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Hockey Moms! We need your help!
We're coming up to the end of the regular season and we need your help to organize a baby picture contest. We would like to get baby pictures of at least 12 of the players. We are looking for pictures anywhere from 6 months to probably under 2 years of age. And if you want to include two to three extra pictures at ages 5, 9, and 12 years old (approx), we will include them in the montage when the contest is over.
Mrs. Capy - any pictures of Coach Capy as a wee little tyke? Do you think you can sneak one out of the house without him finding out? The other coaches' mothers or wives are welcome to send in pictures as well.
Email the pictures to blindriverbeavers@gmail.com. While we prefer digital pictures or scans of pictures, we can scan pictures for you if your son is from Sault Ste. Marie or closer. Email us and we can make arrangements.
Download Our Schedule
You can now download a copy of our complete schedule. It includes home and away games, the all star game and away game locations. Right click the picture on the left, select "Save Target As" from your menu and save the file to your computer. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download) to open the file.
Monday, February 8
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Beavers catch Eagles for second in NOJHL West
A 10-point weekend for Blind River's Drew MacMillan
Posted By RANDY RUSSON, RR Media Service
Updated 11 hours ago
With 3 weeks to go in the regular season, the Blind River Beavers and Soo Eagles are tied for second place in the West Division of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
The Beavers moved into a share of second on Sunday afternoon with a convincing 7-2 road decision over the Eagles.
Both teams now have 54 points.
Blind River has 7 games to play in the regular season and the Michiganders have 9.
Before a crowd of 362 at the Pullar Stadium on Sunday, Drew MacMillan sparked the Beavers with 2 goals and 2 assists.
Brett Findlay scored once and had 3 assists for Blind River and Chad Richard had a goal and 2 assists.
Brett Campbell, Matt Dozois and Nathan MacLeod also scored for Blind River and Sam Foley made 40 saves.
The 4-point game for MacMillan followed a 6-point outing for the Blind River native in Saturday's 10-4 triumph over the Manitoulin Islanders.
In that game, the Beavers lost dependable defenceman Grant Paulson with a broken collarbone.
Monday, February 8
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Blind River piles up the points in 10-4 win
But Beavers lose big defenceman Grant Paulson with broken collarbone
Posted By RANDY RUSSON, RR MEDIA SERVICE
Updated 1 day ago
Several players had big games as the Blind River Beavers routed the visiting Manitoulin Islanders 10-4 in Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League action on Saturday night.
Drew MacMillan had two goals and four assists, Chad Richard had the hat trick and two assists, Brett Findlay had four assists, Matt Dozois had three assists, Brandon Ominika had a pair of goals and Trent Kreuger, Nathan MacLeod and Garrett Nystedt all had one-goal, one-assist outings for Blind River.
But the Beavers big victory was tempered by the loss of top defenceman Grant Paulson, who suffered a broken collarbone and will probably be sidelined for the rest of the season.
Saturday, February 6
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
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| NATHAN MACLEOD-NOJHL 2ND STAR WEEK ENDING JAN. 24TH
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Player Spotlight
Monday, February 1
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| Beavers kill 5 on 3 Abitibi power play
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Beavers outlast Eskis in shootout
Posted By THOMAS PERRY THE DAILY PRESS
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTO SLIDESHOW
Shaky goaltending by the normally rock solid Eddie Davey and an inability to score on the power play proved to be the Abitibi Eskimos' undoing Saturday night in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Blind River Beavers.
Davey, who was recognized prior to the game for breaking the previous Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League single-season win record, was pulled by general man-a ger/head coach Paul Gagne after giving up three goals on just six shots.
"Eddie had a tough time tonight ... I think it was three goals on six shots," Gagne said.
"The last one was a shot from a little closer to the top of the circle, right-hand side along the ice ... there was no screen shot, nothing.
"He had a tough night. We gave him a little bit of accolades before the game. I think we should have done that at the end of the season, not before the game ... that might have been a distraction."
The Eskimos started the game strong with linemates Felix Boutin and Josh Clancy staking them to a 2-0 advantage early.
"I felt like we did everything right, the coaching staff feels like we did everything right, but you can't win them all," Clancy said.
"Sometimes good things happen when you shoot at the net ... I feel they got lucky tonight, but they worked hard so you've got to give them credit for beating us ... but I feel we should have had them. There's no reason for us to lose."
The Beavers were able to claw their way back within one goal less than a minute later, however, as Chad Richard beat Davey on a shot the goaltender normally would have stopped.
Michael Robert then restored the Eskimos' two-goal advantage just 44 seconds later, as the goals were coming fast and furious.
Dereck Hurley cut the advantage to 3-2, however, beating Davey on a stoppable shot before the first period came to an end.
Duncan Green's power-play goal at 9:19 again brought Blind River back to within one goal and chased Davey.
Chandler Long, didn't fare much better, however, as he surrendered goals to Richard and Brandon Ominika before the second period came to a close with Blind River holding a 5-4 advantage and the majority of the 667 fans in the stands grumbling.
When Robert scored his second goal of the game, it appeared the Eskimos might be on the verge of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
After playing a scoreless overtime period, the two sides went to a shootout with Blind River edging the Eskimos 3-2 to secure the 6-5 victory.
Had the Eskimos been able to enjoy a little more success on the power play the outcome might have been vastly different. They were only able to convert one power-play opportunity despite having a two-man advantage on a couple of occasions.
"Sometimes you try to be a little too pretty and you see a lot of tic tac and no toe and that's what was happening tonight," Gagne said.
"We had a lot of great opportunities ... we were hitting a few posts here and there. We were taking shots but just not quality shots."
Clancy agrees with his coach's assessment of the power-play woes.
"They were pressing hard on our power play and we couldn't seem to get things going," he said.
"Maybe we were trying to be a little bit too fancy and we were turning over the puck too much."
Despite the frustrations, Gagne said his team didn't get down after falling behind 5-4.
"They didn't put their heads down or anything like that, they just kept plugging away" Gagne said.
"They are patient, we're not in first place for no reason. They didn't lose their composure. There was a lot of retaliation on their part (Blind River)."
Gagne doesn't feel his team's inability to score on the power play cost his team momentum.
"Momentum didn't change because we kept having power plays, so it's hard to kill our momentum but we just couldn't capitalize," he said.
"We've got some great offensive players here and I think we are leading the league in offence.
"It's one of those games you get four or five shots and they get one goal. I've got to give them credit."
NOTES: The three stars of the game were Richard, Robert and Oliver Morin of the Eskimos ... The Eskimos return to action Friday night when they travel to Temiscaming, Que., to play the Royals ... The next home game at the Jus Jordan Arena will be Saturday night when the Royals visit Abitibi.
Sunday, January 31
Perfect week for the Blind River Beavers
Posted By RANDY RUSSON, RR MEDIA SERVICE
Three for three on the road.
The Blind River Beavers capped a perfect week on Saturday night by scoring a 6-5 shootout decision over the Abitibi Eskimos.
The win was the third straight of the week for Blind River and all of the victories came on the road.
Earlier, the Beavers defeated the Soo Thunderbirds 3-1 and outlasted the Temiscaming Royals 7-6 in a shootout.
Saturday in Iroquois Falls, sparkplug Chad Richard scored twice and assisted on two others to lift the Beavers past the Eskimos. Dereck Hurley, Duncan Green and Brandon Ominika all had single goals for Blind River, which remains two points back of the second-place Soo Eagles in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League's West Division.
The 20-year old Ominika now has 17 goals in 16 games for Blind River since being acquired in a trade with the Manitoulin Islanders. In total, Ominika has 31 goals in 34 games this season.
Sunday, January 31
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Brett Campbell comes up big as Beavers battle back to flush Royals
Posted By RANDY RUSSON, RR MEDIA SERVICE
As far as comeback victories go, this one was a stunner.
Trailing 6-3 with just over 3 minutes left in the third period, the visiting Blind River Beavers tied their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League game with the Temiscaming Royals 6-6 before completing the comeback by stealing a 7-6 shootout.
Down 6-3, Blind River mounted its furious rally late in the third when Brandon Ominika scored at 16:45, Matt Dozois tallied at 17:25 and rookie Brett Campbell tied the game at 19:22.
The Beavers and Royals then went through a scoreless overtime before Blind River won it in a shootout.
Dozois and Ominika both finished with three-point nights for Blind River while Campbell and Trent Kreuger each had a goal and an assist.
The hardworking Campbell, who played high school hockey for the NOSSA "AAA" champion Central Algoma Huskies in '08-09, now has 21 points, including 8 goals, in 40 games for Blind River this season.
Sunday, January 31
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A Royal Collapse in Temiscaming
By Chris Dawson
BayToday.ca
Royals forwards Darren Shecapio and Andre Leclair try to put the puck past diving Beavers goalie Bobby Raine. Photo by Christian Lebel.
TEMISCAMING, QC - The Temiscaming Royals were 3:15 away from their first win of the new year, but the struggling club with only 2 wins in its last 10, allowed 3 goals in the dying minutes and then lost 7-6 to the Blind River Beavers in a shootout.
The Royals got an early jump on the Beavers and were outshooting the visitors 10-2 at one point in the first. Cedric Boutin tapped in a Andre Leclair wraparound try to open the scoring at the 6 minute mark. The remainder of the period saw the Beavers dominate the play and tying the game with a goal from Matt Dozois. However 48 seconds later Adam Avison put one past a shaky Bobby Raine to give the Royals a 2-1 first period lead. The shots ended up 14-12 Blind River after 20 minutes.
The visitors outscored the Royals 2-1 in the second. Goals from Brett Findlay and Trent Krueger for the Beavers and Cedric Boutin with his second left the scoreboard reading 3-3 after two. Shots were 18-8 Beavers.
The Royals already short three players due to injuries lost Marcus Brien to a five minute roughing and game misconduct penalties and then later lost Adam Avison after on a knee on knee hit. He left the game and did not return.
The Royals broke the tie with a shorthanded goal by Darren Shecapio. Then increased the lead to 5-3 when Shane Golden scored.
The Royals added a 6th goal on a power play at the 14:08 mark when Alex Cooper completed a three way play between Leclair and Golden. The Beavers still had some gas left in the tank as they started their comeback at 16:45 with a goal by Brandon Ominika. Then 40 seconds later, Matt Dozois narrowed the lead to 6-5. With less than a minute to play with an extra attacker the Beavers tied the game with a tip in goal by Brett Campbell.
The shots ended up after regulation 43-30 Beavers.
A five minute overtime period didn't the solve the affair. Shots were 7-3 Beavers for a game total of 50-33 in favour of the Beavers.
A total of six players from each team took their turn at getting the game winner but it was Blind River's Josh McCully who beat Jim Murray of the Royals to give the Beavers the win.
The 3 stars were Josh McCully, Andre Leclair and Shane Golden.
Friday, January 29
NOJHL: Beavers rebound to clip Birds 3-1
Posted By RANDY RUSSON, RR MEDIA SERVICE
Jim Capy hadn't been happy with the performance of his Blind River Beavers of late.
The Blind River coach made his feelings known in a candid interview during the Jan. 27 edition of The Hockey North Show on SportsZeus.com.
Well, the Beavers, who had lost four of their five previous games, emerged from their funk on Wednesday night and defeated the Soo Thunderbirds 3-1 in Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League action at John Rhodes Community Centre.
Josh McCully, Brett Findlay and Chad Richard (with an empty netter) scored for visiting Blind River, which moved to within three points of the second-place Soo Eagles in the NOJHL's West Division.
Andy Grympa's third-period goal broke the shutout of Beavers goalie Sam Foley, who made 34 saves.
While Foley played well, his defence did a good job in clearing rebounds. Blueliners Grant Paulson, Duncan Green and Kyle Paat all turned in solid, dependable performances for Blind River.
Of note, the two teams renewed season-long hostilities in a second period that featured a number of misconduct and major penalties.
Thursday, January 28
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Carricato says lack of focus hurts Thunderbirds as they lose 3-1 to Beavers
Posted By PETER RUICCI, THE SAULT STAR
Considering the timing, Pat Carricato expected more.
A lot more.
But fresh from Saturday's humbling, 6-3 loss to Manitoulin -- just the Islanders third win of the season -- the Soo Thunderbirds were unable to bounce back.
The Blind River Beavers controlled the second period Wednesday, and went on to defeat the T-Birds 3-1 at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
"It's disappointing and disheartening to come off the loss to Manitoulin and play like we did," said Carricato, whose team fell to 26-11-3, still good for top spot in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's Western Division. "The focus wasn't there for 60 minutes and I'm not happy. That's been our downfall all season. We talk about it and address it, but that has to come from inside the room."
After a scoreless first period, Josh McCully and Brett Findlay scored second period goals for the Beavers, who improved to 20-13-6.
Blind River is third in the West, nine points back of the T-Birds and three behind the second-place Soo (Mich.) Eagles (23-10-3).
Andy Grypma cut the Soo's deficit to 2-1, beating Beavers netminder Sam Foley at the 3:27 mark of the final period.
But Foley was impressive throughout the frame and Chad Richard's empty-net goal at 19:35 completed the scoring.
"We were terrible in the second period but we dominated the third. Foley just stoned us," said Carricato, whose team held a 35-20 edge in shots. "Our best players had opportunities to tie the game and put it away. But guys just didn't bear down and finish their chances."
Blind River head coach Jim Capy said he was pleased with how his club performed.
"We competed pretty hard. But they give you nothing -- you have to work for everything when you play the T-Birds," the Beavers coach said. "Foley played well for us and I'm pretty happy. Anytime you come in here and beat them in their rink, where they're so good, it's a big win."
On their last visit to the Rhodes, the Beavers were on the flip side of a 6-0 score.
What was the difference between that game and Wednesday's clash?
"Probably, the biggest thing is that we remembered how we were embarrassed the last time we were here," Capy said.
Next action for the T-Birds is Friday when they visit the Eagles. Start time at Pullar Stadium in the Michigan Sault is 7:30 p.m.
Thunderbirds struggle to score in loss to Beavers
By Brad Coccimiglio
SooToday.com
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A lack of finish is haunting the Soo Thunderbirds.
On Wednesday night, the Thunderbirds dropped a 3-1 decision to the Blind River Beavers at the John Rhodes Community Centre. The loss came on the heels of a 6-3 loss in Manitoulin last Sunday that saw the Thunderbirds post 54 shots in a losing effort.
“I give (Beavers goalie) Sam Foley full credit, he played well,” said Thunderbirds coach Pat Carricato. “We’ve got to have more poise around the net. Our go-to guys have to be our go-to guys. Our best players have to be our best players and we didn’t get that tonight.”
Andy Grypma scored the lone goal for the Thunderbirds, early in the third period. The locals managed to outshoot the Beavers 35-20 in the loss, including a 15-8 margin in the third period. Foley was strong in the Beavers goal in the win.
“We have a little bit of a nasty habit of having a little brain fart in every game,” said Beavers coach Jim Capy. “For the first 10 minutes (of the third period), Foley held us in there.”
Josh McCully, Brett Findlay and Chad Richard scored for the Beavers in the win.
“I don’t think we forgot what happened the last time we were here (a 6-0 loss),” Cay said. “But is there ever anything easy against the Thunderbirds? They give you nothing. You have to earn everything you get. They’re so sound defensively it’s hard to generate offense. Nothing comes easy against these guys.”
Carricato called the struggles of the team extremely frustrating.
“It’s very frustrating,” Carricato said. “I’m not happy. We can go in there as coaches and scream, yell, rant and rave. These guys are grown men. We can’t fix it, the players have to fix it. We can give them the blueprint and those guys have to go out there and do it.”
Thunderbirds goaltender Eric Pye stopped 17 shots in the loss.
The Thunderbirds are back in action on Friday night when they cross the International Bridge to take on the Soo (Mich.) Eagles. They return to the John Rhodes on Sunday when they host Manitoulin. Game time against the Islanders on Sunday is 4 p.m.
Thursday, January 28
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Beavers miss chance to move closer to Eagles
Posted By KELLY JAMES
If they didn't already know it, the Blind River Beavers are now painfully aware that they must play a full 60 minutes of good hockey to win games in the Northern Ontario Junior 'A' Hockey League.
The Beavers split a pair of games last week, beginning by rallying from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Sudbury Junior Wolves 6-4 on Wednesday. On Saturday evening, however, the Beavers missed an opportunity to get within one point of second place in the western division standings by surrendering a 3-0 lead in a 5-4 loss to the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Eagles.
Going into the contest, the Eagles had a three-point cushion on the Beavers for second place. After one period, it appeared that the Beavers were on their way to cutting that margin to just one point, as they completely dominated play and led 3-0 on goals by Nathan MacLeod, Brandon Ominika and Duncan Green.
Blind River's lead quickly evaporated in the second period, as the Eagles fought back to tie the score before the period was eight minutes old. Eric Cox scored a pair of goals to put the Soo back into the battle, and Ryan McAleese tied the game by ripping a hard shot through Beaver goalie Bobby Raine.
The Eagles took the lead for the first time early in the third period when Kevin Michelcavage stuffed the puck in from the side of the goal on the power-play. It looked as though Soo netminder John Klienhans would make that advantage stand up, until hard-working Brett Campbell and Dereck Hurley teamed up to tie the score with just 3:04 remaining in regulation time.
With overtime looming, the Beaver defence appeared to get nervous and coughed up the puck several times deep in their own zone. McAleese made them pay as he stole the puck and set up Josh Camiller for the winning goal with just 43 seconds remaining in the third period.
Rather than moving to within one point of the Eagles, the loss leaves the Beavers five points behind the Eagles for second place in the western division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the NOJHL playoffs. The Beavers now sport a record of 19 wins, 13 regulation-time losses and six overtime losses for 44 points.
The Soo Thunderbirds continue to lead the western division standings with 55 points, followed by the Eagles with 49 points. The Manitoulin Islanders picked up their third win of the season during the weekend, but are still mired in last place with just seven points.
The Abitibi Eskimos lead the overall NOJHL standings with 60 points, and are followed in the eastern division by the North Bay Trappers with 50 points. Sudbury is third with 35 points, while the Temiscaming Royals bring up the rear in the east with 24 points.
The Beavers showed that they know how to come back from an early deficit by overcoming Sudbury's early lead to win. The Wolves led 3-0 after the first period and 4-1 midway through the second stanza before Blind River rallied to win.
The Wolves had jumped out to their early lead on a goal by Chris Kangas and a pair of markers by Shawn Allen. MacLeod scored early in the second period to cut the lead to 3-1, but Chris Pontes scored minutes later to make it 4-1 for Sudbury.
Ominika ignited the Blind River comeback when he scored to make it 4-2 with 9:02 to play in the second frame. A few minutes later, the Beavers closed to within 4-3 when Duncan Green cashed in on the power-play.
The Wolves hung on to the lead until just 3:29 remained in the third period, when Ominika scored from MacLeod and Josh McCully to tie the score at 4-4. Just 47 seconds later, the Beavers took the lead when Trent Krueger scored his first goal for Blind River by knocking home the rebound of Grant Paulson's shot.
Ominika completed his hat-trick and salted the game away with an empty-net goal with 10 seconds remaining on the clock. The win ended Blind River three-game losing streak, which came on the heels of the Beavers' team-record 10-game win streak in December and the early part of January.
Blind River continues to boast one of the most prolific offences in the NOJHL, and have four skaters among the top 10 scorers in the league.
Matt Dozois sits in fourth place with 59 points, while Brett Findlay is sixth with 57 points. MacLeod is eighth in the scoring derby with 52 points, while Ominika is close behind in ninth place with 51 points.
The Beavers take to the road this week for three games, beginning on Wednesday evening in Sault Ste. Marie against the Thunderbirds. On Friday, the Beavers are in Temiscaming, and on Saturday Blind River plays the Abitibi Eskimos in Iroquois Falls.
The next home game for the Beavers is on Feb. 6, when Blind River hosts Manitoulin.
Tuesday, January 26
Profiling 3 of their own
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Profiling 3 of their ownJanuary 25, 2010
Drew MacMillan grows into role as Beavers' captain
When Drew MacMillan was just 16 years old, he stepped onto the ice for the most high profile team in his hometown of Blind River. Now, two years later, he is the captain of the Blind River Beavers, the hottest team in the NOJHL.
"I don't think I've changed that much," says the now 18-year-old MacMillan. The quiet young man says that, "I try to work hard in practice and in games, and lead by example. It's an honour to be the captain of the Beavers, but it's not something that I ever tried to be. It just sort of happened over time."
From the first time he put on a Beavers jersey, MacMillan has always been a player who played every inch of the ice. A product of the Blind River Minor Hockey Association who spent one season in Sault Ste. Marie playing AAA midget hockey for the Sault North Stars, MacMillan immediately showed coaches and fans that he could score, but could also he counted on to back check and kill penalties.
Now, as a graduate of W.C. Eaket Secondary School in Blind River, MacMillan is trying to chart his course toward a future career. He is hoping to pursue a career in power engineering, and is hoping to find an educational situation that will allow him to continue playing hockey.
"It's kind of a unique program, and I know that coach (Jim) Capy is trying to find a program where I can get a scholarship," MacMillan explains. "If I can't get a scholarship, I'd like to stay in Northern Ontario and pursue my career while playing hockey."
For now though, MacMillan is enjoying the success of his hometown team. The Beavers have won ten games in a row, a franchise record, and MacMillan is hopeful that even more success is ahead.
"We have a good mix of youth and experience, size speed and goaltending," the Beaver captain comments. "But the biggest difference is that we have the confidence that we can compete with and beat the best teams in the NOJHL. We think that we have four lines that can score, and a strong defence that can support our goalies."
Josh McCully returns to Blind River to bolster Beaver blueline
For a 20-year-old, Josh McCully has accumulated a wealth of life experience through the sport of hockey. The native of North Bay is now using that experience to push the Blind River Beavers toward the top of the NOJHL standings.
It is no coincidence that since McCully returned to Blind River after a stint with the Motor City Metal Jackets, the Beavers have reeled off a team record ten straight victories. McCully has been a steadying influence from his position along the blueline, and has used his trademark skating ability to add an offensive spark as well.
"It was cool to live outside the country," McCully says of his tenure with the Metal Jackets, "but it's great to be back in Blind River again." McCully was a standout for the Beavers last season, as he recorded 40 points in 45 games and helped Blind River to its first playoff series victory in franchise history.
"It's a real family atmosphere in Blind River," McCully points out. "I have great billets in Melanie and Kevin Fitzpatrick (who are also volunteers for the Beavers), and the whole community is very supportive of our team. We have incredible fans, especially the ladies from the nearby Mississauga First Nation (known affectionately throughout the NOJHL as the "Beaverettes")."
McCully is hoping to parlay his hockey skill into a college scholarship, and has his eyes set on traveling even further from home…..to the Boston area. "I will definitely attend university and I'd like to continue playing competitive hockey, either in a Division 1 or Division 3 program," he states.
While he hasn't yet decided on a future career outside hockey, McCully plans to take business courses at university. He notes that, "I've always wanted to be involved in business, but I could become a teacher or even a firefighter."
Regardless of which career he ultimately chooses, McCully points to his career in junior hockey as helping him to grow as a person. "It helps you to mature," he says. "You live with another family, you learn to get along on your own, and you get all sorts of new life experiences, all while you're playing the sport you love."
Nathan MacLeod making hockey and school work together
It can be a difficult situation for a 19-year-old to mix competitive hockey with post-secondary education. In the case of Nathan MacLeod, however, the young man is thriving both in the classroom and on the ice.
The native of Blind River is proving to be one of the top players in the NOJHL in his second season in the league. MacLeod is ninth in the league in scoring, despite having split time between the Blind River Beavers and the Manitoulin Islanders this season.
In addition, MacLeod is carrying a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the heating, air conditioning and ventilation program at Cambrian College in Sudbury. He is managing his time between practical work, classroom studies, and the demands of shuttling between Blind River and Sudbury up to five times per week to play for the Beavers.
MacLeod was traded to the Islanders from the Beavers early this season because his school schedule made it impossible for him to attend many practices in Blind River. Through careful planning and his desire to excel, however, MacLeod found a way to mix hockey and school and was soon re-acquired by his hometown team.
"Hockey is a big part of my life, and I want to continue to play," MacLeod explains. "But it can be very hard to manage my time. So far, it's working out for me."
To illustrate the challenge of his situation, MacLeod points out the situation that he confronted on Wednesday, January 6. He wrote an important exam in Sudbury in the morning, then hopped in his car and managed to get to Blind River in time to make the Beavers' team bus to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Against the Eagles that night, he scored the first goal of the game as the Beavers scored an important 6-5 victory.
At least four nights per week, MacLeod rushes home to do his homework. Right after that, he is on the highway to either a practice or a game, using the car that he purchased with money earned by working all summer.
"It's still tough to make all the practices, but I'm doing my best to demonstrate my commitment to our team," MacLeod says. "We've got a good team, and I want to do my part to see us go as far as we can this season."
"I'm pursuing a U.S. hockey scholarship, where I'd like to take business to combine with my trade skills in heating, air conditioning and ventilation," MacLeod notes. "Of course, I'd like to continue playing hockey if I can. I think that I'm proving I can combine hockey and education, and be successful at both."
Information provided by the Blind River Beavers.
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Thursday, January 21
DOZOIS NAMED FIRST STAR
Player Spotlight |
The post Christmas portion of the NOJHL is now in full gear and some familiar names are finding their way on to the scoresheets, quite frequently at that. A trio of high scoring forwards are front and centre as the league recognizes the Three Stars of the Week for the week ending Sunday, January 10th.
MATT DOZOIS (Blind River) – A twenty year old rookie with the Blind River Beavers this year, Matt Dozois has been among the league leading scorers since almost the beginning of the season. The Manotick native added another nine points to his total in just three games, currently sitting 7th in the NOJHL with 55 points in 35 games. Dozois’ calling card would appear to be his playmaking skills as the 5’8” forward is averaging better than an assist per game.
MARC-ALAIN BEGIN (Abitibi) – Fans of the Abitibi Eskimos can be forgiven if they were struck with mixed feelings as sharp shooting was called up for a stint with the Val D’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL. Now back in Iroquois Falls, Begin recorded eight points in three games recently, trailing teammate Felix Boutin by ten points in the NOJHL scoring parade. Begin made the most of his short stay in Val D’Or, finishing with seven points in 14 games.
AARON LEONARD (Soo Eagles) – With seven points in three games last week, Aaron Leonard has moved into top spot in team scoring with the Michigan based Eagles. The 19 year old native of Allen Park (Michigan) has now chalked up 46 points in 32 games. Leonard in his in first year with the Eagles, having played with the Belle Tire U-18 squad one year ago.
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Thursday, January 21
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NOJHL: Trent Kreuger caps big Blind River rally
Posted By RANDY RUSSON/RR MEDIA SERVICE
Trent Kreuger picked a good time to score his first goal as a member of the Blind River Beavers.
Playing in his fourth game with the Beavers since being acquired from the Thunder Bay K&A Wolverines of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League, Kreuger's game-winning tally at 17:18 of the third period capped a frantic comeback for Blind River, which overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Sudbury Kal Tire Jr. Wolves 6-4 on Wednesday night at McClelland Arena in Copper Cliff.
Defenceman Grant Paulson fired a slapshot from the point that Kreuger deflected in for the game winner.
Brandon Ominka then sealed the deal for Blind River with an empty-net goal at 19:50. It was the third goal of the night for Ominika, who had tied the game at 16:31 of the third.
Ominika now has 14 goals in 12 games for Blind River since being acquired in a trade with the Manitoulin Islanders.
Nathan MacLeod and Matt Dozois also had big games for Blind River, which halted a three-game losing streak with the win over the Jr. Wolves.
MacLeod had a goal and three assists and Dozois had three assists.
Duncan Green also scored for Blind River, which improved its Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League record to 19-10-6.
Shawn Allen scored twice and added an assist and Chris Kangas and Chris Pontes each had a goal and three assists ifor Sudbury.
"We worked hard and came back strong.. We played a really good game, especially being on the road and being down 3-0," said Blind River coach Jim Capy.
Thursday, January 21
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McCully eager to help Beavers
Posted By KEN PAGAN THE NUGGET
Josh McCully is making the most of a second chance in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
He didn't have his best game in a 4-1 loss to the North Bay Trappers at Memorial Gardens Sunday night -- even he admitted it was his worst game this season -- but his Blind River Beavers had caught fire since McCully rejoined the team in early December, rolling to 10 straight wins.
Blind River wasn't where the 20-year-old North Bay resident envisioned he'd be, having started this season living in the Detroit area and playing for the Motor City Metal Jackets of the U.S.-based North American Hockey League.
McCully set out for Detroit with the idea that more exposure would help in the search for scholarship playing opportunities.
Things started out well, but about 12 games in, I wasn't playing as much," McCully said after Sunday's game. As a 20-year-old, in my last year, I want to be playing as much as I can and I just wasn't playing enough. They sat me one game and I just told the coach, 'I think it's best if I go somewhere else.'"
McCully returned home to North Bay for a few days before rejoining the Beavers in December. It was in Blind River where McCully had blossomed as a junior player last season, leading the team's defencemen in scoring with 40 points in 45 games.
He spent his first junior season in the Parry Sound area, putting up eight points in 49 games for the Seguin Bruins during the 2007-08 season, after graduating from midget hockey as the North Bay Trappers' top-scoring defenceman with 33 points in 34 games in 2006-07.
Upon returning to Blind River last month, he picked up where he left off last season, having put up 14 points in his first 11 games as the Beavers started to roll.
During a 7-6 win over the Trappers Dec. 12, McCully had his first of four multiple-point games, setting up Brett Findlay's overtime winner.
I'm playing with a younger kid, Kyle Paat, and he's a great hockey player," McCully said.
Things were working really well, and our power play was going good when we had that streak going. I don't know what's happened the last three games. But I still think we can pull things together."
Should the Beavers get back on track, McCully hopes to play an important role. And it's a role he relishes.
I've always been an offensive defenceman," he said. That's kind of what they expect. The other night, I tried to not jump in the play so much and it just didn't work for the team, we just didn't get anything going. I find the more I jump into the play, the more it helps the team. But I jump into the play quite a bit, so I have to watch what I do and make sure I get back."
Having a chance to play makes the game enjoyable again, something that started to erode playing in the Motor City.
It's totally different -- in Detroit, if I wouldn't get the puck out, I wouldn't play," he said.
Here, they believe in me, they have some faith in me and they know I can handle the puck, so they let me go."
Even though he's back in Blind River, the plans haven't changed for next season and beyond -- the six-foot-one, 190-pound physical specimen hopes to continue to play hockey while attending school.
I've talked to a couple Division III schools," he said. I'd like to go to school somewhere in the Boston area, but I'll wait and see how they playoffs go. I won't make any big decisions yet."
Staying at home in North Bay and seeking a spot with the Nipissing University team could also be an option, he said.
Until then, McCully's focus will be on turning things around in Blind River and getting set for a playoff run.
We just have to pull it together and play like we can," he said. We have some egos on the team and a lot of kids just think about their points, but it's going to change and we're starting to realize that now, losing three games in a row, that we have to play as a team if we want to win. I think we can do some damage in the playoffs."
Tuesday, January 19
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Trappers top not-so-eager Beavers
Posted By Ken Pagan, The Nugget
Justin Dicks' first goal in a North Bay Trappers uniform was a beauty — grabbing a rebound, going to the backhand to outwait the sprawled goaltender and pulled a spin-a-roonie to protect the puck before roofing it under the crossbar.
But it might not have been the nicest goal of the game — two minutes earlier, Brodie Barron undressed a Blind River Beavers defenceman and shelved the puck under the crossbar for a short-handed goal.
That one turned out to be the game-winner in the Trappers' 4-1 win over a flat Blind River Beavers club in front of 939 fans at Memorial Gardens, Sunday.
"As long as they go in, I don't really care," Trappers head coach Ian Swalucynski said. "I thought the nicest goal was the first goal, because we did what we were preaching. We held our spots in the neutral zone, went D-to-D and then Sacha (Guimond) hit (Dan) Zawacki underneath and he made a move and scored."
Zawacki's goal on the game's opening shift set the tone as the Trappers (23-11-2) outshot Blind River 30-21 and handed the Beavers (18-12-6) their third straight loss after a recent 10-game winning streak.
Jon Aubertin also scored for the Trappers, burying a rebound past Beavers' netminder Bobby Raine midway through the second period to make it a 4-0 game.
Drew MacMillan scored the Beavers' lone goal early in the third period, but Trappers goalie Michael Mitchell shut the door the rest of the way.
The Beavers hardly looked like a team that came into the week on a 10-game winning streak.
"Things were working really well and our power-play was going good when we had that streak going," said Beavers defenceman Josh McCully, a North Bay product who assisted on his team's lone goal. "I don't know what's happened the last three games. But I still think we can pull things together."
The Trappers, on the other hand, had a much better effort than what they showed Friday in squeaking past the last-place Manitoulin Islanders on the road.
'We were finishing our checks tonight and that's how we beat them the first two times we played them," Swalucynski said. "When we're hard on the puck, when we finish our checks, we're a strong team.
(Mike) Bodley is a good addition, Dicks is a good addition, Mitchell is playing well again, so we're a team that will be going in the right direction if everyone buys in like they have been."
For Bodley, a 20-year-old winger acquired at last week's trade deadline from the OJHL's Collingwood Blues, Sunday's game was his first at home. He brought some energy to the team skating on a line with Mat Pepin and Morgan Rudiger.
"I want to bring some leadership to the room and on the ice, I think I can add a goal-scoring presence and just a big body," he said after the game. "I think I'm more of an all-around player. I haven't been in the lineup for about four weeks (ankle sprain), so I'm just easing back in right now, but I think I can have an impact."
Bodley is a familiar face for Trappers defenceman Todd Hellyer, a former teammate with the Aurora Tigers.
"I played in Aurora for two years and we always came here for an exhibition game," Bodley said. "Coming into this rink is a different atmosphere. With the end of my junior career, playing near Toronto, you don't get many fans. When you come here, it's a totally different atmosphere, so I thought coming here was a no-brainer."
Goalie spot open
While Mitchell has played solid in allowing just one goal in each of the last three games, he is now the team's only goaltender.
The Trappers played Sunday with midget Trappers goaltender Tanner Davis dressed as an affiliate player and Swalucynski said netminder Sony Drolet has left the team.
"For whatever reason, he (Drolet) felt he deserved a lot more than what we were going to give him," Swalucynski said. "There are lots of goalies out there and we'll find one.
"We don't want guys who don't want to be here, so we'll find somebody else."
Swalucynski said the team will take a look at a second goaltender during Tuesday's practice, but Davis will also be welcome to practise with the junior 'A' club, with only four games remaining in the Great North Midget League team's regular season schedule.
"He (Davis) is a good goalie and he probably has a good future with the organization if he wants to hang around," Swalucynski said. "So, he'll be around at our practices."
Tuesday, January 19
Abitibi hands Beavers tough SO loss
article from the Timmins Daily Press
In the 3-2 victory over the Beavers, Clancy and Michael Robert each scored in regulation. The score was 2-2 heading into the third period in which the Eskis not only shut out their opponents on the scoreboard, but also in the shots on goal category.
Despite 12 shots of their own, they just couldn't avoid overtime.
"Usually when you have 12 shots in a period and you don't score, it's because of a hot goalie," Gagne said. "I can't say he was hot ... he wasn't incredible, but he was good. We had some good chances and there were some crossbars, posts, you name it. With a little bit of luck, we would've won it (in regulation) and not have had to go into OT."
In the shootout, luck decided to favour the Eskis. The Beavers' third shooter put the puck in the net, but after deking goalie Eddie Davey and knocking the net off its moorings. The goal, which would've put Blind River ahead 2-1, was waved off.
That set the stage for Clancy, who made sure there was no more hockey that night by putting the puck in the net.
Friday, January 15
Thunderbirds soar to shutout win over Beavers
By Brad Coccimiglio
SooToday.com
Talk about a complete effort.
The Soo Thunderbirds shutout the Blind River Beavers on Wednesday night 6-0 at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
“We played with some confidence,” said Thunderbirds coach Pat Carricato. “The guys had something to prove to Blind River but moreso to themselves. They went out and they proved it. They said, ‘Hey, we’re a good team.’ We’re starting to believe in each other and I thought it was just three periods of solid hockey.”
Justin Thomas led the way for the Thunderbirds with a pair of goals. Colin Barnauskas and Jerry Petingalo added a goal and an assist each for the Thunderbirds while Chad Thibodeau and Michael Schug also scored. Kurtis Travaglini set up a pair of goals.
“It’s nice to have Thomas back in the lineup,” said Carricato. “He fills a big void. Anytime you can fill that void with a guy like Justin, your team improves…right now it’s a good feeling. The guys are feeling good. It’s scoring by committee.”
The win marked the home debut of goaltender Eric Pye, who joined the Thunderbirds after starting the year playing Div. III college hockey. Pye stopped 21 shots for the shutout.
Pier-Paul Landry made his Thunderbirds debut on Wednesday night and although he didn’t get on the scoresheet, Carricato was pleased with his play in the win and expects him to get better as he gets more comfortable in his new surroundings.
Beavers coach Jim Capy was very succinct in his assessment of his team.
“They kicked our ass, end of story,” Capy said following the loss.
“At some point we knew we were going to lose a game again, it’s just disappointing how we lost,” Capy said. “We might as well have carried a bus load of fans and dressed them because we would have gotten a better effort.”
With the win, the Thunderbirds record improves to 23-10-3 and they sit atop the West Division standings.
T-Birds pound Beavers
NOJHL
Posted By PETER RUICCI, THE SAULT STAR
The Soo Thunderbirds didn't just dominate any Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League team Wednesday.
The T-Birds blanked the Blind River Beavers, winners of 10 straight, 6-0 at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
Colin Barnauskas scored twice and set up another and Eric Pye provided shutout net-minding as the Soo padded its lead atop the NOJHL's Western Division.
With a 23-9-3 record, the T-Birds are five points up on the Soo Eagles (21-9-2) and eight ahead of the Beavers (18-11-5).
"We responded and played really well," said assistant coach Sean Gagnon, whose team held a 41-21 edge in shots. "From start to finish, we had intensity. Blind River is a hardworking team. But we matched their intensity and our skill took over."
Justin Thomas, Chad Thibodeau and Jerry Petingalo scored first period goals for the winners.
Barnauskas opened the third period with a goal at the :31 mark to make it 4-0 and all but put the game away.
Michael Schug had the other goal for the winners, while also contributing a pair of assists.
Kurtis Travaglini finished with three assists, while Bronson Kovacs helped set up a pair of goals.
"When it comes to playing his angles, Pye is a solid goalie," Gagnon said. "He's always in the right spot. He shut Blind River down early and gave our guys confidence."
Beavers head coach Jim Capy found little positive about the way in which his club performed.
"Take every cliché that you can find for having a bad game and add five," Capy said. "That's how bad we were. We were awful, we didn't show up. It's disappointing to see our streak end by not showing up and not competing. If we'd played hard and lost, I wouldn't be so upset."
The T-Birds are home for a pair of games this weekend.
They entertain the Eagles Saturday (7:30 p.m.) and the Abitibi Eskimos Sunday (4 p.m.).
Monday, January 11
BEAVERS EARN HONORABLE MENTION IN CJHL TOP 20
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CJHL ANNOUNCES THE TOP 20 WEEKLY RANKINGS
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today its Weekly Top 20 rankings in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting. Last week's rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis.
The CJHL Weekly Top 20 as of Monday, January 11, 2010:
1. (2) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
2. (1) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
3. (3) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
4. (4) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
5. (7) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
6. (5) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
7. (8) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
8. (11) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
9. (6) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
10. (10) Brockville Braves (CJHL)
11. (15) Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL)
12. (12) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
13. (13) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
14. (14) Westside Warriors (BCHL)
15. (17) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
16. (9) Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)
17. (16) Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL)
18. (18) Burlington Cougars (CCHL)
19. (19) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
20. (20) Les Cobras de Terrebonne (LHJAAAQ)
Honorable mention goes to the Langley Chiefs (BCHL), Powell River Kings (BCHL), Okotoks Oilers (AJHL), Swan Valley Stampeders (MJHL), and the Blind River Beavers (NOJHL).
The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada.
Monday, January 11
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10 straight wins for Blind River Beavers
Posted By RANDY RUSSON/RR MEDIA SERVICE
Matt Dozois scored twice and added an assist and Bobby Raine made 28 saves to improve his record to 6-0 as the hometown Blind River Beavers bested the Soo Eagles 6-4 in front of a Saturday night crowd of 312 at the Memorial Community Centre.
Dozois now has 15 goals and 39 assists for 54 points, one point less than team scoring leader Brett Findlay who is 19-36-55.
The hottest team in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Blind River has now won 10 straight games to improve its record to 18-10-5.
Rookie Brett Campbell, Drew MacMillan, Chad Richard and defenceman Josh McCully also scored for the Beavers in the win over the slumping Eagles, who have lost three straight to begin the New Year.
Defenceman Joe Spitzer scored twice in defeat for the Michiganders.
Blind River visits the Soo Thunderbirds on Wednesday in a 7:30 p.m. start at John Rhodes Community Centre in Game 9 of the Carmen Provenzano Memorial Cup series between the two teams.
Monday, January 11
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| TRENT KRUEGER NEWEST BEAVER
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Blind River Beavers trade Soo boy David McCaig
Posted By RANDY RUSSON/RR MEDIA SERVICE
Left winger David McCaig has agreed to a trade that will send him from the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League to the Thunder Bay K & A Wolverines of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
McCaig, a Sault Ste. Marie product, has 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 30 games with the Beavers this season.
In exchange for McCaig, who is a 1991 birth year, Blind River will receive big forward Trent Kreuger from Thunder Bay K & A. Wolverines of the SIJHL.
Kreuger, a 1989 birth year, has 4 goals and 6 assists in 10 games with K & A.
Monday, January 11
BEAVERS STRETCH STREAK TO NINE
Article posted by:
Webmaster
The Blind River Beavers continued their winning ways tonight in Little Current.
The Beavers stretched their winning streak to nine games with a hard fought 3-1 win over the last place Manitoulin Islanders.
Former Islander Brandon Ominika continued his torrid scoring since joining the Beavers by firing two goals past Islander goaltender Max Bouffard. The two goals give Ominika 25 for the season.
Defenceman Josh McCully also scored for the Beavers while Matt Dozois contributed two assist.
Bouffard was named the game's first star as the Beavers fired 59 shots his way. Drew MacMillan and Ominika were named 2nd and 3rd stars.
Sam Foley and Bobby Raine split the goaltending duties for the Beavers combining to make 40 saves.
Monday, January 11
8 straight wins for Blind River Beavers
Posted By RANDY RUSSON/RR MEDIA SERVICE
Matt Dozois and Echo Bay product Brett Findlay tallied two goals each and the Blind River Beavers won for the eighth time in a row on Wednesday, a 6-5 decision over the Soo Eagles.
The speedy Dozois also had a pair of assists.
The latest win improves Blind River's record to 16-10-5 for 37 points.
The third-place Beavers are now 5 points behind the second-place Eagles in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League's West Division.
In a rematch, Blind River is home to the Eagles on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Memorial Community Centre in the Milltown.
Meanwhile, Beavers coach/general mnager Jim Capy has obtained Soo native Garrett Nystedt from Dryden of the Superior International Jr. Hockey League.
Nystedt, a 6 foot, 200 lb., 1990 birth year forward, had 9 goals and 8 assists in 30 games with Dryden this season
Monday, January 11
BEAVERS ADD TO FORWARD DEPTH
BEAVER BITES:
With the Jan. 10th deadline looming the Blind River Beavers have added some depth to their forward position.
The Beavers have acquired 6' 200lb power forward Garrett Nystedt from the Dryden Ice Dogs of the SIJHL.
The two year veteran forward from Sault Ste. Marie can play either center or the wing.
Nystedt had 15 points this season and last season finished with 32.
"Garrett will bring some intangibles the Beavers have sorely lacked in this season. He is extremely responsible defensively and a very good face-ff man. He will also bring size and grit and have the ability to contribute offensively", added coach Capy.
Nystedt will be in the line-up when the Beavers play there first game after the Christmas break vs the Soo Eagles.
Monday, January 4
SEVEN BEAVERS PARTICIPATE IN NOJHL ALL-STAR GAME
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Seven Blind River Beavers participated Saturday night in the NOJHL all-star game. The game was hosted by the Temiscaming Royals.
The near-capicity crowd was treated to an exciting day of hockey, first with a very entertaining skills competition which featured six different skills and a 15 minute 4 on 4 game that needed a 5 minute overtime to decide.
In the hardest shot catagory, young 16 year-old Beaver defenceman Kyle Paat had his shot clocked at 91 mph. Only veteran forward Chris Kangas was able to shoot the puck harder.
The game itself proved to to very entertaining as Team East edged Team West 6-5. Beaver players Chad Richard and Nathan McLeod both scored goals for Team West.
Other Beavers that participated included forwards Drew MacMillan, Brett Findlay and Matt Dozois and defenceman Grant Paulson.
The Team West coaching staff included Beaver head coach Jim Capy and assistant coaches Don Gagnon and Jim Yardanoff. Robert Gauthier was team trainer.
Beavers return to action Wednesday, January 6th when they travel to Soo, Michigan to face the Soo Eagles in an 8:30 P.M. start at the Pullar Stadium.
The Beavers are currently riding a seven game winning streak.
Thursday, December 24
Beavers get to season half with 7 straight wins
Posted By KELLY JAMES
The Standard
If ever it could be said that Christmas came at a bad time, it is this year for the Blind River Beavers.
The Beavers are on a major roll, having ended the first half of the Northern Ontario Junior 'A' Hockey League season with seven straight victories. The Beavers closed their pre-Christmas schedule with victories over each of their western division rivals last week and have pulled into the thick of the race for first place in the division.
Beginning their busy week last Wednesday in Sault Ste. Marie, the Beavers defeated the division-leading Thunderbirds 4-3 in overtime. It marked the second consecutive overtime victory over the T-Birds, and the second straight time that goalie Sam Foley had stoned the Soo squad.
Foley held the Beavers in the contest, though they were out-shot by a 40-20 margin. Brandon Ominika was the other star for the Beavers, as he netted two goals, including the winner in overtime.
Josh McCully got Blind River off to a good start when he combined with Andrew Trecroce and Brett Campbell to open the scoring with only 10 seconds remaining in the first period. Michael Schug tied the score for the Thunderbirds early in the second period, but Cody Zorzi replied for the Beavers less than a minute later to give Blind River a 2-1 lead that they carried to the third period.
The T-Birds came out flying in the third frame and tied the score at 2-2 just 29 seconds after the opening face-off on a goal by Bronson Kovacs. The score remained knotted until less than three minutes remained in regulation time, when Ominika took a pass from Matt Dozois and beat Soo goalie Ryan McDonald to give Blind River a 3-2 lead.
The Beavers were unable to hold the lead, however, as Jerry Petingalo tied the score at 3-3 with just 1:12 to play. The teams battled into overtime, where McCully used one of his patented rushes to set up Ominika for the winning goal after just 51 seconds of extra time.
The Beavers carried their momentum from the thrilling victory into their match with the Eagles on Saturday. The game matched the two hottest teams in the NOJHL, as the Michigan squad had won eight of their previous 10 games in the past month.
Ominika began the game as he ended the last one, as he scored the opening goal on a pass from Nathan MacLeod midway through the first period. MacLeod made it 2-0 for Blind River late in the second period on a nice deflection, but the Eagles closed the gap to 2-1 before the second intermission on a goal by Ryan McAleese.
The Eagles tied the score early in the third period on a high shot by Aaron Leonard over Foley's glove. Dozois took over for the Beavers at that point, as he scored two goals in a span of just 37 seconds to put Blind River ahead 4-2.
After a goal by Kevin Micheleavage cut the lead to 4-3, it was Beaver captain Drew MacMillan's turn to take over the game. First, MacMillan picked up his own rebound and scored to make it 5-3 for the Beavers, and then he set up Brett Findlay less than a minute later to give Blind River a comfortable 6-3 advantage.
Though McAleese cut the lead to 6-4 with 3:23 to play in regulation time, the Beavers remained calm and added an empty-net goal by Ominika to make the final score 7-4. The victory pulled Blind River to within seven points of the Eagles for second place in the western division, heading into their game with Manitoulin on Sunday.
Though the Islanders put up a good fight on Sunday, they proved to be no match for the depth and talent of the Beavers. Blind River pulled away midway through the third period for a comfortable 6-3 victory to cap off a tremendous week.
Findlay got the Beavers started on the right foot as he scored short-handed off a pass from MacMillan. Nicholas Lalonde tied the score for the Islanders moments later, but Ominika put the Beavers back in front 2-1 when he fired a perfect shot over the blocker of Manitoulin netminder Max Bouffard.
The Beavers went up 3-1 with the only goal of the second period as MacLeod finished off a beautiful passing play with McCully and Cody Zorzi. However, the Islanders crept back to within one goal when Reed Broadhurst scored short-handed early in the third period.
With the game hanging in the balance, the Beavers took over the contest midway through the final stanza with three goals in less than four minutes. MacLeod's second goal of the game off a deflection of McCully's shot made it 4-2, and Ominika made it 5-2 just 39 seconds later with a shot from the slot.
McCully capped off a spectacular individual game by joining a rush and scoring late in the contest to make it 6-2. Though he surrendered a late goal to Mike Schiavone to make the final score 6-3, Bobby Raine played a steady game between the pipes to backstop the Beavers to the win.
With their seven-game winning streak, the Beavers now boast a record of 15 wins, 10 regulation-time losses and five overtime setbacks for a total of 35 points. The Thunderbirds lead the division with 43 points, one more than the Eagles.
The Abitibi Eskimos continue to lead the overall NOJHL standings and the eastern division race with 46 points. They are followed by North Bay with 36 points, Sudbury with 29 and Temiscaming with 24.
The Beavers continue to amass a number of players among the league's top scorers. Findlay is third in the NOJHL scoring race with 17 goals and 33 assists for 50 points, 14 points in arrears of league-leader Felix Boutin of Abitibi. Dozois is tied for fourth place with 45 points, while MacLeod is eighth with 40 points.
The Beavers are now off until Jan. 6, when they travel to play the Eagles in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. They travel to Little Current on Jan. 8 to play the Islanders, then return home to the Blind River Community Centre to host the
Friday, December 18
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| Foley stymies T'Birds a 2nd time
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Beavers beat T-Birds in overtime
Posted By The Sault Star
PETER RUICCI
The Sault Star
If the Soo Thunderbirds are going to win the Western Division and take a serious run at defending their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League championship, it won't be done like this.
"We're not playing like a first-place hockey team," T-Birds head coach Pat Carricato said Wednesday, minutes after his team dropped a 4-3, overtime decision to the Blind River Beavers at the John Rhodes Community Centre. "Not to take anything away from Blind River, but this game should have been two points in our pocket."
Instead, defensive miscues plagued the Soo — especially in the third period and overtime.
Brandon Ominika's second goal, at :51 of the extra frame, came as the result of a turnover in the T-Birds zone.
Netminder Ryan McDonald made the initial save on the Beavers Josh McCully, but Ominika was there to deposit the rebound.
"Kurtis Travaglini had it along the boards and they took it away — like taking candy from a baby," said Carricato, whose club held a 41-21 edge in shots. "They shot it and McDonald made the first save, but no one had Ominika. Their guys just wanted it more. Our guys only do it when they want to."
Surrendering two breakaways in the third period, the Soo was also guilty of permitting several odd-man rushes.
They needed a goal from Jerry Petingalo, who redirected a Chad Thibodeau point shot with 1:12 left in regulation, to tie the game 3-3 and eventually force overtime.
"The first word that comes to mind for me is frustrated. Our guys are just not paying attention," Carricato said. "I'm pissed — three breakaways in the game and how many 2-on-1s? McDonald played well. But we can't make defensive mistakes because we aren't capitalizing on our offensive chances."
"We've been working on gap control in practice, but it's a work in progress, as you can tell," said Petingalo. "But if we're on our game, they (the Beavers) shouldn't get a sniff out of us. I'm disappointed with how we're playing."
With a 19-8-2 record, the T-Birds moved two points up on the second-place Soo (Mich.) Eagles in the Western Division race.
However, the Eagles now have four games in hand.
Blind River improved to 13-10-5, third in the division.
"We finally found a way to win a tight game, in a tough building against a good team," beamed Beavers head coach Jim Capy, whose club has added five new faces since Dec. 1. "It wasn't our best effort, but it was a good effort."
When asked about Ominika, acquired in a trade with the Manitoulin Islanders, Capy answered quickly.
"He's so patient and he has great hands," the Beavers coach said. "You have to watch him to appreciate the things he does with the puck."
Trailing 2-1 to begin the final period, the Soo tied it on a goal by Bronson Kovacs at the :29 mark.
Skating four-on-four, Ominika converted a Matt Dozois feed on a 2-on-1 break, giving the visitors a 3-2 lead with 2:57 left in regulation.
Michael Schug had the other Soo goal, beating Beavers netminder Sam Foley midway through the second period to tie the game 1-1.
McCully and Cody Zorzi had the other Blind River goals.
"Our team is making a lot of mistakes. We're coughing up the puck a lot," said Schug, who leads the Thunderbirds in scoring. "Our work ethic has to improve, for sure. We can't afford to be standing still."
The Soo has little time to make adjustments before returning to the ice. The T-Birds play host to Sudbury Friday (7:30 p.m.) at the Rhodes, before visiting the Manitoulin Islanders Saturday night.
Sunday, they entertain the Eagles in a 7 p.m. start at the Rhodes before breaking for Christmas.
Saturday, December 12
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| Brett Findlay scores 3 in Beaver win
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Findlay turns trick against Jr. Trappers
By Chris Dawson
BayToday.ca
BLIND RIVER, ON - Brett Findlay scored three times, including the game winner on a one on two 3:56 into overtime as the Blind River Beavers defeated the North Bay Jr. A Trappers 7-6 at the Blind River Community Centre on Saturday night.
The loss ruined an impressive offensive output from both Jonathon Aubertin and Stan Smrke. Aubertin finished with 2 goals and 1 assist while Smrke recorded 2 goals and 2 assists in the road loss.
The Trappers had leads of 3-1 and 4-2 but the feisty Beavers wouldn't go away.
"We had our chances to put them away and we let them back in," stated Trappers head coach Ian Swalucynski.
"They got a couple soft goals and we got soft in our own end. We laid back a bit and didn't finish them and instead gave them opportunities they shouldn't have gotten."
Morgan Rudiger and Brodie Barron had the other goals for the Trappers.
Sony Drolet got the loss in relief of Michael Mitchell who was pulled 50 seconds into the third period after Brandon Ominika's second goal of the game.
Matt Dozois and Drew MacMillan added singles for the Beavers.
The Jr. Trappers are back at home on Sunday night as they hope to get their first win of the season against the struggling Abitibi Eskimos who have lost 3 of their past 4 contests. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Gardens.
Wednesday, December 9
NOJHL Team West All-Star squad announced
Posted By RANDY RUSSON/RR MEDIA SERVICE
The staff as well as the 20 players for the Team West squad that will play Team East in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League All-Star Game, which is slated for Temiscaming, Que. on Jan. 2, have been announced.
Coach: Jim Capy. Assistants: Dennis Bolton, Don Gagnon. Manager: Jim Yardanoff. Trainer: Bob Gauthier. (all are from the Blind River Beavers except Bolton, who is with the Soo Eagles.)
Goalies: John Kleinhans, Soo Eagles (1991), Michael Doan, Soo Eagles (1991).
Defence: Grant Paulson, Blind River Beavers (1990), Kyle Paat, Blind River Beavers (1993), Bronson Kovacs, Soo Thunderbirds (1990), Drew Otto, Soo Thunderbirds (1989), Kevin Smith, Soo Thunderbirds (1989), Anthony Raymond, Soo Eagles (1990).
Forwards: Brett Findlay, Blind River Beavers (1992), Drew MacMillan, Blind River Beavers (1991), Matt Dozois, Blind River Beavers (1989), Chad Richards, Blind River Beavers (1989), * Nathan MacLeod, Blind River Beavers (1990) Jerry Petingalo, Soo Thunderbirds (1990), Michael Schug, Soo Thunderbirds (1992), Tyler Evoy, Soo Thunderbirds (1990), Blake Pederson, Manitoulin Islanders (1990), Ryan McAleese, Soo Eagles (1990), Aaron Leonard, Soo Eagles (1990), Brian Depp, Soo Eagles (1991). * Just after being named to the Team West All-Stars, forward Nathan MacLeod was traded to Blind River from Manitoulin.
Wednesday, December 9
Line-up changes pay big time for Beavers
Posted By KELLY JAMES
A shake-up in the roster of the Blind River Beavers has paid immediate dividends on the scoreboard for the local Northern Ontario Junior 'A' Hockey League club.
Within the past 10 days, the Beavers have parted ways with forwards Justin Erhart, Cody Edwards and Austin Bailey, as well as former starting goalie Chandler Long. They have been replaced with returning netminder Sam Foley, along with defencemen Duncan Green and Josh McCully and forwards Nathan MacLeod and Brandon Ominika.
The additions of Green and McCully, both of whom had been playing in the United States, provide an immediate infusion of size, speed and skill to the Blind River blueline corps. Former Beaver MacLeod and Ominika, who were obtained for cash from the Manitoulin Islanders, provide depth and scoring punch to the forward lines.
Foley, who started the 2008-2009 season in Blind River before being traded for goaltender Billy Stone, showed that he is more than capable of replacing Long as the Beavers starting netminder this season as he backstopped the Beavers to a 3-2 victory over the western division-leading Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds on Saturday. Foley stopped 42 of 44 shots during the contest and held the Beavers in the game during a second period barrage that saw the T-Birds out-shoot the Beavers 25-8.
The previous evening, Bobby Raine staked his case to share time in goal with Foley as he led the Beavers to a 7-5 triumph over the Manitoulin Islanders. The pair of victories marked the first back-to-back regulation-time wins for the Beavers in two months, and propelled Blind River back into the race for top spots in the western division standings.
The Beavers now sport a record of 11 wins, 10 regulation-time losses and five overtime losses for 27 points, good for third place in the western division. The Thunderbirds lead the division with 37 points, followed by the Soo Eagles with 35 points. Manitoulin occupies the basement with just three points.
The Abitibi Eskimos suffered their first regulation-time losses of the season last weekend, but they continue to lead the eastern division and the overall NOJHL standings with 44 points. They are followed by North Bay with 31 points, Sudbury with 27 and Temiscaming with 19.
Before joining the Beavers on Saturday, Ominika and MacLeod did their best to help Manitoulin try to upset the Beavers last Friday. MacLeod notched a goal and an assist while Ominika set up three goals, but it was not enough to offset the outstanding performances turned in by Drew MacMillan and Dereck Hurley of the Beavers.
Hurley and MacMillan each scored a pair of goals to lead Blind River to the victory. Chad Richard, Matt Dozois and Brett Campbell also scored for the Beavers, who pulled out the victory by out-scoring the Islanders 4-2 in the third period.
Jazz Perry, Blake Pederson and Cody Minnabarriet scored the other goals for the Islanders, who remain at the bottom of the NOJHL standings. The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period and 3-3 after the second period, and were deadlocked at 5-5 midway through the final frame before Hurley and Campbell scored in a span of 75 seconds to put the game away for Blind River.
After the scoring fest on Friday, the new-look Beavers faced a defensive struggle against the Thunderbirds on Saturday. Cody Zorzi got the home team off to a good start when he converted a perfect pass from Brad Pascall on a two-on-one break to give Blind River a 1-0 lead in the first period.
Foley was outstanding in the second period, as he held the Beavers in the game while the T-Birds poured on the pressure. Despite Foley's heroics, the T-Birds tied the score at 1-1 when Michael Schug scored on a partial breakaway early in the period, then took a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal by Justin Thomas late in the period.
The newly acquired depth of the Beavers paid off in huge measure in the third period, when the Beavers scored a pair of power-play goals to earn the victory. Ominika blasted a shot from the left wing through Soo goalie Ryan MacDonald to tie the score at 2-2 just 1:33 into the final frame, setting the stage for the decisive moment of the contest.
With the teams battling on even terms, the game turned when Chad Richard goaded Mike MacIntyre of the Thunderbirds into a confrontation, during which MacIntyre sucker-punched the Blind River forward. MacIntyre was assessed seven minutes in penalties, while Richard escaped without any time in the sin bin.
On the ensuing Beaver power-play, Kyle Paat of the Beavers launched a rocket at the Soo goal. MacDonald turned the blast aside, but the rebound went directly to Brett Findlay, who calmly plunked the biscuit into the open side of the cage to give Blind River a 3-2 lead. The Beavers played solid team defence and relied on the steady netminding of Foley for the remainder of the contest to chalk up the victory over the west division leaders.
With the addition of MacLeod and Ominika, the Beavers now boast five of the top 12 scorers in the NOJHL. Findlay is third in the scoring derby with 43 points, while Dozois is tied for fifth with 37 points. MacMillan is seventh with 33 points, MacLeod is eighth with 32, and Ominika is in 12th position with 30 points.
The revamped Beavers will have an opportunity to work together in practice this week before playing their only game of the week at home on Saturday against the North Bay Trappers. Game time at the Blind River Community Centre is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Monday, December 7
Letdown costly as T-Birds lose 3-2
Posted By BEN LEESON, THE SAULT STAR
Though they skated at Blind River Community Centre, perhaps the minds of the Soo Thunderbirds were somewhere else Saturday night.
Twenty-four hours after picking up an emotional home-ice victory over the league-leading Abitibi Eskimos, the T-Birds travelled to Blind River and dropped a 3-2 decision to the Beavers.
"We definitely didn't play as well as we could," said Soo forward Michael Schug, who scored in defeat Saturday night. "After we won Friday night, maybe we thought we had this one in the bag, too, and we took Blind River lightly. But we have to
remember that we can't take any team lightly. We always have to be ready to play."
The Beavers were ready enough in the first period, outshooting the visitors 12-9 in the frame.
Blind River's Cody Zorzi drew first blood, scoring just 3:17 into the contest.
Schug and fellow Soo rookie Justin Thomas struck back in the second, making good on the T-Birds' astonishing 25-8 edge in shots over 20 minutes.
But Blind River restored momentum in the third, taking advantage of the Soo's lapses in discipline to score a pair of man-advantage markers.
Brandon Ominika and Brett Findlay found the back of the net for the hosts, who improved to 11-10-5 this Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League season.
The T-Birds fell to 18-7-1, despite outshooting the Beavers 44-31 over three periods.
"We talked before the game about how great teams put together back-to-back games," said Soo head coach Pat Carricato, whose club leads the NOJHL's Western Division.
"After one of our better games of the year, we needed to move forward, but the execution just wasn't there.
"We weren't very good. I have to give Blind River credit, they played well, but we had chances to go ahead, chances to tie it, and we didn't."
Monday, December 7
BEAVER BITES
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| Nathan MacLeod rejoins Beavers
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BEAVERS ADD AND SUBTRACT ROSTER
The Blind River Beavers have had a busy first week of December.
The December 1 cutdown date resulted in the Beavers trading forwards Justin Erhart and Cody Edwards to the Fort Francis Lakers of SIJHL in exchange for cash. They also released forward Austin Bailey.
"It was extremely difficult to move these three fine young men as they represented the Beavers in a first class manner and were great teammates. Hopefully a fresh start will keep their dream alive of playing at a higher level," said Coach Capy.
The Beavers then re-aquired the rights to former Beaver defenceman Josh McCully from the Motor City Metal Jackets of the NAHL.
" We are extremely excited to bring Josh back to the Beavers. He will add leadership and maturity to a young team," added Capy.
Last season the offensive defenceman had 40 points in 45 games.
The trading for the Beavers didn't end there. After Friday's 7-5 win over Manitoulin the Islanders and the Beavers completed a deal that saw former Beaver Nathan MacLeod and high-scoring forward Brandon Ominika move to the Beavers in a cash exchange.
" We were forced to trade Nathan earlier in the season because of complications with school. We are pleased that he is back with the Beavers. Brandon is a skilled forward with size and grit that we were sorely lacking," concluded Capy.
Saturday the Beavers added another former Beaver as goaltender Sam Foley returned to the team. Foley played for the Beavers last season before been traded when the Beavers acquired Billy Stone. " Sam was a very good goalie last season in this league and will now stabilize our goaltending situation. With Sam and recently acquired Bobby Raine we feel we match up with anyone," said Capy.
With the bevy of roster moves the Beaver roster sits at 22.
Sunday, November 29
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| BEAVERS END SKID WITH 6-4 WIN OVER ROYALS
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Royals chopped down by Beavers
By Chris Dawson BayToday.ca
Sunday, November 29, 2009
BLIND RIVER, ON. - The Temiscaming Royals started off strong with 2 goals in the first 41 seconds of the game but finished off poorly allowing 4 third period goals as the Blind River Beavers defeated the Royals 6-4 Saturday night.
Robin Mendelsohn and Kelvin Blackned scored 8 seconds apart in the opening minute but Beavers newcomer Brad Pascall lit the lamp to make it 2-1 only 49 seconds into the game.
The three goals themselves were scored within an span of 16 seconds. It stayed that way until midway through the second period when Justin Erhart scored a shorthanded marker to make it 2-2.
The Beavers broke away with 3 early goals by Brett Findlay, David McCaig and Austin Bailey in the first 3 minutes of the third chasing Royals rookie netminder Francis Bernard who made 20 stops in the loss.
He was replaced by Erwin Bosum. Darren Shecapio brought the Royals within 2 to make it 5-3 but Drew McMillan restored the 3-goal lead less than three minutes later to make it 6-3 at the 9:51 mark of the third.
Andre Leclair scored a powerplay marker in the final 5 minutes to make it a 6-4 final. The loss drops the Royals to 9-14-1 on the season and they have now lost 3 straight.
The Royals will finish off a busy western road swing Sunday night with a visit to the John Rhodes Community Centre to take on the Soo Thunderbirds.
Monday, November 30
Player Spotlight
Saturday, November 28
BEAVERS ADD DEFENCEMAN
| Birthday: Oct 26, 1990 |
| Hometown: Athens, OH |
| Position: D |
| Height: 6' 3 |
| Weight: 200 |
The Blind River Beavers are pleased to announce they have signed big 6'3" 195lbs. defenceman Duncan Green. Green was playing with the powerful South Shore Kings organization in the EJHL.
The Athens, Ohio native will make his debut tonight when the Beavers host the Temiscaming Royals.
"We are pleased to add Duncan to our roster at such a critical time. We have spent the past 3 weeks playing short staffed as a result of injuries and suspensions. He also brings much needed size to the Beaver roster", added Coach Capy.
Thursday, November 26
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Thunderbirds double up Beavers
By Brad Coccimiglio
SooToday.com
Thursday, November 26, 2009
The Soo Thunderbirds have had the Blind River Beavers number this season.
The Thunderbirds picked up an 8-4 victory over the Beavers on Wednesday night at the John Rhodes Community Centre. The win improves the Thunderbirds record against the Beavers to 5-1 this season.
“We had a good third period and I think they (Blind River) ran out of gas and once we got a couple late ones they just fell apart,” said Thunderbirds coach Pat Carricato. “They give us a game every game. They’re a pretty good hockey club and they’re a well-coached hockey club. They compete and they compete hard on every shift. They make our guys work.”
Said Beavers coach Jim Capy: “We competed hard for about a period and a half and then ran out of gas. We’ve played with three defensemen and a forward on defense for about three weeks now and they’re worn out. I can’t complain about the way we competed.”
Kurtis Travaglini paced the Thunderbirds with a pair of goals and two assists in the victory. Linemate Chad Thibodeau continued his solid play of late with a goal and an assist. The third member of that line, Tyler Evoy, also had a goal in the victory.
“With our top line, the Petingalo line, having a little bit of trouble scoring goals right now, to have that line step up and start contributing offensively is certainly a plus,” Carricato said of the trio, who were united in the Thunderbirds 4-1 victory over the Beavers on Saturday night.
Jerry Petingalo and Nicholas Romano also chipped in with a goal and an assist while Mike MacIntyre and Coin Barnauskas also scored for the Thunderbirds. Defensemen Drew Otto and Kevin Smith each set up a pair of goals for the Thunderbirds.
Chad Richard, Grant Paulson, David McCaig and Drew MacMillan scored for the Beavers. MacMillan also set up a goal in the win. Brett Findlay set up three goals while Matt Dozois assisted on two goals for the Beavers in the loss.
With the win, the Thunderbirds record improves to 15-6-1, good for 31 points and top spot in the NOJHL’s Western Division. The Beavers record drops to 8-10-5 and maintain their hold on third place in the Western Division.
Both teams are back in action this weekend. The Beavers lone game is Saturday night when they host the Temiscaming Royals.
The Thunderbirds have a pair of home games this weekend. On Friday night they host the Manitoulin Islanders in a 7:30 start, while on Sunday they host Temiscaming at 7 p.m.
Thursday, November 26
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Chad Richard scores five as Beavers beat Manitoulin
Posted By KELLY JAMES
Blind River Beavers winger Chad Richard had the night of his life as the Beavers thumped the Manitoulin Islanders 13-6 in Wikwemikong on Sunday evening.
Richard scored five goals and added an assist as the Beavers moved to within four points of second place in the western division of the Northern Ontario Junior 'A' Hockey League. Brett Findlay had one goal and five helpers for the Beavers, who lost 4-1 to the division-leading Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds in Blind River on Saturday.
After falling behind 2-0 on goals by Derek Janssen and Blake Pederson early in the first period, the Beavers roared back to grab a 6-3 lead by the first intermission. Richard scored three of the Blind River markers, while Justin Erhart, Cody Edwards and Cody Zorzi had the others.
Richard scored once more in the second period, along with Kyle Paat, while Pederson and Michael Schiavone replied for the Islanders to make it 8-5 entering the third period. The Islanders hung tough for the first half of the period, as a goal by Drew MacMillan of the Beavers was matched by one from Nelson Morningstar of Manitoulin to make the score 9-6 with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation time.
From that point, the Beavers exploded with four unanswered goals by Dereck Hurley, Findlay, Paat and Richard to yield the lopsided final score. The win was also the first for new Blind River goalie Bobby Raine, who stopped 33 shots to earn the victory.
The Beavers played the Thunderbirds to a standstill for two periods in their tilt on Saturday. Unfortunately, the western division leaders from Sault Ste. Marie pulled away in the third period with three unanswered goals to earn a convincing 4-1 victory.
The teams battled through a scoreless first period that featured solid team defence on both sides and good goaltending by Ryan McDonald of the Soo and Chandler Long of Blind River. Chad Thibodeau of the Thunderbirds broke the ice early in the second period when he combined with Justin Thomas and Colin Miller to give the T-Birds a 1-0 lead.
The Beavers responded with a flurry of pressure on McDonald, and were rewarded when Richard scored a power-play goal midway through the second period to knot the score at 1-1. Richard, who was camped on the left side of the crease, grabbed the rebound of Findlay's shot and managed to squeeze it past McDonald to knot the score.
The Thunderbirds dominated the third period, beginning at 4:35 of the final stanza when Nick Romano cashed in with a power-play goal to give Sault Ste. Marie a 2-1 lead. Just 1:07 later, Thibodeau beat Long with a long wrist shot to expand the lead to 3-1 and visibly deflate the Beavers.
Blind River continued to battle, earning several power-play opportunities, but were unable to generate any serious pressure on the Soo goal. Justin Thomas put the game away with 3:14 remaining in regulation time, as he broke in on the right wing and bulged the twine behind Long with a perfect shot.
Despite the loss, the Beavers remain in the thick of the battle for top spot in the western division. The Thunderbirds lead the division with 29 points, followed by the Soo Eagles with 25 points, the Beavers with 21 and the Islanders with just three points.
The Abitibi Eskimos continue to lead the overall NOJHL standings with 38 points, while North Bay is second in the eastern division with 27 points. Sudbury holds down third place in the east with 25 points, with Temiscaming bringing up the rear with 19 points.
The high-scoring contest with Manitoulin helped to vault Findlay into fourth place among all NOJHL scorers with 10 goals and 26 assists for a total of 36 points. Matt Dozois of the Beavers is seventh in the scoring race with 32 points, while MacMillan has moved into 10th place in the scoring derby with 27 points.
Long continues to hold the fort for the Beavers between the pipes, and is tied for third among NOJHL goalies with a save percentage of .906. Long is sixth in the league in goals-against average, sporting a mark of 3.40.
The Beavers will have a great opportunity to make up more ground on the western division leaders as they travel to Sault Ste. Marie for a rematch with the Thunderbirds on Wednesday evening.
On Saturday, the Beavers return to the Blind River Community Centre to host the Temiscaming Royals.
Monday, November 23
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Thibodeau shines as T-Birds win
Posted By PETER RUICCI, THE SAULT STAR
As his confidence has picked up, so has his scoring.
And Saturday in Blind River, Soo Thunderbirds winger Chad Thibodeau registered the first, two-goal game of his Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League career.
Thibodeau's efforts helped lead the T-Birds to a 4-1 victory over the Beavers.
Early in the second period, Thibodeau beat Beavers net-minder Chandler Long to open the scoring.
Later, with the score tied 1-1 early in the third period, Nicholas Romano, on the power play, and Thibodeau scored goals 1:07 apart.
"This feels great right now," said Thibodeau, a rookie who went 13 games before scoring his first NOJHL goal.
In his last eight games, he's tallied five times. The 16-year-old has also contributed 10 assists in 21 starts.
"It's great to contribute to a win," said Thibodeau, a Sault native, who was selected by the Soo Greyhounds in the seventh round of this year's Ontario Hockey League draft. "I'm starting to get more confidence with the puck and I'm releasing my shot quicker. This was the best game I've had all year."
"It took him a while to get going and it's nice to see him get two tonight (Saturday)," said T-Birds head coach Pat Carricato, whose club improved its Western Division-leading record to 14-6-1. "He's really picked up his scoring. We're using him on the point on the power play and he's helped us in that department."
Carricato thought his team was a little sloppy in a scoreless opening period. He thought the Soo came on in the second frame and played well in the third.
"Overall, it was a good road game for us," said Carricato, whose club held a 41-34 edge in shots. "From the goaltending out, we played pretty well."
Ryan McDonald, who'd been struggling, allowed the Beavers just a second period power-play goal off the stick of Chad Richard.
"He made some big stops," Carricato said. "We needed that out of him and he needed it, too."
Justin Thomas had the other goal for the Soo, putting the game away with 3:14 to go in the final period.
Next action for the Thunderbirds is Wednesday, when they entertain the Beavers at 7:30 p. m. at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
Monday, November 16
BEAVERS ACQUIRE GOALTENDER
The Blind River Beavers are pleased to announce the they have acquired the playing rights of goaltender Bobby Raine from the Villanova Knights of the OPJHL.
Raine will replace Tyler Lucente who has decided not to play any more.
The 1991 birth year goaltender was chosen last season to play in the OPJHL future stars game. Prior to playing for Villanova he played for the very successful Oakville "AAA" program.
" We are hoping that Bobby will come in and push Chandler. While Chandler has been outstanding for us he has shouldered a big load thus far and we would like to reduce that so he remains mentally tough", added Capy.
Raine will meet his new teammates Tuesday evening at practice.
Monday, November 16
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Begin, Eskis skin Beavers
Posted By VINCENT MAN, THE DAILY PRESS
Posted 2 hours ago
The Blind River Beavers were not waiting on the Abitibi Eskimos, but they received a tip anyway. Three of them.
The Eskis tipped three shots for goals to skin the Beavers 5-3 at the Jus Jordan Arena on Saturday night.
All three of Marc-Alain Begin's goals were scored in the second period -- two of which were deflected into the net.
Joel Roy also scored for the Eskis in the second period and Josh Clancy had another tip-in in the third to hammer the final nail into the Beavers' coffin.
While many of his 21 goals this season have come from firing the puck past opposing goalies, Begin said he'll take them any way he can get them -- including deflections.
"After practice, (head coach Paul Gagne) gives us some time to work on that stuff," he said. "Me, (Felix Boutin) and Clancy practise everything from tip-ins, one-timers and clearings off the boards, so we get used to it.
"A goal is a goal, but it's a different way to get it."
Matt Dozois had the first and final goals of the game for Blind River. Chad Richard also scored for the Beavers, who suffered their second loss in two nights.
The Eskis dominated the first period, but didn't have a goal to show for their 17 shots. Nearly all of the action in the first nine minutes took place within the Beavers' blue-line, but the visitors used the Eskis' aggressiveness to their advantage and struck for the first goal.
Right after Eski Maxime Pierre had his shot ring off the post, the Beavers advanced the puck for a 2-on-0 rush. Dozois elected to keep the puck and deked Eddie Davey with a backhanded shot up high.
Roy scored for the Eskis a minute into the second frame. Following Matt St. Jacques' faceoff victory, Roy's wrist shot found the net to even the contest.
The marker set off a flurry of offensive activity as three more goals were scored in the next 4:14. Richard had one for the Beavers, while Begin had his first two of the game -- one of them was a deflection from the side of the net, while the other was a tip-in right in front of goalie Alex Rennie.
Later in the period, he completed the hat trick by wheeling into the slot where he let go a sizzling wrist shot.
Clancy gave his team a three-goal advantage midway through the third. Dozois then struck again, but with two minutes remaining, the Beavers failed to pull any closer than two goals.
Begin had an assist on Clancy's goal to up his point total to a league-best 47. Linemates Clancy, Boutin and Begin racked up a total of 10 points in the game.
"We were getting shots on net (in the first period), but there was no traffic," Begin said. "With traffic, the goalie had trouble seeing, so that's how we got a couple of goals.
" While Abitibi's top line accounted for four goals, Gagne said each trio of forwards contributed in the victory.
"To me, that was a clinic with the first line," he said. "They got the fans going with passing and their tic-tac-toes. And the other two lines, they played like (Friday night). They played great defensively.
"The line of (Michel) Ouellet, (Cory) Marquardt and St. Pierre, they've been together only for a couple of games, so you have to give them credit."
The win gave the Eskis a 10-point lead over the second-place North Bay Trappers, which had a divisional tilt against the Sudbury Junior Wolves last night. Abitibi's success (16-0-2) to begin the season is something Gagne said he can't remember ever being a part of.
"We've faced the opposite side of it," he said. "Boutin and I were talking about this yesterday. In his first year we were 0-10 or 0-13 or something like that.
"He was 16 years old when he got here and he's stayed with us. He brings class to the organization, he brings skills ... He's worked hard and he's delivering. Whatever he's put in, he's getting (what he deserves) now."
The Eskis have a pair of games on tap next weekend. On Saturday, they will play a home game in Timmins against the Trappers. The next night, they will visit the Temiscaming Royals.
Sunday, November 15
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| Beavers Matt Dozois 2ND STAR
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NOJHL 3 STARS WEEK ENDING NOV. 8TH
They may only have a single win to show for their efforts so far this year, but that hasn’t stopped a pair of Manitoulin Islanders’ forwards from catching our eye as the duo tops the NOJHL Three Stars of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, November 8th:
Brandon Ominika (Manitoulin) – The Isles dropped four straight games last week but Brandon Ominika and linemate Nathan MacLeod topped all NOJHL scorers with eight points apiece. A 20 year-old native of Wikwemikong, Ominika has chalked up 19 points in his first 13 games and appears to be a good bet to surpass his 31 point production of one year ago.
Matt Dozois (Blind River) – A playmaker through and through, Manotick (Ontario) native Matt Dozois has been a wonderful off-season acquisition for the Beavers, adding another six points to his season total last week. The 20 year old Blind River forward sits seventh in league scoring with 27 points, a total that includes a whopping 22 assists to date.
Jonathan Aubertin (North Bay) – An 8th round selection of the Sudbury Wolves in 2008, Jonathan Aubertin is feeling right at home in his rookie season of NOJHL competition. The Hearst native picked up a goal and four assists in a pair of games last week, securing third place in team scoring with the North Bay Trappers.
Sunday, November 15
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| Royals score empty-netter to seal victory
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Friday the 13th not so lucky for Beavers in Temiscaming
By Chris Dawson
BayToday.ca
Friday, November 13, 2009
TEMISCAMING, QC - The Temiscaming Royals earned their 7th victory of the season tonight by defeating the visiting Blind River Beavers by the score of 5-2. The Royals had a couple new players in the lineup as a result of a trade made with the S.I.J.H.L. Fort William North Stars. Coming to the Royals were forward Alex Cooper and defenseman Josh Blacksmith, both formerly of the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves Midget AAA program. In return the Royals traded away Stephan Gunner and Rylan Henley. Both Gunner and Henley were in their third seasons with the Royals going back to the days in the GMHL.
The Royals opened the scoring at the 6:44 mark with Axel Bousquet getting his first of the season. That was the only scoring in the first period. The second period wasn't 2 minutes old when the Beavers tied the score as Brett Campbell scored on deflection beating Royals goalie Erwin Bosum. About halfway through the second Andre Leclair gave the Royals the lead for the second time with his seventh of the season. But less than five minutes later, Andrew Trecroce tied the score on a breakaway. The second period ended in a 2-2 tie.
After a Beavers penalty just 17 seconds into the third - on the Royals' power play - newcomer Josh Blacksmith put one past Chandler Long. Alex Cooper the other new arrival earned an assist on the goal. Two minutes later, the Royals made it 4-2 when Chris Hebert banged in a rebound.
With about 90 seconds left in the game, Blind River pulled their goalie for an extra attacker but Andre Leclair put an end to the game with an empty netter.
A total of 12 minor penalties were called with the Beavers taking seven. Shots were 30-27 Beavers,
Robin Mendelsohn had a pair of assists as did Kelvin Blackned and Cedric Boutin.
Erwin Bosum earned the victory and the first star and Chandler Long was tagged for the loss. The other game stars were Axel Bousquet and Chris Hebert.
The Royals next game is Sunday evening 7:00 p.m. against the Manitoulin Islanders at Wikwemikong.
Submitted to BayToday.ca
Wednesday, November 11
Former high school standouts making the grade in Blind River
Dereck Hurley, Brett Campbell and Andrew Trecroce combined for 9 points in recent win
Posted By RANDY RUSSON
It is, to be sure, a significant jump from high school hockey in Sault Ste. Marie to the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
But rookie forwards Dereck Hurley, Brett Campbell and Andrew Trecroce of the Blind River Beavers have made what has been a successful leap to the NOJHL this season after being a part of high school hockey championship teams in '08-09.
Hurley and Campbell both skated with the Northern Ontario AAA champion Central Algoma Huskies last season while Trecroce was a member of the City, Northern Ontario AA and All Ontario AA champion St. Mary's Knights in '08-09.
Hurley and Campbell both skated with the Northern Ontario AAA champion Central Algoma Huskies last season while Trecroce was a member of the City, Northern Ontario AA and All Ontario AA champion St. Mary's Knights in '08-09.
"All three are outstanding players in their own right," said Jim Capy, the Blind River coach/general manager who recruited Hurley, Campbell and Trecroce for this edition of the Beavers, a young, hardworking team that currently sits in third place within the West Division of the NOJHL with a 7-6-5 record.
"Campbell has good size to go with a good skill set, Hurley is a quick skater with tremendous offensive upside and Trecroce is a solid two-way player. All three have adapted well to this level of hockey," added Capy.
The trio had their best game collectively as NOJHLers last Saturday, combining for nine points as the Beavers clipped the Manitoulin Islanders 10-3.
Trecroce had two goals and two assists in the win over Manitoulin while Campbell had a goal and two assists and Hurley scored once and set up another.
For the season, Hurley has six goals and five assists in 18 games, Campbell has three goals and eight assists in 18 games and Trecroce has three goals and two assists in just nine games, having missed nine contests with a shoulder injury.
While the local hockey school hockey league doesn't often get the credit it deserves, Capy is a big fan of the level of play.
"Having been a coach at the high school level myself, the league is often sold short but continues to produce good hockey players," Capy noted.
And Campbell, Hurley and Trecroce are three good examples.
Monday, November 9
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Local boys step up for Trappers
Posted By Ken Pagan, The Nugget
In turning over the majority of the roster this season, the North Bay Trappers have given more local kids a look and that strategy started paying dividends, Sunday.
Midget Trappers graduate Darnell Koosees scored his first junior goal, fellow midget grad Adam Marceau notched his third goal and midget/high school product Mat Pepin put up his third two-point night in the past seven games as the Trappers skated to a 7-4 win over the Blind River Beavers.
Dan Zawacki scored twice to lead the Trappers (12-7-0), while Stan Smrke and Brodie Barron, with a highlight-reel beauty, added the other goals in front of an announced 880 fans at Memorial Gardens.
Justin Erhart, Drew MacMillan, Cody Edwards and Jeff Lobman replied for the Beavers (7-6-5 ), who were tied 2-2 after the opening period before the Trappers built a 5-2 lead in the second.
Pepin was named the game's third star and local boy Nick Laporte had two assists before he was tossed for a second-period scrap with the Beavers' Chad Richard.
Trappers head coach Ian Swalucynski was pleased to see some of the local boys step up and contribute.
"Adam Marceau and Koosees had the same disease — they thought the puck was a grenade and they didn't want to handle it — but tonight they did, and they made good things happen," Swalucynski said.
"Pepin is at his best when he gets under your skin and he seems to do that to everybody we play and that's what I've told him to do — make sure you're under everybody's skin and you're whacking and hacking, letting everybody know who No. 8 is. He's doing that more and more now as he's getting in shape.
Swalucynski is counting on some of the team's other rookies to "turn the corner" and gain some confidence as well.
"If we can get those guys going, especially Marceau and Koosees, that will help us out in the long run."
Koosees, who moved to North Bay from Kashechewan at age 14, scored his first career junior goal late in the second period, gathering a puck in the slot and roofing it over the glove of Blind River goalie Chandler Long. Teammates immediately gathered the puck as a memento and the goal turned out to be the game-winner.
"It was a good relief to get my first one," said Koosees, who played on a line with Jesse Cere and Will Laporte. "It was awesome.
"I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my game. I'm just working harder on my speed and agility, so I can try and stay in the lineup."
The Trappers outshot the Beavers 38-23, with Trappers goalie Michael Mitchell making 19 saves for the win.
Swalucynski said it was a good response from his team after a 6-3 loss in Temiscaming, Friday.
"I thought we played about 56 minutes — we let some stuff happen at the end when we weren't as focused as we should be, but that's the best effort we've had in awhile around here," he said. "The guys in the room said it feels good to have a team effort and it does."
The Trappers host a big game Friday, with the first-place Abitibi Eskimos (13-0-2) visiting Memorial Gardens at 7:30
Saturday, November 7
BEAVERS MAKE A TRADE!
The Blind River Beavers are pleased to announce that they have acquired forward Brad Pascall from the Chatham Maroons of the GOJHL for a player to be named later. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native had 7 points in 13 games with the Maroons.
Last season Pascall played for the Soo North Stars in the GNML and was one of the league's premier forwards.
"We are pleased to acquire a talented, young forward like Brad.", said Capy. " He fits in with what we are trying to do here in Blind River."
"While he is a 92 birth year we think he can make an immediate impact", added Capy.
Pascall will play his first game Nov 7th in Blind River as the Beavers host Manitoulin.
THE SKINNY ON PASCALL
Birthday:
Feb 28, 1992 |
Hometown:
Sault Ste. Marie ON |
| Position: F |
| Height: 5-10 |
| Weight: 165 |
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2008-09: Soo North Stars AAA Midget
33 GP, 21 G, 17 A, 38 Pts, 76 PIM
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Monday, November 2
A pair of previous tricks finally led to a treat for the Blind River Beavers over the Soo Eagles.
Posted By RANDY RUSSON/RR MEDIA SERVICE
Blind River netted a 5-4 overtime win over the visiting Eagles on Hallowe'en night, a treat of a triumph for the Beavers, who had earlier been tricked twice by their Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League rivals from the MIchigan Soo.
Saturday's 5-4 Beavers win over the Eagles reversed the outcome from the first two times the teams had met this season. In both of those games, the Eagles needed extra time to edge the Beavers by identical 5-4 scores.
Matt Dozois was the hero as Blind River finally exorcised its demons with Saturday's triumph over the Michigan Soo. Dozois scored twice, including the OT winner, to lift the Beavers to victory.
Dereck Hurley, Kyle Paat and Chad Richard also scored for Blind River, which got 42 saves from Chandler Long in the win.
Justin Scott with a pair, Kyle Slicker and Jimmy Morris replied for the Eagles, who were stunned 6-2 by the previously-winless Manitoulin Islanders on Friday night. Clayton Brackett and Jordan Crews scored for the Eagles in the loss to Manitoulin, which got a pair of goals from Nathan MacLeod.
The Eagles visit Manitoulin again this Friday before playing host to the Sudbury Jr. Wolves on Saturday night in a 7:00 start at Pullar Stadium.
Entering play this week the Eagles have 21 points from a 10-3-1 record, two points behind the West Division leading Soo Thunderbirds who have 23 points from 11-4-1 record. The Eagles have two games in hand on the Thunderbirds.
Blind River is in third place in the West with 17 points from a 6-5-5 record.
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