Sunday marked the end of the line for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds, and that means the British Columbia Major Midget Hockey League season is over for several Mission products.
The Thunderbirds qualified for the playoffs with a record of 21 wins, 15 losses, three ties and one overtime loss – good for fifth place in the 11-team BCMML.
Fraser Valley matched up with the Greater Vancouver Canadians in round one of the playoffs, and opened with a 3-2 loss at the Richmond Oval on Saturday. The teams battled again the next day, with the Canadians winning 6-2 to eliminate the Thunderbirds from the playoffs.
Mission’s Chad Cromar came on in relief for Thunderbirds starting goalie Boston Bilous mid-way through the game after Bilous allowed four goals in 29 minutes. Cromar was solid in relief, allowing two goals in the 31 minutes he was between the pipes, but the Thunderbirds couldn’t rally for the comeback.
Cromar finished the regular season with a record of six wins, eight losses and one tie.
The 16-year-old compiled a goals-against average of 2.59 in his 16 appearances with the Thunderbirds.
It has been a breakout year for the Mission product, as he also made an appearance with the Ridge Meadows Flames of the Pacific Junior Hockey League back in October.
He then suited up for a pair of games for the British Columbia Hockey League’s Langley Rivermen in November, earning his first BCHL win over the Coquitlam Express.
Cromar wasn’t the only Mission product who suited up for the Thunderbirds this season, as both Jackson Pekeski and Hayden Vetterl saw time playing as affiliates for the team.
Vetterl dressed for six games and recorded one assist, while Pekeski saw action in four BCMML games.
Mission’s Sean Sidhu was also an affiliate for the Thunderbirds, but did not see game action in 2016-17.
The club is now off until a spring training camp occurs in May. For more on the team, visit fvthunderbirds.com.
