North Stars ready for GNML season

The Soo North Stars are coming off a dominating season and the question is, what can they do for an encore.

Facing a new Great North Midget League season in which they will ice a young squad, the North Stars are in a position where they have just five returnees – Goaltender Ryan Dube, Defencemen Nic Lang and Mark Hoffman, and Forwards Trevor McNutt, Brad DiCandia and Derrek Coccimiglio – from the team that went 32-1-1-1 just one year ago.

If there's one positive regarding the players that are coming in, aside from their high skill level, it's the fact that many of them are coming from a program that is accustomed to winning.

The North Stars team will feature Brett Perlini, Dean Howard, Mike Rivard, Tyler Luikkonen, Jerry Petingalo, Dylan King, Jacob Chiblow, and Kevin Closs, all of whom were on the Soo Greyhounds Bantam team that went 32-1-1 under the guidance of Domenic Deluca Jr. in the Northern Ontario AAA Bantam League last season.

The locals open the season with a pair of games next weekend at the John Rhodes Community Centre against the Valley East Cobras. Game times are 7 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Earlier this week, the North Stars tuned up for the season with a pair of games against the Michigan Soo Indians.

After a controlled scrimmage in the Michigan Sault on Wednesday, the teams played to a 2-2 draw at the Rhodes. Liukkonen and Howard scored for the North Stars.