PROSPECTS SHINE AT VICTORIA GRIZZLIES CAMP

By Christian J. Stewart

(ISN) — More than 100 of the top 14- to 16-year-old hockey players from BC, Alberta and the United States were on hand at Bear Mountain Arena this weekend to attend the Victoria Grizzlies Junior A hockey Club’s annual Prospect Camp.  

The camp is designed to give the Grizzlies coaching staff, as well as coaching staff of

many of the local Junior B and Island Major Midget clubs, a chance to identify up-and-coming players for next year and to keep tabs on those younger players that impress who are not yet age-eligible for Junior hockey.

Action at the camp started on Thursday with the players being divided into five separate teams and then playing a series of round-robin games.  

On Friday, Mother Nature threw a bit of a wrench into the schedule with a major storm and high winds that caused two separate power failures and the cancellation of two games as a result.  

These were made up on Saturday morning along with the other remaining round-robin games and then the top 40 skaters and top four goaltenders were split into two teams for an “all-star” game on Friday afternoon, which was won by the White team 5-4 in an exciting shoot-out victory.

All players at the camp were provided with a brief evaluation of how they performed and a number of players will likely receive an invitation to the Grizzlies main training camp in the fall.  

Other players who are now “on the radar” will also be monitored throughout next season and have a chance to impress again at next season’s camp.

More images from the Prospect Camp are available at:
http://christianjstewart.zenfolio.com/grizzlies/prospects

GRIZZLIES FACE EXTINCTION TONIGHT

It’s do or die tonight for the Victoria Grizzlies as they meet the Nanaimo Clippers for game six in their best-of-seven play-off series.

It was quite a game Thursday for the Clippers who took over after the first period, easily defeating the Grizz 4-1 before 883 fans at Bear Mountain Arena.

The Clippers opened the scoring at 5:24  with a goal by Kyle Weber from Carson Schell and Cody Bremner.

The Grizzlies responded 11 minutes later with a powerplay goal by Brad

Pawlowski from Mike Tebbutt and Gregory Simpson.

The Clippers then jumped in the second period with a  goal by Schell from Joe Perry and Kyle Kramer at 8:45, and followed it up six minutes later with a powerplay goal by Teal Burns from Luc Olivier Blain and Bremner.

The Clippers’ Joe Perry scored the only goal of the third period at 8:00 on a pass from Kramer.

Perry was selected the game’s first star. Schell and Weber were the second and third stars.

In other BC Hockey League action, the Cowichan Valley Capitals were knocked out of the series by the Powell River Kings 6-0 before 532 fans in Powell River.

Scoring for the Kings were Cody Rainaldi from Ben Schmidt and Brenden Forbes; Jordan Grant from Mitch Labreche and Mat Bodie; Daniel Carr from Matt Garbowsky and Teagan Waugh; Rainaldi from Schmidt and Klay Kachur; Garbowsky from Carr and Bodie; and Garbowsky from Carr.

The Kings’ Garbowsky, goalie John Watson and Rainaldi were named the three stars.

BACON SAVES THE DAY

Rookie forward Derek Bacon scored two goals, both the tying and the overtime winner, to lead the Victoria Grizzlies to a 3-2 victory over the Nanaimo Clippers in Nanaimo.

It was their third straight overtime game as the Grizz came back from a two-game deficit to tie the best-of-seven BC Hockey League playoff series at two.

Dustin Mowrey started the scoring for the Grizz at 5:34 of the first period with a powerplay goal on a pass from Brad Pawlowski and Dylan Nowakowski.

The Clippers evened it up at 12:17 of the second period with a goal by Kyle Kramer from Luc Olivier Blain and Nicholas McIntyre. The Clips then took the lead at 16:58 on a powerplay goal by Joe Perry from Andrew Gladiuk and Brayden Jaw.

Bacon tied the game on a powerplay goal at 10:18 of the third period  from Joel Lowry and Graeme McCormack; and ended the game at 10:13 with an unassisted goalin the first period.

Bacon was named the number one star of the game. Kyle Kramer was named second star and Pawlowski third.

In other Island BCHL action, the Cowichan Capitals defeated the POowell River King 4-3 with goals by Mikael Jung from Chase Kaiser and Shawn Mueller, Joey Massingham from Mike Hammond and Joel Kern, Massingham from Brendon MacDonald and Kern, and Colten Derickson from Hammond and Jackson Garrett.

Scoring for the Kings were Daniel Carr from Matt Garbowsky and Jordan Grant, Teagan Waugh from Daniel Carr and Matt Garbowsky, and Daniel Carr from Mat Bodie.

Massingham was named the first star, the Kings’ Daniel Carr second and Capitals’ Laurent Brossoit third.

GRIZZLIES DOWN NANAIMO 4-3 IN OT

Victoria Grizzlies defenceman Brad Pawlowski scored two goals, including one to force overtime in the last minutes of the third period, and assisted on the winner by Madison Dias in overtime to lead the Grizz to a 4-3 win Monday over the Nananimo Clippers in Nanaimo.

Dylan Nowakowski opened the scoring for the Grizzlies late in the first period with a short-handed goal on a pass from Joel Lowry. At 1:41 of the second period Pawlowski got his first goal on a pass from from Dustin Mowrey.

Andrew Gladiuk responded for the Clippers at 8:30 on a pass from Kyle Kramer and Mike Domsodi. Colton Cyr followed up with a powerplay goal at 16:42 on a pass from Victor Newell. The Clippers then ended their scorng at 18:20 with a goal by Carson Schell assisted by Cyr.

The third period was scoreless until Pawlowski, with help from Nowakowski, lit the lamp a second time with a minute three seconds remaining , tying the game and forcing the teams into overtime.

Dias scored the winning goal at 13:55 with an assist from Pawlowski.

The Grizzlies now trail the Clippers two games to one in the best-of-seven BC Hockey League Coastal Conference series, which resumes with Game 4 tonight in Nanaimo.

NANAIMO CLIPS GRIZZLIES 4-3 IN GAME 2

The Victoria Grizzlies face a tough scramble after losing game 2 of the BC Hockey League play-offs 4-3 Saturday in overtime to the Nanaimo Clippers.

The Grizzlies lost game 1 of the series 3-2 on Friday, after blowing a 2-1 lead in the third period.

Alex Allan started the scoring late in the first period with a powerplay goal on a pass from Jordan Heywood and Dustin Mowrey,

Dylan Nowakowski followed this up with a short-handed goal at 18:37 on a pass from Joel Lowry and Jake Baker.

Tristan Lowenberger responded for the Clippers at 12:11 on a pass from Cody Bremner and Nicholas McIntyre. Teal Burns added another at 17:36 on a pass from Kyle Kramer and Carson Schell.

Kramer added the third goal just before the end of the period on a pass from Mike Puddifant.

Lowry tied the game late in the third period on a pass from Spencer Copp and Nowakowski

Luc Olivier Blain scored at 5:59 of overtime to give the Nanaimo Clippers a 4-3 victory, and a commanding two-game lead. Burns was credited with the assist.

CLIPPERS TAKE PLAY-OFF LEAD

 

 

It was Island rivalry at its best as the Nanaimo Clippers downed the Victoria Grizzlies 3-2 in the opening game Friday of the best-of-seven B.C. Hockey League series in front of 719 fans at Bear Mountain Arena.

After a scoreless first period, Teal Burns opened the scoring for the Clippers at 4:41 with a goal on a pass from Luc Olivier Blain.

The Grizz responded two minutes later with a goal by captain Jordan Heywood

 

on a pass from Wesley Myron and Spencer Copp; and followed it up two minutes after that with a powerplay goal by Madison Dias from Brandon Fagerheim and Graeme McCormack.

Brayden Jaw tied it up 2-2 at 10:46 of the third period with a powerplay goal on a pass from Burns and Andrew Gladiuk. Colton Cyr cinched the win for the Clippers at 12:18 on a pass from Nick Bell.

Burns was named first star of the game. The Clippers’ Mike Domsodi and the Grizzlies’ Jake Baker were second and third stars.

The teams return to Bear Mountain tonight, facing off at 7:15 p.m. for Game 2, then move up to Frank Crane Arena in Nanaimo for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday.

“It’s tough to lose a game, when you’re up 2-1. That hasn’t happened very often this year,” Grizzlies coach Victor Gervais said. “Hats off to them, they played a good road game. It’s frustrating, but that’s playoff hockey.”

 

 

MACMILLAN NAMED BCHL COASTAL MVP

By Jeff Dubois

A foursome of Alberni Valley Bulldogs were recognized for outstanding seasons today when the British Columbia Hockey League announced its 2009/10 Coastal Conference awards winners.

Bulldogs’ forward Mitch MacMillan was named the Coastal Conference Most Valuable Player.

MacMillan led the league in goals with 61 and paced all Coastal scorers with 93 points, while also becoming the first BCHL player since Kyle Turris to score 50 goals in 50 games or less.

Other Alberni Valley players to receive awards included Mark MacMillan, who was named the Coast’s Rookie of the Year following a season that saw the 18-year old finish ninth in BCHL scoring with 80 points.

Bulldogs’ defenceman Kevin Ross was named a co-winner of the conference’s Most Sportsmanlike Player award with Cowichan Valley Capitals forward Mike Hammond.

There was also a tie for the Coast’s Top Defenceman, as Powell River’s Mat Bodie and Victoria’s Jordan Heywood split the award.

Bodie picked up 42 points in his second BCHL season while also captaining Team Canada West to a silver medal at the 2009 World Junior A Challenge in Summerside, PEI.

Heywood finished the season with 51 points and tied for the league lead in game winning goals by a defenceman with four.

Alberni Valley Bulldogs head coach Nolan Graham picked up the conference’s Coach of the Year nod after leading his club to a 53-point improvement in the standings and a first round playoff bye. The Bulldogs went from last to first on the Coast under Graham in his first season as a head coach in the BCHL.

BATTLE OF THE CATS IN VIJHL PLAYOFFS THURSDAY

By Peter Kung

For the second straight year, the Victoria Cougars will open the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoffs against the Saanich Braves with Game 1 scheduled for Thursday.

Game time at the Archie Browning Sports Centre, 1151 Esquimalt Road, is 7:15 p.m.

Last year, the Cougars beat Saanich four games to one.

The playoff format will remain the same with each team alternating back and forth until one team wins the necessary four games.

After compiling a record of 34-7-7, Victoria seeks its fourth straight South Island Division title and sixth in its last eight years.  Standing in their way are the Braves, which finished the season with a 28-17-3 record.

When healthy, Victoria is a very good team.  Despite getting hit hard recently by the injury bug, the Cougars still managed to lead the league in total offense with 229 goals.  Their goals against was not too shabby either, allowing 141 for an average of 2.9 goals per game.

Victoria is led by team captain Tommy Kala, who was part of the 2006/07 squad which advanced all the way to the Keystone Cup.  Kala returned to the Cougars for his final year of junior eligibility after playing half a year with the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and then one and a half years with the Quesnel Millionaires of the British Columbia Hockey League.

As of Sunday, Kala was leading the league in scoring with 31 goals and 45

assists.  His lead over Karl Hagg and Steven Schmidt, both of whom play for the Campbell River Storm, was four points.  However, a five-point night against the Westshore Stingers on Monday – signed, sealed, and delivered Hagg a well deserved scoring title.

It was one of the tightest races since 1999/2000 when Mitch Heslop of the Port Alberni Bandits edged out teammate Francois Houde by one point.

Up front, the Cougars’ arsenal includes Jimmy Carter (averaging 1.87 points per game), Anthony Hordyk (28 goals), Sam Rice (18 goals), Wade Masch (17 goals), Josh Wyatt (14 goals), and Chris Savage (13 goals).

Victoria possesses a towering defense which will need to use their size to slow down Saanich’s speedy forwards.  Jeff Morberg is the tallest at six-foot-six followed by Blair Murphy (six-foot-five), Mark Meyer (six-foot-four), Brandan Smith (six-foot-two), Kai Ohs (six-foot-zero), Justin Sotkowy (six-foot-zero), and Adam Steenbergen (six-foot-zero).  Scott Mellett, the shortest of the bunch, stands in at five-foot-ten.

Steenbergen led the league amongst all defensemen with 44 points.

Goaltender Max Pelzner is 7-2-0 lifetime against Saanich.

Labelled a “dark horse” by many at the beginning of the season, the Braves did not disappoint.  They went from 17 wins from a year ago to 28, improved their offensive output from 144 goals to 184, and cut their goals against from 186 to 161.

Saanich is led by Trevor Yee (16 goals and 38 assists), Ty Jones (26 goals and 27 assists), and Wade Murphy (16 goals and 29 assists).

Murphy, who turned 16-years-old last October, is a future star.  As an affiliate player for the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL, Murphy collected three goals and one assist in six games.  Already the five-foot-nine, 150-pound forward has fielded calls from various colleges and universities.

Mark Stinson, Matt Maycock, Blaine Carey, and Ryan Komori provide grit up front.

Saanich has defensemen who can put the puck in the net.  Ian Ellenberger leads the way with nine goals followed by Ryan Smith (6 goals), Ryan Toporowski (6 goals), Trevor Crosby (5 goals), and Alex Wong (5 goals).  Rounding out the defense are Sam Waterfield, Jordan Game, and Chad Roorda.

Goaltenders Tanner McGaw and Ben Kantor provide a strong 1-2 combination.

The winner of the Cougars-Braves series will meet the victor of the Peninsula Panthers-Westshore series.

In the North Island Division, the Kerry Park Islanders will face Campbell River while the Oceanside Generals will square off against the Comox Valley Glacier Kings.

STANDINGS (FINAL):  Victoria – 2nd place, 75 points, South Island Division.  Saanich – 3rd place, 59 points, South Island Division

TEAM LEADERS (FINAL):  Victoria – Tommy Kala, 31 goals; Tommy Kala, 45 assists; Tommy Kala, 76 points; Brandan Smith, 114 penalty minutes.  Saanich – Ty Jones, 26 goals; Trevor Yee, 38 assists; Trevor Yee, 54 points; Mark Stinson, 195 penalty minutes

SPECIAL TEAMS (FINAL):  Victoria – Power play: 24.5 percent (72-for-293), 2nd in VIJHL. Penalty kill: 84.4 percent (206-for-244), 2nd in VIJHL.  Saanich – Power play: 20.1 percent (51-for-253), 4th in VIJHL. Penalty kill: 83.8 percent (223-for-266), 3rd in VIJHL

GOALTENDERS (FINAL):  Victoria – Max Pelzner (2.65 goals against average; .899 save percentage), Zach Wear (3.08 goals against average; .869 save percentage).  Saanich – Tanner McGaw (3.07 goals against average; .918 save percentage), Ben Kantor (3.23 goals against average; .906 save percentage)

LAST TEN GAMES (FINAL):  Victoria, 5-4-1.  Saanich, 4-5-1

SEASON SERIES (FINAL):  Victoria won series, 6-1-1

PAST MEETINGS (FINAL):
Saanich 5 @ Victoria 6 (OT)                           September 10, 2009
Victoria 5 @ Saanich 4 (OT)                           September 13, 2009
Saanich 5 @ Victoria 4 (OT)                           October 29, 2009
Victoria 8 @ Saanich 0                                   October 30, 2009
Saanich 4 @ Victoria 6                                   November 19, 2009
Victoria 8 @ Saanich 3                                   December 18, 2009
Saanich 3 @ Victoria 6                                   February 11, 2010
Victoria 0 @ Saanich 5                                   February 12, 2010

HOME/ROAD RECORDS (FINAL):  Victoria, 16-5-3 at home.  Saanich, 13-9-2 on the road

CV CAPITALS BLANK GRIZZLIES

 

 

Victoria Grizzlies benched a number of key players and looked at a bunch of imports including a goalie Saturday as they wraped up their regular season by losing 3-0 to the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

Dallas Stars rookie and former Victoria Grizzlies star player Jamie Benn — who saw the Island Junior B Peninsula Panthers retire his number Friday — dropped the puck to start what turned out to be a lacklustre game.

Victoria coach Victor Gervais, who watched the game from the press box, told the Victoria Times Colonist he made the decision to sit several veterans following Friday’s game against the Powell River Kings.

Tempers got out of control in that game that saw the Grizz thump the Kings 9-2, and goaltender Ryan Holfeld and defenceman Brad Pawlowski getting match penalties and three-game suspensions that include the first two games of the Coastal Conference playoffs against the Nanaimo Clippers next weekend.

“I didn’t want anybody else getting suspended or anybody getting hurt,” Gervais told the T-C.

Key players benched included Jordan Heywood, Dustin Mowrey, Alex Allan, Madison Dias and Gregory Simpson.

Mike Hammond put the Caps on the scoreboard at 5:11 of the first period with a powerplay goal on a pass from Jackson Garrett and Rajan Sidhu.

Brendon MacDonald added to the score at 6:44 on a pass from Chris Daniels and Sidhu; and Nicholas Wong wrapped up the scoring with a powerplay goal from Hammond and Mikael Jung.

There was no scoring in the second or third periods.

The Caps’ Alexandre Peck and Shayne Taker were named the first and second stars while Victoria Grizzlies’ Brett Kolins was the third.

On other BCHockey League action, the Langley Chiefs knocked off the Alberni Valley Bulldogs 3-1 in Port Alberni.

 

Warren Muir put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard at 17:30 of the first period with a powerplay goal on a pass from Kevin Ross.

The Chiefs responded two minutes later with a powerplay goal by Jordan Sims from Trevor Gerling and Colten Hayes.

Mac Roy scored for the Chiefs at 3:07 of the third period on a pass from Joe Walter and Colton Beck; and Mitch Pacey wrapped up the scoring at 11:54 on a pass from Dennis Robertson and Kody Dhaliwal.

The Chiefs’ Mark Friesen and Dennis Robertson were named the first and second stars while the ‘Dogs Frank Slubowski was third.

GRIZZ OVERRUN POWELL RIVER

 

 

By Gary Woodburn

The Victoria Grizzlies ran over the Powell River Paper Kings 9-2 Friday before 2,000 fans at Bear Mountain Arena.

It was a slow start with only a total of six shots on goal in the first period.

At the three-second mark, the first play of the game, Brad Pawlowski took on Justin DaSilva for his typical first few seconds fight of recent hockey games. Both got five minute for fighting. Later in the game Pawlowski was ejected.

The Grizzlies’ starting goalie Ryan Holfeld got a match game penalty and back-up Colin Fernandes did a awesome job shutting down Powell River.

Dustin Mowrey opened the scoring with a powerplay goal at 2:44 on a pass

from Alex Allan and Jordan Heywood.

 

In the second period the Grizzlies were down to three players for five minutes but managed to hold off Powell River.

Though the Kings did manage to get on the scoreboard at 4:26 with a goal by Daniel Carr from Jason Yee.

The Grizz responded at 6:33 with a powerplay goal by Brandon Fagerheim from Joel Lowry and Derek Bacon.

The Kings clawed a second goal on the powerplay at at 7:43 with a goal by Justin Dasilva from Mat Bodie and Andrew Pettitt.

Madison Dias wrapped up the scoring in the second with his first goal on a pass from Dustin Mowrey and Jake Baker.

The third period was all Grizzlies with goals by Graeme McCormack from Allan and Mowrey; Mike Tebbutt from Wesley Myron and Heywood; Jake Baker from Brandon Fagerheim and Tebbutt; Dias from Derek Bacon and McCormack; Fagerheim from Allan and Brett Kolins; and Nick Buchanan from Heywood

The Grizzlies powerplay was much improved at 5 /12.

The Kings outshot the Grizz 28-18.

Mowrey, Dias and Heywood were named the top three stars.

 

 

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