappers (7 p.m.) Tue. Apr. 4 - London Jr. Knights vs. North Stars (1 p.m.) Wed. Apr. 5 - Kanata Blazers vs. North Stars (2 p.m.) Thu. Apr. 6 - North Stars vs. Cumberland Barons (10 a.m.) Thu. Apr. 6 - Markham Waxers vs. North Stars (7 p.m.) Fri. Apr. 7 - North Stars vs. Toronto Jr. Canadiens (1 p.m.) Sat. Apr. 8 - Semi-Finals Sun. Apr. 9 - Gold & Bronze Medal Games

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