The top-seeded Northumberland Stars and fifth-seeded St. George Ravens meet in a best-of-five South Division semifinal that looks lopsided statistically — but playoff momentum says otherwise.

Northumberland swept the regular-season series 4-0, outscoring St. George 31-6. That’s control.

But the Ravens just won the only Game 3 of the opening round and became the only lower seed to advance. They’re battle-tested.

Regular Season Edge

• 4-0 Northumberland
• 31-6 goal differential
• Nearly 8 goals per game

The Stars overwhelmed St. George with pace and layered scoring. The Ravens must slow this down or risk another high-scoring avalanche.

Playoff Scoring Leaders

Northumberland

• Tristan Miron – 3G, 4A (7 pts)
• Zennon Edwards – 3G, 3A (6 pts)
• Brayden Bowen – 2G, 4A (6 pts)
• Ryan Boon – 2G, 3A (5 pts)

The Stars are getting production from everywhere — including their deadline additions.

St. George

• Daniel Tremblay – 4 goals in Round 1
• Landon McDougall – 2G, 3A
• Nathaniel Goodbrand – Impact performance in the opening round

The Ravens rely on timely scoring and structure rather than overwhelming depth.

Deadline Impact

Northumberland strengthened an already elite lineup at the deadline.

• Brayden Bowen (Forward) – Immediate offensive chemistry and pace driver
• Matt Mazzotta (Defenseman) – Blue-line stability and puck movement
• Nolan Stickland (Forward, acquired from Tottenham) – Responsible two-way presence who deepens the forward group

Mazzotta’s presence helps settle the defensive zone. Stickland makes it harder to exploit matchups lower in the lineup.

Goaltending Matchup

Projected starters:

• Alessandro Gruosso (St. George)
• Ivan Kremnev or Nick Mayne (Northumberland)

Gruosso was sensational in the deciding game against North York, stopping 41 of 42 shots. If St. George is going to push this series deep, it starts with him.

Northumberland rotated in Round 1. Both Kremnev and Mayne were steady, but neither has yet faced sustained playoff adversity in a tight series.

Keys to the Series

Discipline
Northumberland’s power play can break games open quickly.

Tempo Control
High-event hockey favors the Stars. Structured, lower-scoring games favor the Ravens.

Game 1 Tone
In a best-of-five, the opener carries enormous weight — especially with St. George hosting.

Series Schedule

Game 1 – Feb 24 – 7:30 PM – St. George
Game 2 – Feb 26 – 8:30 PM – Colborne
Game 3 – Feb 27 – 7:30 PM – Colborne
Game 4 – Mar 1 – 3:00 PM – St. George (if necessary)
Game 5 – Mar 2 – 9:00 PM – Colborne (if necessary)