YEE TO CAPTAIN JUNIOR BRAVES FOR 2010-2011

(ISN) — New captain of the Saanich Junior Braves for the 2010-2011 season is veteran forward, all-star and MVP Trevor Yee.

“Trevor is a natural athlete, has exceptional skills and works hard at all times on and off the ice,” said new Braves head coach Robin Gomez.

“Trevor is a natural leader and my first choice for the position.”

The Braves start their season today on the road at Bear Mountain Arena versus the Westshore Stingers.

Game time is 7:30.

The Junior Braves home opener is Friday at George Pearkes Arena versus the Victoria Cougars. Game time is 6:30.

COUGARS BLUNT STINGERS 9-2

By Peter Kung

(ISN) — Josh Wyatt helped propel the Victoria Cougars past the Westshore Stingers 9-2 in preseason action with a four goal performance Thursday night.

Also scoring for Victoria, which led 2-1 after one period and 5-1 after two, was Chris Bannister (2), Justin Sotkowy, Tom Neeser, and Trevor McNeil.

Zach Wear enjoyed a solid night in goal, making 15 saves through two periods.  His best save came late in the second period when he stopped David Hansen during a partial breakaway.

Replacing Wear in the third period was Evan Roch, who kicked out 8-of-9 shots.

Travis Oickle and Carson David scored for the Stingers.

Goaltender Adriel Bailey started the first half of the game before making way to Jonny Webb.

The Cougars went 4-for-5 on powerplay.  Westshore went 0-for-7.

THREE STAR SELECTIONS:

1.       Josh Wyatt (Victoria)
2.       Justin Sotkowy (Victoria)
3.       Mark Meyer (Victoria)

NOTES:

The Cougars finished the preseason 3-0 and outscored their opponents 21-4.

COUGARS SWIPE STINGERS 9-0

By Peter Kung

(ISN) — The Victoria Cougars improved to 2-0 in preseason play following their 9-0 win over the Westshore Stingers on Monday night.

Victoria, which outshot the hometown Stingers 35-13 through two periods (shots on goal in the third period were unavailable), held period leads of 3-0 and 6-0.

Brett Clarke recorded a five point night, potting a pair of goals while assisting on three others. The towering power forward opened the scoring at 9:06 when his shot rang off the iron and in.  Clarke gave the Cougars a 7-0 lead with his second goal of the game at 3:55 of the third period.

Also scoring for Victoria were Trevor McNeil (2), Ryan Chan (2), Eric Guthrie, Jerry Vale, and Chris Bannister.

Justin Goritz and Evan Roch shared the shutout.

The Cougars conclude their preseason this Thursday against Westshore.  Game time at the Archie Browning Sports Centre, located at 1151 Esquimalt Road, is 7:15 p.m.

THREE STAR SELECTIONS:

Not announced

NOTES:

Mike Hammond, star of the Cowichan Valley Capitals and former Victoria Cougar, was in attendance.

FINAL PRESEASON GAME TO DETERMINE WHO STAYS, WHO GOES

By Peter Kung

(ISN) — The Victoria Cougars will conclude preseason play Thursday when they host the Westshore Stingers.

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

Victoria will be looking to build on its momentum having already won both preseason games.  Back on Aug. 19, Josh Wyatt assisted on all three Cougar goals in a 3-2 victory over the Comox Valley Glacier Kings.

Ten days later, a five-point night (two goals and three assists) from Brett Clarke helped propel Victoria past the Stingers 9-0.

Thursday’s game will mark the final time for both veterans and rookies to make a lasting impression on Cougars’ head coach Mark Van Helvoirt.

Admission is only $5 per person.  Children 10-years-old or younger will be admitted for free.

Victoria opens the regular season at home against the defending Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League champion Peninsula Panthers on Thursday, Sept. 9.

COUGARS TO FACE GLACIER KINGS IN PRE-SEASON ACTION

By Peter Kung

(ISN) — The Victoria Cougars will open their 2010-11 pre-season slate on Thursday, August 19 when they host the Comox Valley Glacier Kings.

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

Thursday’s game marks the first of three pre-season games for the Cougars.

Prior to its home opener against the Peninsula Panthers on Thursday, September 9, Victoria will conclude the 2010-11 pre-season with a home and home series against the Westshore Stingers.  The Cougars will travel to Westshore on Monday, August 30 before entertaining the Stingers back at the A.B.S.C. on Thursday, September 2.

COUGARS PLAY CATCH-UP

 

 

 

 

 

By Peter Kung

Josh Wyatt scored twice and Max Pelzner stopped 26 shots as the Victoria Cougars downed the Saanich Braves 4-1 in Game 5 of their South Island Division Semi-Final on Thursday night.

Also scoring for the Cougars, which now trails 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, were Jimmy Carter and Chris Savage.

Game 6 goes tonight in Saanich.

 

 

 

 

After Carter and Trevor Yee exchanged first period goals, Savage sparked a three goal outburst in the middle frame. In that period, Victoria scored all three of its goals on the power play.

 

Savage scored 1:58 into the period after he teamed up with Tommy Kala for the game winning goal. From ten feet out, Savage beat goaltender Ben Kantor stick side. Watching from the penalty box was Jordan Game, who was penalized for holding 19 seconds earlier.

Then at 2:42, Mark Stinson received his second of three penalties when he was fingered for interference. 90 seconds later, Wyatt scored his first of two after he banged home an Anthony Hordyk centering pass. Also in on the goal was Carter, who recorded his fourth assist and team leading seventh point.

Trailing by two, the Braves received a penalty shot when Travis Stephens was hauled down while driving to the net with four minutes and four seconds remaining in the period. Skating in all alone, Stephens went for a deke but lost control of the puck in the process.

The scored remained 3-1 in favour of Victoria.

Wyatt, who became a target late in the game, closed out the scoring at 18:34. Assisting on Wyatt’s team leading fifth goal were Sam Rice and Hordyk. Ty Jones, off for hooking, was in the sin bin at the time of the goal.

Midway through the third period, Wyatt came close to recording a natural hat-trick when his shot rang off the iron, bounced up into the air, and landed on top of the Saanich net.

With 3:39 remaining in the contest, Ian Ellenberger began pushing and shoving Wyatt well after the whistle. Then on the ensuing play, Game (high-sticking) and Wyatt (roughing) were sent to the penalty box. From there, both players began jawing at one another.

Carter, unassisted, opened the scoring at 9:14 of the first period. After picking up a loose puck in the neutral zone, Carter took a few steps over the blue line before snapping it past Kantor low glove side.

Kantor finished the game with 28 saves.

Then on a defensive miscue, Yee scored from Chad Roorda at 18:18.

After going 0-for-10 in Game 4, the Cougars power play went 3-for-9 and is now 8-for-34 in the series.

Saanich’s power play dropped to 1-for-19 after going 0-for-3 on Thursday.

Brandon Nicholson, who earlier cross-checked Adam Steenbergen for a penalty, was penalized for charging at the 20 minute mark of the third period.

Waiting in the wings are the Peninsula Panthers, who eliminated the Westshore Stingers in the other South Island Division Semi-Final.

THREE STARS: 1st star, Josh Wyatt (Victoria). 2nd star, Mark Meyer (Victoria). 3rd star, Max Pelzner (Victoria)

GAME 6: Victoria Cougars at Saanich Braves on tonight. Game time at the Pearkes Recreation Centre, located at 3100 Tillicum Road, is 6:30 p.m.

GAME 7 (if necessary): Saanich Braves at Victoria Cougars on Sunday. Game time at the Archie Browning Sports Centre, located at 1151 Esquimalt Road, is 7:15 p.m.

VICTORIA COUGARS FACES A MUST WIN SITUATION TONIGHT

By Peter Kung

The Victoria Cougars are hoping that tonight’s game against the Saanich Braves won’t be their last.

After dropping a 2-1 overtime decision to Saanich two nights ago, the Cougars return home for Game 5 trailing three games to one in their best-of-7 playoff series.

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

On Tuesday, Ryan Toporowski scored the game winning goal at 1:34 of the third overtime period, putting an end to a three hour and 22-minute marathon.

Victoria, once again the victim of outstanding goaltending, outshot its cross town rival by more than 20 shots.  Ben Kantor, who was making his first postseason start, made a total of 67 saves which included stopping all 25 shots in extra time.

Max Pelzner faced 47 shots for Victoria.

Through four games, the Cougars have outshot Saanich 201 to 105.

Except for Victoria’s 6-1 win in Game 3, it has been a close series.  Game 1 was decided by one goal while Game 2 went to overtime.

Jimmy Carter (two goals and three assists) and Sam Rice (one goal and four assists) lead the Cougars in scoring.

Leading Saanich in scoring are Ryan Komori (two goals and two assists) and Mark Stinson (one goal and three assists).

The winner of this series will meet the winner of the Peninsula Panthers-Westshore Stingers series.  Peninsula leads its series three games to zero.

TEAM LEADERS:  Victoria – Josh Wyatt, 3 goals; Sam Rice, 4 assists; Jimmy Carter, Sam Rice, 5 points; Blair Murphy, 10 penalty minutes.  Saanich – Ryan Komori, Trevor Yee, Ryan Toporowski, 2 goals; Mark Stinson, 3 assists; Ryan Komori, Mark Stinson, 4 points; Matt Maycock, 12 penalty minutes

SPECIAL TEAMS:  Victoria – Power play: 20.0 percent (5-for-25). Penalty kill: 93.7 percent (15-for-16).  Saanich – Power play: 6.3 percent (1-for-16). Penalty kill: 80.0 percent (20-for-25)

GOALTENDERS:  Victoria – Max Pelzner (2.36 goals against average; .895 save percentage), Zach Wear (no appearances).  Saanich – Ben Kantor (0.54 goals against average; .988 save percentage), Tanner McGaw (4.26 goals against average; .902 save percentage)

SERIES:  Saanich leads, 3-1

PAST AND FUTURE MEETINGS:
Saanich 4 @ Victoria 3                                   February 25, 2010
Victoria 3 @ Saanich 4 (OT)                           February 26, 2010
Saanich 1 @ Victoria 6                                   February 28, 2010
Victoria 1 @ Saanich 2 (OT)                           March 2, 2010
Victoria @ Saanich (if necessary)                   March 5, 2010
Saanich @ Victoria (if necessary)                   March 7, 2010

HOME/ROAD RECORDS:  Victoria, 1-1 at home; 0-2 on the road.  Saanich, 1-1 on the road; 2-0 at home

BRAVES TAME COUGARS TO TAKE 3-1 SERIES LEAD

By Peter Kung

Ryan Toporowski scored 1:34 into the third overtime period to give the Saanich Braves a 2-1 victory and a 3-1 series lead over the Victoria Cougars Tuesday night.

The hometown crowd at the Pearkes Recreation Centre erupted when Toporowski, whose goal came unassisted, beat goaltender Max Pelzner.

Tuesday’s loss forces the Cougars to win their next three games in order to stay alive in a playoff which has already claimed the Campbell River Storm.

Game 5 goes Thursday in Victoria.

Toporowski opened the scoring at 17:56 of the first period. Assisting on Toporowski’s first goal of the playoffs were Ryan Komori and Trevor Yee.

But an unassisted goal from Sam Rice at 11:37 of the middle frame set the table for what would become a very long night.

Getting the start in goal for the Braves was Ben Kantor, who had relieved Tanner McGaw in Game 3. Scooped up from the Kerry Park Islanders in early November, Kantor made 67 saves overall which included stopping nine shots in the first overtime period, 15 in the second, and one in the third before Toporowski ended the three hour and 22-minute long marathon with his second marker.

Pelzner, who stopped 22 shots in extra time, finished the game with 45 saves.

Referee Ryan Benbow handed out a total of 17 power plays, all of which occurred in regulation. The Cougars went 0-for-10 while Saanich went 0-for-7.

In other playoff action around the VIJHL:
Kerry Park Islanders 5, Campbell River Storm 2 (Islanders win series 4-1)
Peninsula Panthers 9, Westshore Stingers 0 (Panthers lead series 3-0)

THREE STARS: Unavailable

GAME 5: Saanich Braves at Victoria Cougars on Thursday, March 4. Game time at the Archie Browning Sports Centre, located at 1151 Esquimalt Road, is 7:15 p.m.

GAME 6 (if necessary): Victoria Cougars at Saanich Braves on Friday, March 5. Game time at the Pearkes Recreation Centre, located at 3100 Tillicum Road, is 6:30 p.m.

GAME 3 COUGARS vs SAANICH BRAVES TONIGHT IN ESQUIMALT

The Victoria Cougars face an uphill battle when they play the Saanich Braves tonight in Game 3 of their South Island Division Semi-Final.

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

Entering tonight’s game, Victoria trails 2-0 in its best-of-seven series.  Last Thursday, Ty Jones scored the game winner at the 2:59 mark of the third period to pace the visiting Braves to a 4-3 victory.  Then 24-hours later, Saanich pulled out a 4-3 come from behind win at home when Mark Stinson scored with 1:55 remaining in overtime.

The Stinson-Ryan Komori-Trevor Yee line has been dominant thus far.  Stinson has one goal and three assists, Komori has two goals and one assist, and Yee has one goal.

Shots on goal though have been dominated by the Cougars, outshooting Saanich 92-44 through two games.

Braves’ goaltender Tanner McGaw has been stellar, entering tonight’s game with a .935 save percentage.

Jimmy Carter leads Victoria in scoring with one goal and two assists.

Injuries to Anthony Hordyk, who scored 28 goals during the regular season and Trevor McNeil, who averaged a point a game during the same time, continue to still plague the Cougars.

Filling in have been Mark Walton, a call up the South Island Thunderbirds and Brody Coulter, a call up from the Juan de Fuca Grizzlies.  Both players are only 17-years-old.

The winner of this series will face either the Peninsula Panthers or Westshore Stingers in the South Island Division Final.  Peninsula leads that series 1-0.

TEAM LEADERS:  Victoria – Wade Masch, 2 goals; Jimmy Carter, Eric Guthrie, Sam Rice, 2 assists; Jimmy Carter, 3 points; Chris Savage, 4 penalty minutes.  Saanich – Ryan Komori, 2 goals; Mark Stinson, 3 assists; Mark Stinson, 4 points; Ryan Komori, Brandon Nicholson, Ryan Toporowski, 4 penalty minutes

SPECIAL TEAMS:  Victoria – Power play: 33.3 percent (3-for-9). Penalty kill: 80.0 percent (4-for-5).  Saanich – Power play: 20.0 percent (1-for-5). Penalty kill: 66.7 percent (6-for-9)

GOALTENDERS:  Victoria – Max Pelzner (3.77 goals against average; .818 save percentage), Zach Wear (no appearances).  Saanich – Tanner McGaw (2.81 goals against average; .935 save percentage), Ben Kantor (no appearances)

SERIES:  Saanich leads, 2-0

PAST AND FUTURE MEETINGS:
Saanich 4 @ Victoria 3                                   February 25, 2010
Victoria 3 @ Saanich 4 (OT)                           February 26, 2010
Victoria @ Saanich                                         March 2, 2010
Saanich @ Victoria (if necessary)                   March 4, 2010
Victoria @ Saanich (if necessary)                   March 5, 2010
Saanich @ Victoria (if necessary)                   March 7, 2010

HOME/ROAD RECORDS:  Victoria, 0-1 at home.  Saanich, 1-0 on the road

SAANICH BRAVES TAKE 2-0 SERIES LEAD

 

 

By Peter Kung

For the second straight game, Mark Stinson and Tanner McGaw came through in the clutch for the Saanich Braves.

Stinson scored with 1:55 remaining in overtime and McGaw made 50 saves to lift Saanich to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Victoria Cougars at the Pearkes Recreation Centre on Friday night.

The win gives the Braves a two-game, first-round series lead.

Skating down the left side, Ryan Komori fed a cross ice pass over to a wide open Stinson who then one timed the puck past goaltender Max Pelzner.

Saanich nearly won the game four minutes earlier when Komori got behind the Cougars defense but was stopped by Pelzner after trying to make a deke.

Brandon Nicholson, named the game’s third star, tied the contest at 3-3 at 1:09 with the only goal of the third period. Nicholson, left wide open on the left side, twinkled the twine after taking a tape-to-tape feed from Travis Stephens.

Victoria, which controlled the majority of the play, was swarming late in regulation. With just over 90 seconds to play, Jimmy Carter was stopped twice by McGaw. Chris Savage had a chance to send the Cougars back home with a “W” but his shot sailed wide left.

For the first time in the series, Victoria took the lead when Carter opened the scoring at 7:29 of the first period. The goal, which was assisted by Savage, was Carter’s first in five games.

 

Alex Wong tied the game 36 seconds later after a defensive miscue by the Cougars defense. From behind the net, Brad Dick centered the puck out to Wong, who from the high slot beat Pelzner.

 

Victoria took the lead at 9:53 when Jesse Grieve worked himself out from behind the Braves net, stopped at the faceoff dot to the left of McGaw, and wired the puck off the crossbar and in. Assisting on Grieve’s first goal of the playoffs was Eric Guthrie.

Again it did not take long for Saainch to respond, 42 seconds to be exact. After another defensive miscue, Komori scored unassisted with a well placed wrist shot.

The large contingent of Cougar fans in attendance roared at the 10:30 mark of the second period after they thought the puck had crossed the plane of the goal line. But with a clear view of the net, referee Byron Ellingson signaled no goal.

There was no dispute over Victoria’s third goal which was scored two minutes

later. While falling down on the play, Wade Masch took a swipe at the puck which sailed over the right shoulder of McGaw. Getting credit with the assist was Guthrie.

 

The Cougars, 27-2-3 when leading after two periods during the regular season, let Game 2 slip away.

Victoria outshot the Braves 17-8 in the first period, 14-5 in the second, 13-6 in the third, and 9-3 in overtime for a game total of 53-22.

Ellingson doled out three penalties, two minors to Saanich and one minor to the Cougars. Neither team would score with the man advantage.

In Game 1, Stinson had three assists while McGaw stopped 36-of-39 shots. The Braves went on to win 4-3.

Game 3 goes Sunday in Victoria.

In other playoff action around the VIJHL:

Kerry Park Islanders 7, Campbell River Storm 6 (Islanders lead series 2-1)
Peninsula Panthers 6, Westshore Stingers 2 (Panthers lead series 1-0)

THREE STARS: 1st star, Tanner McGaw (Saanich). 2nd star, Mark Stinson (Saanich). 3rd star, Brandon Nicholson (Saanich)

GAME 3: Saanich Braves at Victoria Cougars on Sunday. Game time at the Archie Browning Sports Centre, located at 1151 Esquimalt Road, is 7:15 p.m.

GAME 4: Victoria Cougars at Saanich Braves. Date and game time at the Pearkes Recreation Centre, located at 3100 Tillicum Road, is still to be determined.

 

Next Page »