MIDGET A BULLDOGS ON TOP
The Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs solidified their position on top of the Division 1 VIAHA standings with a 4-1 victory over Comox Valley Chiefs at the Multiplex on Saturday December 3rd. The win puts them at six wins and one loss, for 12 points. They are four points ahead of second place Peninsula who have a game in hand, and also four points ahead of third place Juan de Fuca.
The December 3rd game started fast with the goalies at both ends called on to make some good saves in the early going. The Bulldogs capitalized quickly on their first power play opportunity as Brandon Antonichuk banked one in off a Cory Beecorft point shot to get the Bulldogs on the board with four minutes left in the opening period. Comox got it back on their own power play in the middle of the second period. But at 9:17 Colby Lim faked out the Comox goalie to score low on the right side. Tyler Wilhelm picked up a rebound and put it through five hole to close out the period. Gaudreault and Beecroft assisted. On an early third period power play, Cameron MacAdams, down on the ice from a check, was able to get his stick on a knuckle puck at the side of the net to make it 4-1. Logan Savard picked up the assist.
Colby Lim (21) beats the goalie to score the Midget A Bulldogs second goal in weekend action against Comox Valley.
Tyler Wilhelm (9) picks up the rebound from Chase Gaudreault’s shot to score the Midget A Bulldogs’ third goal in weekend action against Comox Valley.
Cameron MacAdams, still on his knees, celebrates his goal which made it 4-1 for the Midget A Bulldogs in weekend action against Comox Valley.
CANUCKS – Every Kids Dream, for Carson Steel
Earlier this Fall, Carson Steel’s Mom, Kellie, filled out a contest form from the Vancouver Canucks website called, “Every Kids Dream’. Carson Steel, age 9 and an Atom Rep player from Alberni Valley Minor Hockey Association, was randomly chosen from kids all over British Columbia. So, on October 22nd, they headed to Roger’s Arena in Vancouver where Carson had an experience of a life time!
He won 2 tickets to the game Vs The Minnesota Wild. Carson was taken to the Vancouver Canucks dressing room met players such as Ryan Kesler, Dan Hamhuis, Manny Malholtra and had his stick signed. Best of all, this young forward was taken to ice level and skated with the entire Vancouver Canucks during warm up. He lined up on the blue line for the National Anthem, with Vancouver Canucks starting line up and the announcer broadcast, “Standing in line up tonight is CARSON STEEL of the Port Alberni Minor Hockey Association”.
Quite an experience for Carson, especially when Daniel Sedin talked to him on the blue line. An experience that he won’t soon forget!!
Click on any of the images below to view full size
MIDGET “A” UPDATE…
ALBERNI VALLEY SHOWS STRENGTH
With two more wins on the weekend, the Van Isle Ford Midget A Bulldogs solidified their position on top of the Vancouver Island League Division 1 standings. They beat Juan de Fuca Grizzlies 2-0 and Saanich Braves by 3-1 and are now at 5 wins and 1 loss.
On Saturday, November 27th, the Bulldogs clashed head on with Juan de Fuca Grizzlies in a contest that amassed over 200 minutes in penalties and left both teams with short benches by the start of the third period. The first two periods were scoreless. Colby Lim, assisted by Chase Gaudreault scored the first goal of the game to start the third period. Ryan Buse, with support from Cameron MacAdams scored with 8 minutes left to make it a 2-0 final.
The game on Sunday November 27th demonstrated the depth of the Alberni Valley competitive hockey program. The Midget A Bulldogs were short 8 regular players, with six players sitting out penalties from the previous day, and 2 recent player transfers to Junior B teams. The team was reinforced with 4 A/Ps from the Midget B team who came directly from their regular home game, goalie Andrew Cusson, defenceman Dawson Marlatt, and forwards Colin Mowat and Liam MacLeod.
Alberni Valley got the first marker five minutes in. Lim passed across the front of the crease and Cameron MacAdams slapped the puck in before the Saanich goaltender could get across. The Bulldogs spent the next three minutes on penalty kill, including a stretch of 5 on 3 that they defended successfully. Early in the second period Saanich took advantage of a loose puck in the slot to even the score. The game went end to end for most of the second period with no penalties and very few stoppages in play. With 3:38 to go, Tyler Wilhelm sniped the top corner of the net from the bottom of the left circle. MacAdams and Buse assisted. Lim added an insurance marker with 7:33 left in the third period, assisted by Gaudreault and Greg Tuckerman. Final score 3-1.
Assistant Coach Rob Gaudreault felt that the team played well on Sunday. He said, “Our A/Ps were strong and really helped win this game. Our speed and strength continue to win games for us.”
The Van Isle Ford Midget A Bulldogs will take on Comox Chiefs in their next home game at the Multiplex on Saturday December 3rd starting at 5PM.
Submitted by Simon Read
MIDGET “B” UPDATE…
The AV ‘JAL Design & Graphics’ Midget B Bulldogs are playing in Tier 3 this season after doing well during a very hard tiering round that saw them face a far more challenging assortment of teams than most of their peer teams did, going against two top level tier 2 teams.
In tiering, they played Saanich 4 at home, winning 8 to 3. The following weekend they travelled to Port Hardy to play Tri-Port 3. The Bulldogs lost 3-1. The next day they faced Sooke T3, losing that game by a score of 5 to 1. The team travelled to Victoria the next weekend to play Saanich T2, losing a well fought game, by just 4 to 1. The Bulldogs also played Peninsula T2 the next day. Having given their very best the day before, they just didn’t have enough gas left in the tank, losing the game 7 to 1. The boys did very well, especially considering Saanich2 and Peninsula 2 are both now playing in Tier 1 against the Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs.
During the Thanksgiving weekend the AV Midget B Bulldogs attended a tournament in Merritt, placing 3rdout of 8 teams. They did very well, especially considering they were down a few players due to injuries sustained during the tournament.
Midget B Bulldogs at Merritt Tournament
The AV Midget B Bulldogs were in a Cloverdale tournament on the Remembrance Day weekend. First game saw action against Mission, with the boys winning 5-2. Early in the game, while on the penalty kill, James Martin blocked a shot which resulted in his missing the rest of the game and the following one. However, it also sent the puck into the opposing end, resulting in a short-handed goal by Liam MacLeod. Liam, who also scored the security goal, shorthanded on a breakaway, was awarded MVP for the game. All of the players really stepped it up for the whole game, with crisp passes and overall smart play. (Gary Martin, Wes Schutt, Colin Mowat and Jason Brunt all had an outstanding game.)
Later that day, the boys faced Semiahmoo and despite very one-sided reffing, they won 8-4, with 4 goals coming from Liam MacLeod. Andrew Cusson was MVP for the game.
The next day the Bulldogs faced Cloverdale and again some very biased reffing. The score ended up 4-2 for Cloverdale, despite a great effort by the team.
The following day the team played Kamloops, the underdog of the tournament. That game was unfortunately called early into the 2nd period due to an injury sustained by a Kamloops player.
Despite going into this tournament short-handed, with only 14 skaters, and losing up to 4 players for some games, the boys were very successful in Cloverdale. While circumstances didn’t have them place high, they were arguably the 2nd best team there and most other teams were shocked that the AV T3 Bulldogs weren’t in the final. The top two teams were in the same pool and only the winner of each pool moved on to the final game.
Midget B Bulldogs at Cloverdale Tournament
The boys are really starting to gel as a team and settling into their respective positions very well. If they can start playing with their whole team there on a regular basis, the season looks to be very promising for them.
Submitted by Lorraine Brunt
Photos by Dave Cusson
Sponsor of the Midget "B" Bulldogs Team
MIDGET “A” BULLDOGS TOP DIVISION 1
The Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs played two games last weekend, downing Peninsula Eagles 6-1 at home on November 19th and cutting off the Clippers 8-2 in Nanaimo on November 20th. The wins put Alberni Valley at the top of Vancouver Island League Division 1 after the first three weeks of the season.
Referee signals a goal by Spencer Pierce (23) during action against Peninsula Eagles on Saturday. Beau Wilson (15) and Chase Gaudreault (22) assisted.
The Bulldogs gave up the first goal to the Eagles on Saturday with 5:32 left in the first period. It took until late in the second to even it up. Sam Visona scored on a power play with assists from Beau Wilson and Chase Gaudreault. A minute later, Colby Lim, in his first game with the team this season, scored short handed. Then on another power play, Nathan Read made a long pass to Cameron MacAdams who put it past the goalie to make it 3-1 with 3 seconds left in the second frame. By the third period the Bulldogs had worn down the short handed Eagles and held them on the defensive for the rest of the game. Spencer Pierce scored from Gaudreault and Lim to start the period. Then on penalty kill, Gaudreault took the puck behind the net and set up a speeding Brandon Antonichuk to score on a slap shot from the slot. Wilson scored from Gaudreault (his 4th assist of the game) and Cory Beecroft to make it a 6-1 final.
Nanaimo goalie deflects a shot by Cameron MacAdams (16) as Tyler Ibsen (3) and Spencer Pierce (23) look on.
On Sunday in Nanaimo the Bulldogs picked holes in the Clippers defence to run up a 4-0 lead by late in the second period. Scoring was distributed over the lines, with the first goal coming from MacAdams, assisted by Greg Tuckerman and Lim. Then it was Logan Savard from blue liner Ryan Buse, Gaudreault from Visona, and Buse from Beecroft. A mid-ice collision let Nanaimo into the game with a short handed break away to make it 4-1 with 4:53 left in the second period. The Bulldogs response was swift. On power play at 4:24 Marino Somerville passed back for Nathan Read to blast a slap shot low and left into the net. Then MacAdams from Lim made it 6-1 to end the period. It was Lim from MacAdams to make it 7-1 early in the last period. The teams traded power play goals to finish off the game, first Nanaimo, then the Bulldogs Tyler Wilhelm with an assist from Buse.
Beau Wilson (15) and Colby Lim (21) look on as Cameron MacAdams (16) shot goes home in weekend action against Nanaimo.
The coaches were pleased with the weekend play. Head coach Brent Demerais noted that the lines were consistently pressuring on both offence and defence. The power play and penalty kill units were effective and both goalies Gianni Crema and Bryce Dirocco were good.
Logan Savard (11) raises his stick after scoring as Ryan Buse (2) pinches in during weekend action against Nanaimo.
Next week’s Division 1 schedule has the Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs in action at home on Saturday November 26 vs Juan de Fuca Grizzlies at 3 PM and again on Sunday November 27 vs Saanich Braves at 2:45 PM. Both games are at Weyerhaeuser Arena.
Team work made this goal off a point shot by Nathan Read (18) as Marino Somerville (17) in background assisted and Chase Gaudreault (22) and Brandon Antonichuk (19) provided the screen in front during weekend action against Nanaimo.
Submitted by Simon Read
AVMHA MIDGET TOURNEY HAS CLOSE COMPETITION
The Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs hosted a successful tournament over Remembrance Day weekend. The tourney featured competitive teams from the Mainland and Vancouver Island, including North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey, Powell River, Oceanside and Kerry Park.
Alberni Valley swept their round robin games to finish on top of the A pool, with scores of 5-0 over North Vancouver A2 Storm, 4-1 over Kerry Park Islanders, and 3-2 over Surrey Hurricanes. Game MVPs selected by the opposing teams during the tournament included Beau Wilson, Brett Williscroft, Cory Beecroft and Marino Somerville.
In the B pool, North Vancouver A1 came out on top with wins over Oceanside (9-3), Richmond (10-3) and Powell River (4-0). The final match ups were all closely contested. 4th place teams Richmond and North Vancouver A2 battled to a 1-1 tie. 3rd place teams Oceanside and Kerry Park tied 5-5. Both semi-finals produced upsets with Surrey edging North Vancouver A1 by 5-4 and Powell River over Alberni Valley 3-1 in a game where the Bulldogs shooters rang several pucks off the posts that could easily have gone in.
So Alberni Valley played North Vancouver A1 for the Bronze medal. The Van Isle Ford Bulldogs showed what they are capable of with a dominating 9-4 performance to collect the medals. The gold medal game between Powell River and Surrey was a defensive and goal tending battle. Regulation time ended in a 1-1 tie. Overtime was scoreless, and there was only one goal out of ten shots in the shoot out to give Surrey the gold medal.
The tournament brought 150 players and coaches to the valley for the weekend and drew many compliments on the tournament, facilities and city. The next chance to see the Midget A Bulldogs in action at home will be 2:45 PM, Saturday November 19 vs Peninsula Eagles and 2:45 PM Sunday November 20 vs Saanich Braves.
Submitted by Simon Read
Full details on the tournament website: http://11avmidgetrep.wordpress.com
PEEWEE BULLDOGS BRING HOME SILVER
Alberni Valley PeeWee "A" BulldogsTeam with Silver Medals in Salmon Arm
The Alberni Valley Peewee “A” Bulldogs took their first big road trip of the season and brought home silver medals from a tournament held in Salmon Arm.
Alberni’s first action came on Friday afternoon against Abbotsford. Alberni came out strong and held a 3 – 1 lead after the first period. The 2nd period was evenly matched with no scoring by either team. Abbotsford made it 3-2 early in the 3rd period but that was as close as they would get as Alberni notched 4 unanswered goals in the 3rd. Colton Lloyd and Austin Marling each had 5 point games with 2 goals and an assist. Wyatt Selva also found the back of the net twice and Jayden Moss rounded out the Alberni scoring as Alberni posted a 7 – 2 victory.
Alberni’s second game of the weekend was also a close affair with a 1 -1 game on the scoreboard until the 3 period when the Bulldogs opened up again with 3 unanswered goals. Colton Lloyd and Ayden Brossoit each scored twice in the 4 – 1 victory over the Williams Lake Timberwolves.
Alberni dominated the Westside Warriors in their 3rd round robin game holding a 2 – 0 lead at the end of the first and 4 – 0 lead at the 2nd intermission enroute to a decisive 8 – 1 victory. Westside was previously undefeated in the tournament but were not able to generate any offence against a solid Alberni defense. Shaylee McConnell and Colton Lloyd each scored twice. Wyatt Selva, Austin Marling, Nick Sexton and Ezra Paddock also contributed goals in a winning effort.
Alberni finished 1st in round robin play and earned a trip to the gold medal game where they met a strong team from Mission. Mission came out firing on all cylinders and Alberni found themselves down on the scoreboard for the first time in the tournament, 3 – 0 at the end of the first period as Mission was able to capitalize on several Bulldogs penalties. The Peewee Dogs battled back, finding the back of the net 3 times before Mission put the game out of reach in the 3rd. Alberni goals were scored by Ayden Brossoit, Nico Somerville and Foster Martin.
The Alberni Peewee A team will enjoy a weekend off before resuming Island League play in the Weyerhauser Arena versus Powell River on Sunday November 20th.
PeeWee "A" Bulldog Team Sponsors
Submitted by Stefanie Weber
MIDGET BULLDOGS WARM UP FOR TOURNAMENT
The Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs warm up for their Remembrance Weekend tournament with two more wins on the weekend of November 5th and 6th. On Saturday they downed the Chiefs 5-2 in Division 1 League play at Comox Valley. In exhibition play at home on Saturday they defeated the Oceanside Generals 3-1, bringing their record so far this season to 8-2-2.
Greg Tuckerman (14) gets a shot off a rebound from Sam Visona (13) with the goalie down during weekend action against Comox Valley.
The game with Comox Valley started close. Cam MacAdams scored after the first minute of play with an assist from Brett Wissiscroft. The Chiefs got it back with 2:48 left in the first period. On a power play early in the second, Logan Savard passed back for Corey Beecroft to score from the point, but Comox Valley evened it up again at 12:07.
Comox Valley goalie is down after Greg Tuckerman (14) scored the insurance goal in weekend action. Line mates Chase Gaudreault (22) and Cameron MacAdams (16) assisted.
The turning point in the game came seconds later. Beau Wilson tipped Tyler Wilhelm’s shot over the goalie to go ahead at 11″27. At 8:27 Greg Tuckerman slid one in at the short side corner with support from MacAdams and Chase Gaudreault. Seconds later Brandon Antonichuk took a rebound off a Wilhelm shot and jammed it through the goalie to make it 5-2. After that the Bulldogs ramped up their defence to completely shut down Comox Valley and take the win.
On Sunday at Weyerhaeuser arena, the Bulldogs controlled the puck for most of the game. Antonichuk opened scoring with 6:28 left in the first period, with assists from Savard and Marino Somerville. Oceanside came back with a shorthanded goal to end the period even.
Logan Savard (11) takes a shot on the Oceanside goalie during weekend action. Linemates Greg Tuckerman (14) and Cameron MacAdams (16) are waiting either side for a rebound.
The Bulldogs continued to wear down the Generals, finishing their checks and creating lots of opportunities. MacAdams scored the game winner from Savard late in the second period. Gaudreault added the insurance goal in the last seconds of the period. After that, Alberni Valley bottled up Oceanside for the remainder of the game.
Coaches Brent Demerais and Rob Gaudreault were pleased with the weekend play. Gaudreault said, “The team is really beginning to gel”. Demerais said, “I don’t know if these guys know yet how good this team is. The lines are working together and making more good scoring chances. They are using their size well and we got good goal tending from both goalies, Bryce (Dirocco) and Gianni (Crema) this weekend.”
Submitted by Simon Read
Midget Tier 2 Tournament
Alberni Valley Minor Hockey will be hosting a
Midget Tier 2 Tournament
November 11-13, 2011
Website: http://11avmidgetrep.wordpress.com
For further information, contact:
Brenda Read - brendaread@shaw.ca - 250-724-3822
The Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs are hosting their tournament Remembrance weekend, starting at noon on November 11th and running through to the gold medal game at 4 PM on Sunday at the Alberni Valley Multiplex.
The tournament will bring together highly competitive teams from the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. They include the Surrey Hurricanes who played two close games with the Bulldogs during the provincial championships last year. Other visiting teams include the A1 and A2 Storm from North Vancouver, Richmond Blues, Kerry Park Islanders, Oceanside Generals and Powell River Kings.
The Van Isle Ford sponsored Midget Bulldogs have three games scheduled in the round robin. They face-off with North Vancouver A2 Storm at 3:05 on November 11th. At 9 AM on November 12th they will play Kerry Park. Then they are back for the feature game against Surrey at 3:10 PM. Semi-final games are scheduled for Sunday morning and medal games Sunday afternoon.
If you are a hockey fan, this is an excellent opportunity to see the best of our up and coming Alberni Valley hockey players in action. Come out and make some noise.
MIDGET BULLDOGS VS GIZZLIES & KINGS
ALBERNI VALLEY MIDGET BULLDOGS’ GREG TUCKERMAN (No. 14 white) JAMS IN A SHORTHANDED GOAL IN ACTION AGAINST VICTORIA ON OCT. 22. COREY BEECROFT (7) BACKS HIM UP.
The Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs completed their tiering games on the weekend against the Juan de Fuca Grizzlies and Victoria Racquet Club Kings.
On Oct. 15, the Bulldogs battled from behind to finish in a 2-2 tie with the Grizzlies. And on Oct. 16, the Bulldogs overpowered the Victoria Racquet Club Kings 7-0.
The Bulldogs now have six wins, one loss and two ties in the pre-season and are well placed to compete in the top division of the VIAHA Island League. That decision will be made at a league executive meeting next weekend.
In Saturday’s game, the Grizzlies speed allowed them a goal off the opening face-off. It was not until the end of the second period that the Bulldogs were able to even it up.
In the middle of the third period, the Grizzlies went ahead again with a power play goal. Then the Bulldogs lived up to their name, battling back until Ryan White jumped up from the blue line to put one in with five minutes left. The rest of the game was an end to end battle to preserve the tie.
On Sunday the Bulldogs physical play wore down the visiting Kings, who were beaten 7-0.
The Bulldogs defense was sharp. Stepping up their intensity to open the second, D-man Greg Tuckerman, who scored a shorthanded goal.
The final goal came on another power play. Tyler Wilhelm set up Marino Somerville for a hard shot from the half boards.
Bulldogs will be in action again at on Oct. 22 when they host Campbell River.
submitted to Alberni Valley News & published
MIDGET B IN MERRITT TOURNEY
The AV Midget B Bulldogs got off to a good start in the Icebreaker Tournament played in Merritt this Thanksgiving weekend winning their first two games played against Nanaimo and Merritt. The Bulldogs dominated play in the first half of the game but were only able to put the puck in the net once with Cameron James being assisted by Dawson Marlett. Nanaimo retaliated seconds later with their first goal to tie it 1-1. After the ice clean, Nanaimo came out with a vengeance but goalie Andrew Cusson kept the Bulldogs alive and well with some great saves. Alberni Valley ended up winning 5 to 3 with Liam Macleod, Giordano Corlazzoli, Jesse Hammond and Connor Gagnon continuing the scoring with assists from Connor, Gary Martin, Ellis Martin and Liam respectively.
Teamwork and persistence resulted in the win against Merritt with scoring shared by Wesley Schutt, Taylor Heck, Ellis Martin (2), Dawson Marlett and Liam Macleod. Gary Martin was credited with 3 assists, and one each for Giordano Corlazzoli, Connor Gagnon and Wesley Schutt with a final score of 6 to 5 in Alberni’s favour.
With only a one game wait and two injured players sitting out (Brad Cowan and Matt Mcleod), the Bulldogs battled Terrace who came out fast and furious from the start. Spectators were on the edge of their seats as both goalies made spectacular saves holding the score 0-0 in the first period. Second period play had Terrace ahead 2-0 but Connor Gagnon scored a shorthanded goal in the first minute of the third period to get us on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, Terrace went on to win the game 5 to 1.
Terrace ended up placing first in the tournament, winning 4-3 against Hollyburn who the Bulldogs met in the semi-finals Monday morning, narrowly losing 4-3 to as well. Bulldogs played an exciting semi-final against Hollyburn with the score tied 3-3 at the ice-clean- halfway through the second period. The back and forth battle continued through the 3rd period with Hollyburn scoring the go-ahead goal with 5 minutes left in the game.
There were moments of amazing blocks by the defence, steals, perfect passes, breakaways and great goaltending. It’s just the start of the season and the Midget B Bulldogs have a well-balanced roster of players that with continued hard-work and skill development should end up with more victories than losses. Way to go boys!
AV Midget B Bulldogs at Merritt Tourney
MIDGET REP BULLDOGS BLANK BEARS
The Midget A Bulldogs improved their pre-season record to 4-1-1 with a dominating 10-0 win over Juan de Fuca T3 Grizzlies at Bear Mountain on October 2nd. The Bulldogs used their size and strength well in the early minutes to gain control of the game and never let go.
They consistently won battles for the puck and were able to play in the offensive zone most of the game, with everyone contributing to the goals. Brandon Antonichuk was relentless down low and ended up with a hat trick and an assist to lead scoring. Cameron MacAdams had two goals and an assist. Tyler Wilhelm potted two, Sam Visona got a single, and Chase Gaudreault had four assists. Also picking up assists on the front end were Cory Beecroft, Logan Savard, and Spencer Pierce.
The blue liners were also a big part of the offense in this game, passing the puck around and jumping into the shooting lanes at every opportunity. Nathan Read opened the scoring from the high slot with a slapper mid way through the first period. Ryan Buse scored from the same position in the second and Ryan White added one from the point in the third. Greg Tuckerman was there for three assists.
On power play the Bulldogs picked up 3 goals in 6 chances, while the PK faced down 6 Grizzly attempts and added a short handed goal.
Between the pipes, Gianni Crema was not tested often in the early going, but put his stamp on the victory by shutting down several breakaways in the third period to preserve the shut out.
The team has an out of town exhibition game against Peninsula Eagles on October 8th, but will be at home to the Juan de Fuca T2 Grizzlies starting at 2:45 PM on October 15th. The next day (October 16th) will see them in action again against Victoria Racquet Club at 2:00 PM. As the final games in the tiering round these are important to decide what level the team will be placed in for the coming season. They are shooting for the top and will appreciate support from their fans at Weyerhaeuser Arena both days.
Submitted by Simon Read
MIDGET BULLDOGS BACK BIGGER THAN EVER
With try-outs done, Coach Brent Demerais surveys the 2011-2012 Midget A Bulldogs with satisfaction. “We have size. We have speed. This will be the team to beat this year,” he says. Demerais should know. He has coached teams to the Vancouver Island Championship in three of the last four years and was named VIAHA “Coach of the Year” for 2010-2011.
This year the senior AVMHA team has 11 returning players. On defence, veterans Brett Williscroft, Ryan White, Ryan Buse and Nathan Read are joined by Tyler Ibsen and Greg Tuckerman who honed their skills on the B team last year. Up front Brandon Antonichuk, Cory Beecroft, Marino Somerville, Sam Visona, Tyler Wilhelm and Beau Wilson are back. They are joined by four more players with rep experience. Chase Gaudreault and Logan Savard are moving up from Bantam. Spencer Pierce was with the B team and Cam MacAdams is back after playing a year out of town. Backstopping the team are returning goalie Bryce Dirocco and Gianni Crema who played for the team two
years ago.
Demerais is joined on the bench by Rob Gaudreault, who coached the Bantam Reps last year, as well as goalie coach Jeff (Scarey) Carey. With a lot of versatile players, the coaches have been juggling lines in the pre-season to find the best chemistry. The team has a winning 3-1-1 record so far , with wins against Powell River and Kerry Park, a split with Oceanside and a tie with Saanich.
The Midget A team plays their next game away at Bear Mountain on October 2, followed by home games against Juan de Fuca on October 15 and Victoria
Racquet Club on October 16.
Submitted by Simon Read
PeeWee Tier 2 & 3 Tournament
Alberni Valley Minor Hockey will be hosting a
PeeWee (Tier 2 & 3) Tournament
October 7 – 10, 2011 (Thanksgiving Weekend)
Website: http://11avpeeweerep.wordpress.com
For further information, contact:
-
Stefanie Weber - s-weber@shaw.ca
-
Sharlene Check – checkerson@shaw.ca
-
Dan & Teresa Sexton - reelfishing@shaw.ca – 250-723-7781
VIAHA – Female Hockey – Memo Sep 26 & 28, 2011
September 26, 2011 – MEMORANDUM
TO: VIAHA Executive Committee; Female Hockey Development Coordinators; VIAHA Female Hockey Committee
FROM: Jim Humphrey, VIAHA President
SUBJECT: Female Hockey
As has been stated in earlier correspondence VIAHA took on the responsibility of hosting the competitive female teams within Vancouver Island. This is a huge change from previous years, VIAHA consulted with BC Hockey last January on how to best move forward so as that the District would be responsible to declare where female teams would be hosted under the no competitive team in category. As such the VIAHA membership made changes to regulations so that the District would determine the residential boundaries as well as the carding association for each female competitive team.
In saying this, the VIAHA Executive Committee is very aware of the confusion that has occurred thus far and do want everyone to know that they very much support female hockey and want to see it grow. How this is to happen is where there is a difference of opinions. Those female players that have expressed the desire to play on female teams will be afforded every opportunity to do so whether it is at the competitive or recreational level.
Yesterday the member MHAs declared the following:
- Seven Atom Recreational teams
- Possible eight Pee Wee Recreational
- Possible seven or eight Bantam Recreational
- Possible seven or eight Midget Recreational
- One Competitive Pee Wee encompassing all of Vancouver island
- Two Competitive Bantam teams
- One Cowichan Valley South and One Nanaimo North
- Two Competitive Midget teams
- One Cowichan Valley South and One Nanaimo North
We have to move past what has occurred to date so therefore this coming weekend October 1st and 2nd, the District is organizing a series of ice times where we will have the players wishing to continue in their attempts to play competitive hockey being evaluated one last time. We are looking at having two sessions on Saturday October 1st and one session on Sunday October 2nd. We will assign evaluators to the sessions along with the head coaches of the respective teams with the goal being to have 21 players selected that will move forward with the coaching staff bringing the teams to 19 players by mid October. We are also at this time working on an organized structure where the teams can compete. For the Bantam “A” teams this may well be in the Female Midget C league as they did last year. For the Midget “A” teams we are looking at where they could best fit to play a series of exhibition games within the Bantam Island League as well as against each other, plus bringing teams from the mainland over to play two game weekend series.
Please note that where the teams are carded should not be of concern as it will be VIAHA that will be the host and as such the teams will not be based out of any one association rather all the MHAs in a particular region will be asked to supply both practice and game ice. The District wants to try and keep the travel and costs as
controlled as possible. Of course, in saying this, if teams want to travel for tournaments etc. there will be additional costs.
I wish that I had more details on the coming weekend to put into this memo but as we move forward be assured that as much information as possible will be sent out to the MHAs, Female Development Coordinators as well as team head coaches. We hope to have the ice times by tomorrow night and we are working on the evaluators and administration now with more out on this as well in the coming few days.
VIAHA has set the course. We now need to try and overcome what has occurred in the past three weeks and
move forward as best we can. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Sincerely,
Jim Humphrey
VIAHA President
_________________________________________________________________________________
September 28, 2011 – MEMORANDUM
TO: VIAHA Executive Committee; Female Hockey Development Coordinators; VIAHA Female Hockey Committee
FROM: Jim Humphrey, VIAHA President
SUBJECT: Female Hockey
As was indicated in my memo yesterday this coming weekend October 1st and 2nd, the District is organizing a series of ice times where we will have the players wishing to continue in their attempts to play competitive hockey being evaluated one last time. The ice times that have been arranged are as follows:
Midget Nanaimo North:
- Saturday October 1st, 12:45-2:15pm at Cliff McNabb Arena
- Saturday October 1st, 5:45-7:15pm at Frank Crane Arena
- Sunday October 2nd, 3:00-4:30pm at Sports Centre #2 (Courtenay)
Midget Cowichan Valley South
- Saturday October 1st, 1:00-2: 50pm at Seaparc Arena (Sooke)
- Saturday October 1st, 8:00-9:50pm at Juan de Fuca Arena
- Sunday October 2nd, 12:30-1:50pm at Fuller Lake Arena
Bantam Nanaimo North:
- Saturday October 1st, 10:45-12:15pm at Weyerhaeuser Arena (Port Alberni)
- Saturday October 1st, 4:30-6:30pm at Meeker Arena (Parksville)
- Sunday October 2nd, 3:30-5:00pm at Glacier Gardens Arena (Comox)
Bantam Cowichan Valley South:
- Friday September 30th, 8:30-9:50pm at Juan de Fuca arena
- Sunday October 2nd, 6:30-8:20pm at Bear Mountain Arena
We are continuing to work on arranging the evaluators but need MHA Presidents to step up and assist finding people that would be available to attend all three sessions at a particular level. Time is of the essence thus please give this your urgent attention, the decision was a VIAHA one and now we need to ensure that the evaluators are in place.
More details on the coming weekend will be sent out as they come available; we need those involved to ensure that the girls that have been involved are aware of the ice times and the importance to attend these evaluations. It is fully realized that some are upset with what has occurred but as indicated in prior memo’s the District has made a decision and now we must move forward in this last evaluation of our competitive female hockey players.
For those parents that have emailed or called I regret that I cannot answer you at this time, I am in Vancouver at the UBCM and tied up much of the day and evening, I am working with staff and the MHAs to ensure that we are as prepared as possible.
Again, it is realized that some of you are upset and want more answers but the fact is I have put as much information as I can/know in these past memos. Times, locations and regions have been indentified; players will only be allowed to attend ice sessions in their designated region. We can only encourage those players that have been involved to date to attend their scheduled ice times.
Sincerely,
Jim Humphrey
VIAHA President
Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association
2301-E McCullough Road Nanaimo BC V9S 4M9
info@viaha.org www.viaha.org
Ph: 250-751-8811 Fax: 250-751-8812
Ice Schedule Starts Sept. 12
The ice schedule has just been released for the first week of the season. (Weekend ice was added Sept 14th)
All ice schedules can be found on the “ICE SCHEDULES” page.
Schedules are links to .pdf files that require Adobe Reader to open. If anyone has a problem with viewing these files, please advise our web administrator - avmha.webadmin@shaw.ca
.
amended Sep 14, 2011 @ 12:11 am
Pre Season Exhibition Games
AVMHA Competitive (Rep) Teams
will be hosting exhibition games on the Coulson Rink
.
Saturday Sept 10th
2:00 – 4:00 pm Midget B Rep vs Kerry Park
4:15 – 6:15 pm Midget A Rep vs Powell River
Sunday Sept 11th
10:00 – 12:00 pm Atom Rep vs Kerry Park
12:15 – 2:15 pm Peewee A Rep vs Cowichan Valley
2:30 – 4:30 pm Bantam Rep vs Cowichan Valley
Rep Team Try-outs
.
The Rep Team Try-out Schedule has just been released.
The schedule will begin Monday August 29th.
You can view and/or print the schedule on the “Ice Schedule” page.
Any ice scheduling inquiries should be directed to:
Trent Martin - trent.martin@westburne.ca - 250-724-1357
Pre-Season Hitting Clinic
.
Any child wanting to play competitive (Rep) Hockey A or B Team must take part in a Hitting Clinic. (A player only needs to participate in one hitting clinic in their minor hockey lifetime).
The Hitting Clinic is for Peewee-Bantam-Midget players.
AVMHA will be hosting a Hitting Clinic on August 29, 2011 starting at 5:15 PM at the Multi-Plex Arena
Players need to be ready to be on the ice at 5:15 PM
There is no cost to the kids.
If you need anymore information please don’t hestitate to ask.
Sharlene Check - checkerson@shaw.ca - ph 250-723-0941
2011-12 Rep Team Coaches
AVMHA Executive Committee voted to accept the recommendation from the Coach Selection Committee for the following coaches.
-
-
Atom Development – Kevin Erickson
-
PeeWee Tier 2 – Dan Sexton
-
Bantam Tier 2 – Dave Beecroft
-
Midget Tier 2 – Brent Demerais
-
The Executive Committee is awaiting registration numbers before determining if a “B” team will be formed.
Deadline for Coach Applications
AVMHA is accepting applications for its
Competitive Team Coaching positions
with a deadline of July 15th to submit your application.
Complete the Coach Application Form:
If you have any questions and to submit your application contact:
Al McCulloch
(email) aligm99@hotmail.com
(ph) 250-723-5499
(postal) PO Box 241, Port Alberni, BC V9Y 7M7
(We are not responsible for any applications not received by July 15th)
Female Regional Tryout Application
The following message & application form was submitted by AVMHA Female Coordinator, Dave Dowling. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Dave at 250-723-1076 or davedowling@shaw.caSent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 9:17 PMSubject: Female Registation Numbers & Regional TryoutsTo: Female Development Coordinators/Presidents,
“2011-12 Regional Female Rep Application Form”
Female Registration Numbers:
I am attaching a spreadsheet for you to complete with the names of all of your female players in your association. This information will help all of us, with planning for the upcoming hockey season. If you could complete this information for your association and forward it to me asap and by May 6th at the latest that would be helpful. Please remember to include female players who ARE planning on playing integrated as well.
Female Regional Teams – Island Tryouts:
I am also attaching a female regional tryout application for ALL regions on Vancouver Island. Please make sure this is sent out to all eligible female players in your association. The deadline for registering for regional team tryouts is May 15, 2011. This early deadline is in place because it is important that we have our numbers in place for the regional teams early in the season, so you can all plan for your female teams within your own associations. Once we know how many players want to tryout for the regional teams, we can then determine which teams we will have in each division and from which area. Once we have some firm numbers, we will provide further information to all associations and players with respect to what the female regional program will look like for the upcoming season.I know some players/parents would like more information right now. Unfortunately, without concrete numbers we cannot make those decisions.Once we have the numbers together we will be having a female meeting to sit down and discuss the female program on Vancouver Island, both recreational and regional rep teams. I appreciate your assistance with getting me the names and numbers of your players. Without the numbers, it will be impossible for us to properly plan for the upcoming season.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your assistance with this.
Have a wonderful Easter weekend!
Best Regards,
Susie Sherman
VIAHA Female Development Coordinator
(250) 642-5723
susiesherman@shaw.ca
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