Just three teams remain in the hunt for gold at the world Jr A Challenge in Summerside, PEI.
Beau Bennett scored this morning against Russia
The defending champions from the USA are through to the gold medal game after hopping out to a commanding 4-0 lead on the way to a 6-3 victory over the Russians earlier today.
Beau Bennett had a goal in the third period for the American side.
Sean Bonar stretches to make a stop for Canada West
In an all Canadian match-up this afternoon (3PM PST), East will be pitted against West with a trip to the gold medal game on the line. Canada East has been perfect since the puck dropped in exhibition, while Canada West is rounding into form having outscored their opponents 13-6 in back-to-back wins over Sweden and Belarus.
Joey LaLeggia (4 assists) and Beau Bennett (3 goals, 1 assist) each have 4 points and sit in the top 10 in tournament scoring, while Sean Bonar is tied for the tournament lead with a pair of wins. Bonar has a save percentage of .897 and a goals against average of 2.68.
***UPDATE***
Team Canada West plastered Team Canada East 9-1… Ugly. So it will be the match-up featuring all three Vees in the gold medal game as Beau Bennett and Team USA will face Joey LaLeggia, Sean Bonar and Team Canada West.
VEES vs. LANGLEY
For the third time in two seasons, the Langley Chiefs will see the Penticton Vees without their best players. Last season the Chiefs beat a Vees club that was missing Brodie Reid, Curtis McKenzie and Denver Manderson in in their only meeting of the season, while this season’s home-and-home today and tomorrow will be missing Vees puck stopper Sean Bonar, D-man Joey LaLeggia, and super-rook Beau Bennett. Also, out for the Vees is Bruins draft pick Ben Sexton who suffered an upper body injury in Alberni on October 25th.
The last time the Vees played the Chiefs outside of the WJAC, was back in 2007 when the team got in an accident on the way to the rink, delayed the start of the game and then promptly shellacked the home side in one of their most thorough efforts of that championship season.
A player to watch tonight for the Chiefs is rookie defender Tim Daly. The 18-year-old 17-year-old is one of just five BCHL players on the NHL Watch List (a list of draft eligible prospects that NHL Central Scouting throws together every Fall). Also, Daly has just committed to St. Cloud State of the WCHA (NCAA), where Fred Harbinson served as assistant coach before arriving the Okanagan.
Jake Johnson has been especially productive for the Vees since arriving from the Sioux City Muskateers of the USHL. The 20-year-old from Minnesota has 9 points in 8 games with the Vees and will be looking to extend his point streak to 8 games tonight.
Langley has been lurking in the weeds in the Coastal Conference, quietly putting together a tidy winning percentage of .650 with teams like Powell River and Surrey getting all the limelight and attention. The Chiefs have a sparkling 6-2-1-0 record at their new rink - The Langley Events Centre, while the Vees are the BCHL’s best on home ice having gone 8-0-0-1 at the SOEC.
Here’s a sneak-peek at Langley’s barn courtesy of broadcaster/blogger/funny-man Evan Hammond of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
Pre-game broadcast starts at 6:45 with Al Formo and myself on EZ Rock in the South Okanagan and Similkameen, MyEZRock.com, the BCHL.ca Audio Scoreboard, and the BCHL Pay-Per-View.
Weekend NCAA highlights include Cory Schneider posting his first two-point NCAA game for Ohio State, Maine captain Tanner House notching a pair in his first weekend back from injury, Steve Cameron and Cody Collins leading Mercyhurst to a pair of wins, and a monster 3-point game from Alex MacLeod for Michigan Tech.
Tanner House crashes the net for the Maine Black Bears
Brennan Barker D (SR, Alabama-Huntsville) - 6GP 0-2-2 6PIM
Anthony Borelli G (FR, Brown) - Season Not Underway
Steve Cameron F (JR, Mercyhurst) - 6GP 3-1-4 2PIM
Cody Collins F (SR, Mercyhurst) - 6GP 1-1-2 0PIM
Deron Cousens D (JR, Michigan Tech) - 4GP 1-1-2 6PIM
Zac Dalpe F (SO, Ohio State) - 5GP 1-3-4 0PIM
Alex Evin G (SO, Colgate) - 3GP (1-1-1) 2.64 .911
Brett Hextall F (SO, North Dakota) - 6GP 2-0-2 18PIM
Tanner House F (JR, Maine) - 2GP 2-0-2 2PIM
Zack Josepher D (FR, Michigan State) - 6GP 2-2-4 2PIM
Devon Krogh D (FR, Ohio State) - 4GP 0-1-1 0PIM
Eric Kroshus F (SO, Harvard) - Season Not Underway
Justin Krueger D (SR, Cornell) - Season Not Underway
Brian Lebler F (SR, Michigan) - 4GP 1-1-2 6PIM
Alex MacLeod F (SO, Michigan Tech) - 4GP 1-2-3 2PIM
Bryant Molle D (JR, Alaska-Fairbanks) - 4GP 0-1-1 2PIM
Curtis McKenzie F (FR, Miami-Ohio) - 6GP 2-3-5 12PIM
Cory Milan G (JR, Union) - 5GP (3-1-1) 2.29 .920
TJ Miller D (SR, Northern Michigan) - 4GP 0-0-0 2PIM
Trevor Nill F (SO, Michigan State) - 5GP 0-0-0 8PIM
Bryan Mountain G (FR, Northeastern) - NO STARTS
Kaare Odegard D (FR, Alaska-Fairbanks) - 3GP 0-1-1 2PIM
Travis Ouellette F (FR, Ferris State) - 5GP 2-0-2 2PIM
Made in Penticton but residing in Duncan, the Vees will see the world’s largest hockey stick tonight
* The Vees wrap up their 2-game season series with the Cowichan Valley Capitals today in Duncan. Penticton pumped Cowichan 6-1 on October the 7th as captain Denver Manderson record 3 assists.
* In NCAA action this weekend Curtis McKenzie’s hot start with the top ranked Miami Redhawks will see the freshman forward face two former teammates at Michigan State. Zack Joesepher and Trevor Nill currently play for the Spartans and both played with Curtis during the 2008 BCHL Championship season. Here’s a preview of the Division I clash.
* It appears the Clippers and Grizzlies have swung a deal. Hammer tells us the deal sees D - Jake Baker (91) go to Victoria for F - Teal Burns (92) and D - Todd Gebert (90). That’s the third team for Jake Baker and we are just at the quarter poll of the season.
* The Merritt Centennials have added a few bodies to their roster as F - Andrew MacMillan (90) is over his mono and Cameron Dagg is yanked up from Columbia Valley of the KIJHL (Jr. B). No idea why the Cents want another young goalie (they allready have two)… Nevermind one who is (1-7-0) in Jr. B.
* The Vipers have given D - Nils-Erik Soderlund (90) a full time roster spot… DieHardVipersFan has more.
Weekend highlights from south of the border included defenders Devon Krogh and Kaare Odegard each recording their first NCAA point. Curtis McKenzie continues to look sharp as a Redhawk with a four point weekend for Miami at New Hampshire. Also, 2008 Fred Page Cup winner Alex Evin continues to make a case for the starting job in net at Colgate.
Hextall mixes it up!
Brennan Barker D (SR, Alabama-Huntsville) - 4GP 0-2-2 4PIM
Anthony Borelli G (FR, Brown) - Season Not Underway
Steve Cameron F (JR, Mercyhurst) - 4GP 1-1-2 2PIM
Cody Collins F (SR, Mercyhurst) - 4GP 0-1-1 0PIM
Deron Cousens D (JR, Michigan Tech) - 2GP 0-1-1 0PIM
Zac Dalpe F (SO, Ohio State) - 4GP 1-1-2 0PIM
Alex Evin G (SO, Colgate) - 2GP (1-0-1) 1.44 .945
Brett Hextall F (SO, North Dakota) - 4GP 2-0-2 18PIM
Tanner House F (JR, Maine) - 0GP - INJURY
Zack Josepher D (FR, Michigan State) - 4GP 2-2-4 2PIM
Devon Krogh D (FR, Ohio State) - 3GP 0-1-1 0PIM
Eric Kroshus F (SO, Harvard) - Season Not Underway
Justin Krueger D (SR, Cornell) - Season Not Underway
Brian Lebler F (SR, Michigan) - 2GP 1-0-1 4PIM
Alex MacLeod F (SO, Michigan Tech) - 2GP 0-0-0 2PIM
Bryant Molle D (JR, Alaska-Fairbanks) - 4GP 0-1-1 2PIM
Curtis McKenzie F (FR, Miami-Ohio) - 4GP 2-3-5 6PIM
Cory Milan G (JR, Union) - 3GP (2-0-1) 2.28 .925
TJ Miller D (SR, Northern Michigan) - 2GP 0-0-0 2PIM
Trevor Nill F (SO, Michigan State) - 4GP 0-0-0 2PIM
Bryan Mountain G (FR, Northeastern) - NO STARTS
Kaare Odegard D (FR, Alaska-Fairbanks) - 3GP 0-1-1 2PIM
Travis Ouellette F (FR, Ferris State) - 4GP 2-0-2 2PIM
I spoke with Miami Redhawks 18-year-old freshman Curtis McKenzie on Monday.
The new guy is fitting in quite nicely in Ohio as he potted his first goal in his first game against. Curtis is back to the books and getting used to his new club in the CCHA.
Curtis lead the Vees in Goals, Points, GWG, PPG, SHG and PIM last season as a 17-year-old. Curtis was a member of the Canada West World Jr. A Challenge silver medal team, Team West of the CJHL Prospects Game, a BCHL All-Star, was named Captain of the Vees when Denver Manderson was injured in January, and was drafted by the Dallas Stars in June.
While you were watching Monday Night Football or perhaps a 5-goal colapse from the Calgary Flames on Monday night, Murray Maxwell and I were in the EZ Rock studios for the weekly show.
On the program tonight, Interior Conference Power Rankings, Vees Thanksgiving traditions, golf tips with Evan Hammond of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, an alumni NCAA update, a look back at the history of Jr. hockey in Penticton with Al Formo, and highlights of the week that was.
Enjoy your last show for a few weeks, as there won’t be a show next Monday.
Assistant Coach from the 2007/2008 Fred Page Cup Champion Vees Aaron Wilbur has had quite a weekend of competition with the UBC Thunderbirds.
Not only have the T-Birds been to Minnesota to play exhibition games with NCAA programs, but they also hosted a charity game with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat.
Aaron gets us caught up to speed with a whirl-wind week and the former Vees on the roster.
We ran out of time for this interview on Monday Night’s program, but it is still worthy of a listen.
* Randy Sexton (father of Ben) has finally had the interim tag dropped and been named the new GM of the Florida Panthers. Here’s the press conference from earlier today in Helsinki.
* The Ohio State Buckeyes are a team full of Vees Alumni. Zac Dalpe & Cory Schneider are entering their sophomore season, Devon Krogh is a freshman this year, and down the road current Vees Forward Alex Szczechura will be attending OSU. Other BCHL grads on the Buckeyes include Juniors Hunter Bishop (Vernon) & Erick Belanger (Nanaimo), as well as Sophomore Taylor Stephishen (Langley).
Here’s Zac on the expectation for the Buckeyes this season:
* Another NCAA team laden with BCHLers is the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Junior Evan Trupp (older brother of current Vees forward Hayden) and Sophomore Brett Hextall - the captain of the 2007/2008 Fred Page Cup Champions - play with Seniors Chay Genoway (Vernon) and Darcy Zajac (Salmon Arm).
* Trail is not a team to be taken lightly by the Vees tonight. The Smokies offense has finally woken up after scoring just 10 goals in their first six games of the year. The Orange & Black beat Williams Lake on Sunday and tied Salmon Arm on Tuesday Night and scored 12 goals in the two games.
* Adam Zamec appears to be close to a return in the Vees line-up. Though I doubt he’ll hit the ice this weekend, I wouldn’t be shocked if he made his debut on Wednesday at home against Cowichan.
* Al Formo is back on the broadcast tonight, and we’ll be joined by Chad Campbell in the pre-game show and 2nd intermission. Puck hits ice at 7:05 and the pre-game show on EZ Rock starts at 6:45 (PST… for you long distance fans). If you aren’t listening on EZ Rock in the South Okanagan or Similkameen, you can hop online to MyEZRock.com or swing by the BCHL’s audio scoreboard at BCHL.ca. Finally, if you are in the SOEC at the game you can tune into 105.5 FM to catch the braodcast.
Lots on the program this week. Murray Maxwell joined me in studio on a busy week in Vees-land.
We had highlights from the week that was, Caught up with WJAC Team Canada West Coach Rylan Ferster, as well as Joey LaLeggia and Garrett Milan. Also Beau Bennett tells us how excited he is to line up accross from his teammates as he dawns the Red, White, and Blue for team USA.
LaLeggia, Bonar, and Milan are in Okotoks, AB today
Zac Dalpe drops by to give us an update on Devon Krogh’s ‘flow’ at Ohio State, The Interior Conference Power Rankings are altered with Trail’s 1st win of the year, and Brian Wiebe helps us tee up Tuesday’s game in Merritt.
Boston Pizza Vees this week airs Monday’s on EZ Rock AM 800 and at MyEZRock.com from 6-7 (after the news). Also the show will be posted to the Blog before 8PM PST on Monday’s.
