VICTORIA COUGARS SEASON PREVIEW

By Peter Kung

(ISN) — After a disappointing playoff performance last season, the Victoria Cougars look to recapture the glory which won them three Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League titles in the past six years.

Going for four will be no easy task, especially beginning the 2010 campaign with three games in three nights.  However, Mark Van Helvoirt, who enters into his fourth season as Victoria’s head coach, relishes the idea.

“We are looking forward to three games in three nights.  We start off the year playing strong teams.  It will give us a good opportunity to see where we are at and to see what aspects of our game we need to improve,” Van Helvoirt said.  “We have a couple of games on the road which will give the team some extra time together to create that team unity.”

The Cougars begin their twelfth season Thursday, September 9 against the defending league champion Peninsula Panthers; the same team which knocked Victoria out of last year’s playoffs.  Game time at the recently renovated Archie Browning Sports Centre, located at 1151 Esquimalt Road, is 7:15 p.m.  Fans bringing a non-perishable item to the game will be admitted for only $2.  All food items collected will be donated to the Mustard Seed Food Bank.

On Friday, the team is off to Saanich before travelling to Oceanside to round out a hectic opening week.

Throughout the years, Victoria has always been an offensive, high-tempo, puck-possession team.  And this year should be no different.  Van Helvoirt’s teams have finished first overall in scoring every season since he took over from Craig Didmon.  The Cougars scored 226 goals in 2007, 236 in 2008, and 229 in 2009 for a three year average of 4.8 goals per game.

Leading the offense this year will be 20-year-old forward Trevor McNeil and 19-year-old Josh Wyatt.

A 41-goal scorer back in 2007 while playing for the Sooke Stingers, McNeil’s offense compliments his leadership skills and defensive abilities.

“We are expecting Trevor to lead on and off the ice.  He will be a big part of our leadership group this season,” Van Helvoirt said.  “Trevor is a natural goal scorer and we will be counting on him to deliver both offensively and defensively.”

As for Wyatt, who has improved each season (three goals in 2008 and 14 goals in 2009), is primed for a breakout year.  In Victoria’s final preseason game, Wyatt scored four times.

“Josh has all the skills and abilities to be an elite player in this league.  We saw that last season and we will be counting on him again this season,” Van Helvoirt said.

After McNeil and Wyatt, it will be up to the secondary scorers like Chris Bannister and Sam Rice to provide some offense.

But it is Chris Savage and Eric Guthrie, both of whom are entering into their fourth year in the league, who will need to have impact seasons.

“Both of these players have the ability to contribute offensively and become two of the tougher players in the league to play against,” Van Helvoirt said.

Savage, Guthrie, Bannister, and Rice are all capable of 15-goal seasons.

Since the team’s inception, a Cougar player has either won or co-won the league’s rookie of the year award six different times.  Last year, Rice shared the honour with Saanich’s Ty Jones.

This year, there is a good crop of rookie forwards.  However, one player that stands out is Clark Anderson, an import from Colorado.

“Clark is a talented player who we think will fit in well with this year’s club.  He brings a well-rounded game to our line up,” Van Helvoirt said.

Ben Kinshella, a product of the Saanich Minor Hockey Association, Brody Coulter, a product of the Juan de Fuca Minor Hockey Association, and Jake Daughtry, who played last season with the Banff Hockey Academy, also made the team.

Mark Walton just recently returned from Powell River after trying out for the defending BCHL Coastal Conference champion Kings.

The defense is somewhat intact from last year with the exception of Blair Murphy, who is in the United States playing for the Helena Bighorns of the Northern Pacific Hockey League.

After converting from a forward to a defenseman last season, not only did Adam Steenbergen turn his career around, he was named the league’s defenseman of the year.  Steenbergen’s eight goals and 36 assists were tops amongst all defensemen.

While Steenbergen will be putting up the numbers, Mark Meyer will be preventing it.

“Mark will have the opportunity to play against the other team’s top lines on a regular basis,” Van Helvoirt said.  “He will be leaned on this year to shut down the top players around the league.”

Meyer, one of several players in Victoria’s leadership core, will also be counted on to bring along and mentor the younger players.

Rounding out the top five are Scott Mellett, Justin Sotkowy, and Brandan Smith, all of whom are stay-at-home defensemen.  Also patrolling the blue line this year will be 17-year-old Matt Sheeran, who played for the South Island Thunderbirds of the Major Midget League last season.

After goaltender Max Pelzner graduated at the end of last season, two spots were up for grabs.  18-year-old Zach Wear, who was Pelzner’s understudy, claimed one of the jobs after a strong preseason.  Oozing with potential, Wear has a chance to become one of the top goaltenders in the league.  The second goaltending position goes to Corey Koop, an 18-year-old from Squamish, BC.

The coaching staff made one change during the offseason.  Thomas Kala steps in behind the bench.  Returning for their second season are Suneil Karod and goaltending coach Bill Morrison.

Although this year’s version may not be as skilled as some other Cougar teams of the past, it appears that this team will be hard-working and selfless.  And according to Van Helvoirt, he has an excellent group of players who seem to enjoy playing and improving together.

“I’m looking forward to this year’s team.  As a coach, all you can ask for are players who will listen and are constantly striving to improve,” Van Helvoirt said.

Expectations are high.

ALL-STAR RICHARDSON IS 2ND STAR, FASTEST SKATER

By Sean Orr

Evan Richardson of Nanaimo was named second star of the 2010 BC Hockey Major Midget League All Star game Friday in Kelowna.He was also the fastest skater of the game.

The game ended in a 6-6 tie between Team Blue and Team White.  After 60 minutes of action and an exciting five-minute overtime neither team could score the game winning goal.  

The game was a chance to recognize the premiere talent that the Major Midget League has to offer.   

The game was full of stars, but only three could be selected as Game Stars.Other stars were First Star, Devon Allenby of Chilliwack and Third Star Griffin Reinhart of West Vancouver.

The game opened with a flurry of goals.  

Eighteen seconds into the game Regan Soquila (Maple Ridge) opened the scoring for Team White.  Team Blue responded with a marker from Brandon Bruce (Kelowna) 30 seconds later.  Team White quickly regained the lead with a goal from Richardson.  The teams exchanged goals throughout the first period and it ended in a 4-4.

Each team found their defensive game in the second period.  

The period went scoreless until the 8:42 mark in the second when Richardson  for White scored his second of the game giving his team the one goal advantage.  

With minutes remaining in the period Mike Stenerson (Surrey) scored for Blue to tie the game heading into the second intermission.

The third period showcased the elite talent of the Major Midget League with end to end action.  With 2:39 remaining in the game Stenerson scored his second of the game for Team White to go ahead 6-5.  

On the power play, Alex Roach (Quesnel) scored with 1:05 remaining in the game for Team Blue to notch the game at six.

The five-minute, four-on-four sudden death overtime provided great action for the people in attendance, but neither team could score the decisive goal.

During the first and second intermission a skills competition was held for all the players participating in the game.  The winners are as follows:

·         Fastest Skater: Richardson – 14:17 seconds

·         Hardest Shot: Roach – 96 mph

·         Breakaway Challenge – Shooter: Justin Georgeson (Maple Ridge)

·         Breakaway Challenge – Goalie: Marcus Beesley (Prince George)

RICHARDSON NAMED PLAYER OF THE MONTH

BC Hockey has named North Island Silvertip’s forward Evan Richardson of

Nanaimo the Major Midget League player of the month for November.

Richardson posted impressive stats in November finishing with nine goals and nine assists.

Drafted 15th overall by the by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft, Richardson has not disappointed through the first half of the MML season. In addition to his impressive month with the Silvertips, Richardson led Team BC with four goals at the 2009 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup.

“Evan attracts attention from opponents, fans and scouts everywhere we go,” said North Island Silvertips head coach Steve Parsons. “As a first year player, he produces points for us despite other teams’ attempts to stop him.”

As well as being named Player of the Month, Richardson will receive a gift from Easton on his selection. Evan Richardson was chosen from a high calibre list of nominees for this prestigious award. The runners up in no particular order are as follows:

• Cariboo Cougars – Justin Duncan
• Vancouver North West Giants – Griffin Reinhart
• Fraser Valley Bruins – Brad Parker
• Greater Vancouver Canadians – Cam Lawson
• Valley West Hawks – Kirk Thompson
• Kootenay Ice – Troy Petrick
• South Island Thunderbirds – Nic Renyard
• Okanagan Rockets – Brett Mulcahy
• Vancouver North East Chiefs – Regan Soquila
• Thompson Blazers – Shane Danyluk

SOUTH ISLAND T-BIRDS SPLIT GAMES WITH FV BRUINS

The Fraser Valley Bruins travelled to Victoria to take on the South Island Thunderbirds in the Major Midget League tilt on the weekend.

The Thunderbird’s Mark Walton of Victoria opened the scoring early in the first period.  The game remained 1-0 until the Bruins broke it open with back-to-back goals in the second period.

Dalton Sward (Abbotsford) scored the tying goal and Cale Bechtel (Chilliwack) scored the go ahead goal.

Mid-way through the third period the Bruins added to their lead with a marker by Drew Graham (Chilliwack).

The game ended 3-1 in favour of the Bruins.  Mackenzie Skapski (Abbotsford) picked up the win in net for the Thunderbirds.

The second game turned high scoring battle between the two squads.

The Bruin’s Bechtel opened the scoring early in the first period.  The teams then exchanged goals mid-way through the frame and the Bruins entered the first intermission up 2-1.

The Thunderbirds offense was on fire in the second period scoring four unanswered goals to take a 5-2 lead.

Goal scorers for the T-birds were Kyle Richter of Victoria with his second of the game, Mark Walton with two  and Connor Krupa, also from Victoria.

Before the period was over the Bruins cut the lead to three with Bechtel’s second of the game.  The teams battled back and forth in the third period and when the dust settled it was the Thunderbirds on top 8-7.

The Bruins rallied hard in the final 10 minutes with three goals, but were unable to get the eighth past Thunderbird’s goaltender Nic Renyard of Victoria.

The South Island Thunderbirds will be on the road next week when they travel to Langley to take on the Valley West Hawks.

Game one is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10 at 11:15 a.m. at the Langley Events Centre.

MAJOR MIDGET HOCKEY STARTS SEPT. 19

The 2009-2010 Major Midget League regular season will get underway Sept. 19 with five games being played across BC.

The South Island Thunderbirds will play the Vancouver NE Chiefs Sept. 19 at the Ian Stewart Complex on Gordon Head Road and at the Bear Mountain Arena on Sept. 20.

The North Island Silvertips will play the Greater Vancouver Canadians on both nights at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.

The 11-team league plays a 40-game regular season with each team playing a two-game home and away series against every team in the league.

The games are played on Saturday and Sunday of each weekend with a two-week break for the Christmas Holidays.

The BC Hockey Major Midget League was established in 2004 to provide elite level 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds an opportunity to play within their own age group at a high level and be developed for the next level of hockey.