Ben Skarsen (Fernie Ghostriders), Grady Sterling-Ponech (Princeton Posse) and Joey Hawco (Princeton Posse) have been selected the Hudl Instat Kootenay International Junior Hockey League 3 Stars of the Week for the period ending March 24/24.
Skarsen – Top Forward – The Bonnyville, Alta., product scored three goals and added two assists to help the Ghostriders take a 2-0 series lead in their Teck Cup Kootenay Conference championship series against the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. In Game 1, Skarsen scored the first goal in their 3-2 win, then in Game 2, he had two goals and two assists, including setting up Cole Fournier’s winner in a 6-4 final. The 5-10, 170-pound forward was a plus-6 and has nine points in 13 playoff games.
Sterling-Ponech – Top Defenceman – The Lethbridge, Alta., product collected four assists in three games. In their Game 7, 7-0 win over North Okanagan, the 6-0, 180-pound blueliner collected three assists, including on the insurance goal. Then in Game 2 against the Revelstoke Grizzlies, Sterling-Ponech assisted on the 3-2 goal in their 4-2 loss. He combined for a plus-5 in those games and has nine assists in 14 playoff matches.
Hawco – Top Goalie – The Upper Tantallon, N.S. product won both his starts for the Posse, the first to clinch their series against North Okanagan with a 30-save shutout performance. Hawco then stopped 30 of 32 shots in a Game 1 win over the Grizzlies. In the two games combined, Hawco had a .968 save percentage to go with a 1.00 goals against average. Hawco has five wins in eight playoff games, with a .933 SP and a 1.88 GAA.
The KIJHL 3 Stars of the Week are presented by Hudl Instat, the exclusive video and analytics partner of the KIJHL.
