vees:blog

A brief practice today closed out the final preparations for the first weekend of the regular season. I caught up with Fred Harbinson on the eve of ‘Game 1′ in Williams Lake.

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Not too many players of note have emerged from the Arizona desert in the history of hockey, but that may be starting to change. Joey Holka is a 6′3, 191 lbs Phoenix product with designs on changing what people think of hockey in Arizona. Much like Dallas Stars prospect and former Vees forward Austin Smith, Holka has come to the ‘Great White North’ from the heat of the ‘American South’ to further his hockey development.

Primed for his sophomore season, Joey Holka talked with the Vees Blog after Thursday’s practice, which was the last skate prior to the season opener in Williams Lake.

The fleet of foot forward has enjoyed a productive pre-season, and is set to take on a bigger role with the Vees this campaign.

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Here’s a look at some interesting numbers from the Vees 2009/2010 roster as it stands.

1 - 16-year-old (Stephan Nicolishen)

1 - Player remaining from the 2007/2008 BCHL Champion Vees (Denver Manderson)

2 - Players from Saskachewan (Byron Sorensen, Joel Rumpel), Quebec (J.C. Lirette, Eric Filiou), and Minnesota (Derik Johnson, Bo Dolan)

3 - 17-year-olds (Hayden Trupp, Isaac MacLeod, Joey LaLeggia)

3 - Players from the Greater Vancouver Area (LaLeggia, Sean Bonar, Mitch Jones)

4 - 19-year-olds (Joey Holka, Johnson, Alex Szczechura, Dolan)

4 - Players with Major Junior Experience (Manderson, Matt Paltridge, J.C.Lirette, Adam Zamec)

6 - Americans (Luke Curadi, Dolan, Johnson, Beau Bennett, Trupp, Joey Holka)

6 - Players graduating from Midget Hockey (LaLeggia, Trupp, Bennett, Rumpel, Sorensen, Nicholishen)

6 - 20-year-olds, which is the league maximum (Manderson, Lirette, Zamec, Paltridge, Filiou, Ryan Viselli)

6 - BC products on the roster (Bonar, Milan, Jones, LaLeggia, MacLeod, Johnston)

7 - Players from Ontario (Nicholishen, Manderson, Ben Sexton, Szczechura, Paltridge, Viselli, Zamec)

8 - Imports, which is the league maximum (Bennett, Curadi, Rumpel, Sorensen, Sexton, Lirette, Szczechura, Dolan)

9 - Returning players (Manderson, Milan, Zamec, Paltridge, Johnson, Johnston, Holka, Bonar, Viselli)

9 - 18-year-olds (Bonar, Jones, Sorensen, Johnston, Milan, Sexton, Rumpel, Curadi, Bennett)

10 - Rookies (Curadi, Bennett, Szczechura, Jones, MacLeod, Sonrensen, Rumpel, Trupp, Nicholishen, LaLeggia)

14 - Newcomers (all but the 9 returning players!)

OTHER ROSTER NOTES

FORWARDS

Steve Iacobellis

Veterans Forwards Mitch Lebreche (Powell River Kings, BCHL) and Erik Slemp (Camrose Kodiaks, AJHL) were moved with the log-jam of talented forwards. Jeff Johnson has gone back to the Maritimes, and Mike Bosco has headed back to the US after unsuccessful bids to make the club. Steve Iacobellis is back to the Vancouver Major Midget Giants after an impressive pre-season. J.C. Lirette has yet to suit up for the Vees, after being acquired for L.P. Boucher. Mitch Jones earned a spot as a versatile player, as he plays both forward and defense. Adam Zamec has also not played a game yet this year as he is recovering from injury.

DEFENDERS

Bo Dolan

A very talented group though perhaps a touch raw, this was a tough group to crack. Bob Pond will likely surface in Junior A soon, but didn’t do enough to steal one of the 7 roster spots. Bo Dolan was the surprise of the pre-season to me as his well rounded game (hits, skates, fights, distributes) earned him a spot despite being an import. Mitch Jones (as mentioned above) will play on the back end when injuries and scheduling provide him that opportunity. Isaac MacLeod has yet to suit up in game play but is practicing with the team as he recovers from injury.

GOALIES

Billy Faust

Billy Faust was the odd man out after a hard fought battle with Joel Rumpel for the right to back up Sean Bonar. Faust will play for the Nelson Leafs this year with designs on playing a ton and being the man here in Penticton next season. The Leafs have a great history of turning out solid Junior net-minders such as Grant Rollheisier (who was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008) with Bill McDonnell as their goaltending coach. Bonar has yet to play this season, but is ready for game action.

With Bob Pond not making the 2009/2010 Penticton Vees squad, Logan Johnston will for the second season in a row be the lone Pentictonite on the team.

The big, bruising power forward tipped the scales at a feather under 220 lbs, for this his 18-year-old season, with designs on big 2009/2010 campaign.

With his love for mixed martial arts it’s no surprise Logan played a physical role with the club last year as a rookie (read: hits and fights), but he has grown nicely into a penalty killing role and has been producing points in the preseason playing on a line with 20-year-olds Ryan Viselli and Eric Filiou.

It was a different building, but the same result Saturday, as the Penticton Vees beat the Westside Warriors for the second straight night.

A HAPPY COACHING STAFF

After a 7-4 loss in Penticton on Friday, the Warriors lost 5-2 on Saturday at home and are still waiting for their first win of the pre-season. Warriors new Head Coach Darren Yopyk will have another shot at his first BCHL win tomorrow with Merritt visiting, but says he isn’t terribly concerned with the teams exhibition record.

The Vees got a pair of goals from Phoenix product Joey Holka, and Captain Denver Maderson, while Ben Sexton notched his first as a member of the Vees. Holka lead the Vees with 8 goals in the preseason, while Sexton had the lone 3-point night for the Vees. The visitors were up 5-0 at one point in the third period before two goals from Warriors Brendan Ellis and Kelsey Vonk got the Warriors a more respectable result.

The Vees outshot the Warriors 40 - 21 a night after out-shooting the Warriors 42-28. Warriors netminder Kevin Jebson allowed 12 goals over the two-game series, while Joel Rumpel allowed 6, earning two wins, pushing his record to (3-1-0) as a member of the Vees.

The Warriors still have 30 players with the team while the Vees have just a couple bodies to trim to get to the league madated roster maximum of 23 players.

The Vees finish the pre-season with a (6-1-0-0) mark while the Warriors are (0-4-0-0) with the Merritt Centennials visiting on Sunday for a 2:30 PM matinee affair.

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The Penticton Vees picked up their fourth win of the pre-season on Friday Night as they used a four-goal third period to beat the Westside Warriors 7-4.

Ben Sexton Recorded an Assist in his Vees Debut

Vees Captain Denver Manderson recorded a goal and an assist to lead the home side to a clean (2-0-0-0) pre-season mark on home ice. Manderson now has 7 points in a pair of exhibition battles.

Joey Holka has continued his hot summer as he picked up his team leading 6th goal, through 5 games played. Holka’s unassisted mark in the third gave the Vees a two-goal cushion that wouldn’t be relinquished.

Nashville draft pick Cam Reid looked solid for the Warriors as he set up two goals and potted another for the visitors. The 18-year-old play-maker was slated to be at New Hampshire this season and but appears to have postponed his NCAA career for at least a season.

Building on a strong rookie season 17-year-old forward Greyson Downing had a pair of goals for Westside, the second of which tied the game at three just 46 seconds into the 3rd period, but it wasn’t enough for the Warriors who remain win-less in exhibition play through four games played.

Ben Sexton made his much anticipated debut in Vees silks, and made a fantastic play to set up Logan Johnston’s short-handed goal that put the game out of reach at 15:11 of the third period.

The two goaltenders Kevin Jebson (Westside) and Joel Rumpel (Penticton) both looked stellar at times despite the 11 goals that were scored. Jebson faced 42 shots and stopping 35, while Rumpel turned aside 24 of 28.

Both teams went 2/6 on the man-advantage in a hard hitting but fight-free battle of the South Okanagan.

The Vees and Warriors play the second half of this home and home battle on Saturday from Royal LePage Place in West Kelowna. For the Vees Saturday’s game will be their last of the pre-season, while the Warriors play the Centennials on Sunday to close out the pre-season.

Puck drop from Royal LePage Place in West Kelowna is at 7:00 PM.

I spoke with Vees Assistant Coach David Small following the Vees victory…

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